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Pollo en Salsa in a large skillet
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Pollo en Salsa

Pollo en salsa is chicken in tomato sauce with a Latin flair. It’s similar to the Cuban classic, chicken fricassee (fricase de pollo), but less involved.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Cuban
Keyword stewed chicken
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 663kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Chicken Thighs boneless and skinless (8 pieces)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion finely diced
  • 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • ounces Spanish Chorizo casing removed and diced into small pieces
  • ½ teaspoon Paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon Cumin
  • 16 ounces Tomato Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Water
  • Chopped Parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Remove any fat from the boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Season the chicken on both sides with the salt and pepper.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the chicken thighs. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Flip the chicken using a spatula and cook for another 5 minutes. It’s possible the chicken will stick a little and some chicken bits will remain on the bottom of the pan. Those little bits will flavor the sauce.
  • Take the skillet off the heat; remove the chicken thighs from the skillet and place them on a plate or pan.
  • Keep the chicken warm by covering it loosely with a piece of foil. You can also keep it in the microwave or oven, it will stay warm away from drafts.
  • Do not wash the skillet. Place it back over medium heat, add the onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add the garlic, chorizo, paprika, oregano and cumin. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute while stirring.
  • Add the tomato sauce and the water to the skillet while stirring and gently scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan.
  • Add the chicken thighs back to the skillet, along with any juices collected on the plate.
  • Once the sauce starts to simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Keep the sauce at a simmer, if it’s boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
  • Cook the chicken for 20 minutes or so, stirring occasionally and turning the chicken.
  • Make sure the internal temperature of the largest piece of chicken is at least 165°F at the thickest part.
  • Taste the sauce just in case it needs salt.
  • Garnish the pollo en salsa with parsley and serve over white rice, if desired.

Notes

We go really easy on the salt in this recipe since the tomato sauce and chorizo both contain a good amount. As a reference, we didn’t need to add any extra, but salt is always a matter of taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 228mg | Sodium: 1479mg | Potassium: 889mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 830IU | Vitamin C: 10.6mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3.2mg