Cuban Style Braised Chicken Recipes

CUBAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in hot oil until tender, about 5 minutes; add garlic and continue to cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
• Stir tomatoes, chicken, red bell pepper, raisins, olives, red wine vinegar, oregano, cumin, and bay leaves into the onion mixture; cook until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes more. Remove and discard bay leaves before serving.

CUBAN STYLE BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, and onion slices in a large ziploc bag.
• Seal bag and shake well.
• Add chicken, seal, shake well, and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken and brown on all sides, turning frequently. (About 10 minutes total.).
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover skillet and cook chicken an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
• Pour marinade with onions into the same skillet and increase the heat to medium.
• When sauce simmers, then return the chicken to the pan along with juices collected on the plate.
• Cover skillet, reduce heat to very low and simmer for 20 minutes.

PORTUGUESE BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, and bell pepper; saute until vegetables are softened and sausage is browned, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate, leaving drippings in the pot.
• Combine oregano, basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and rub on chicken. Add chicken to the pot, raise heat to medium-high, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
• Stir sausage and vegetable mixture into the pot with wine, broth, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer, covered, until chicken is no longer pink in the centers, 35 to 45 minutes.
• Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve chicken with orange wedges.

COUNTRY BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, remove and discard rib portion from breast halves.
• Then cut each remaining breast portion in half, making 4 comparably-sized pieces.
• Combine flour, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper and salt.
• Place in shallow dish or plastic bag.
• Pour milk into shallow dish.
• Heat oil in skillet (a heavy or copper-bottom pan works well) over high heat.
• As oil is heating, dip each chicken piece in milk and coat thoroughly with flour mixture.
• When oil begins to bubble, place each chicken piece skin-side down in the skillet.
• Brown thoroughly on every side.
• Remove browned chicken from pan.
• Carefully pour off excess oil.
• Deglaze pan by carefully pouring in about 2 Tbl of wine, swirling it around the pan and discarding it.
• (You may use broth for this step if omitting the wine.) Return pan to heat.
• Add chicken broth and wine (or just broth if omitting the wine).
• Return chicken to pan.
• Slice onion into 1/2" rings and lay them atop the chicken.
• Add parsley over all.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
• Check only twice during cooking to ensure the pan retains adequate liquid.
• When chicken is done, remove from pan.
• Boil down (if necessary) remaining liquids to a thick broth.
• Serve chicken breasts covered with onion and parsley broth.
• Serves 4.
• NOTE: This recipe was tested at high altitude.
• You may need to reduce the amount of liquid and/or the cooking time.
• Serve this dish with a tossed salad in the summer and with steamed whole green beans in winter.
• Goes great with a nice blush wine from your local vineyard.