I am very excited to present you with our version of Fricase de Pollo, an amazing Cuban stew where tender chicken thighs braise in a well seasoned, wine-infused broth.
Serve it up with white rice and tostones, and you have a Latin dinner that’s hard to beat!
I am a big fan of Cuban food, having eaten plenty of it during my childhood years in South Florida. From something simple like Pollo a la Plancha to the more elaborate Ropa Vieja, all of their dishes are packed with flavor.
That’s why I was really drawn towards Fricase de Pollo. I have cooked it a number of times now, each with a little different ratio of seasoning and add-ins, but today’s version is the one I have settled on as being the best. I hope you agree!
Ingredient Notes
For a complete list, along with exact measurements, please check the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chicken – I like bone-in, skinless chicken thighs for this stew. You can also use boneless thighs, drumsticks, or leg quarters.
- Citrus Marinade – The combination of orange juice and lime juice gives the chicken a great tangy flavor. You can vary the ratio, or add grapefruit juice into the mix.
- Bell Peppers – I like one red and one green here, but use any available.
- Tomato Sauce – Gives great flavor to the stew.
- Dry White Wine – Choose a wine that you enjoy drinking.
- Herbs and Spices – Cumin, oregano, and paprika.
- Green Olives – Personally, I find any Latin Caribbean stew or soup incomplete without them.
- Chicken Stock or Broth – My go-to option for homemade broth is Better than Bouillon.
- Potatoes and Carrots – They make the stew hearty.
- Fresh Cilantro – For garnish.
Easy Fricase de Pollo Recipe
1. Prepare the Chicken: In a bowl, toss the chicken with all marinade ingredients. Cover and marinate for at least for 2 hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.
When ready to cook, heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Remove the chicken from marinade (reserve the marinade). Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Remove to a plate.
2. Create the Sauce: Add onion and bell peppers to the same pot and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Reduce heat to medium.
Add the tomato sauce along with reserved marinade, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Cook for 5 minutes. Add white wine and green olives and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Stew the Chicken: Add in chicken stock and mix well. Place the chicken back in the sauce. Reduce to medium low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Cook the veggies: Add carrots, stir well, spoon the sauce over chicken, cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
Add potatoes. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes, or till potatoes are tender. For a thicker sauce, you can uncover and cook to desired consistency.
Helpful Tips and Notes
- Use Dark Meat Chicken: You may love your boneless skinless breast for grilling or baking, but legs or thighs are the only way to go when simmering for a long time.
- Marinate Longer: The longer the chicken marinates, the better. Overnight marination also add lot of flavor.
- Be Patient: Chicken is safe to eat at 165°F. However we cook dark meat to around 185-190°F, as that’s when it’s fall off the bone tender.
- Adjusting Thickness: Cook uncovered towards the end if you want a thicker sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This stew makes a wonderful comfort food dinner alongside some rice and Tostones. If you can spare 5 minutes, make Cilantro Lime Rice.
For an all out feast, add a side of Cuban Black Beans.
A Few Variations
- If your taste buds crave garlicky flavors, swap out the simple citrus marinade used here with our homemade Mojo Marinade.
- Give it more of a briny profile by adding in some capers.
- Add more veggies. Try peas, mushrooms or green beans.
- Give it a bit of kick by adding red chili flakes or sliced jalapenos.
- Swap out the white wine for red.
Leftovers and Storage
Make a big batch and enjoy this Cuban chicken stew for a few days, as it keeps on getting better. Store it in an air tight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
It freezes beautifully too, up to 3-4 months. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat it on the stovetop, adding a dash of water if necessary.
More Great Chicken Stew Recipes
Dominican Pollo Guisada
Filipino Chicken Asado
Italian Chicken Cacciatore
African Kedjenou Chicken
French Chicken Provençal
Jamaican Curry Chicken
Mediterranean Chicken Stew
Give your regular chicken a big time upgrade with our Cuban Chicken Fricassee. You are going to love these new flavors in your chicken stew.
Fricase de Pollo Cubano, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Fricase de Pollo (Cuban Pollo Fricassee)
Fricase de Pollo, or Cuban Chicken Fricassee, features tender chicken that is sautéed, then stewed in a tomato and wine sauce along with veggies and plenty of seasonings.
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (see note 1)
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Chicken Fricassee
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 8oz tomato sauce
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp paprika
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 13-15 green olives
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 carrots, cut into smaller chunks
- 5-6 baby potatoes, halved (or 2 large potatoes cut into chunks)
Instructions
- In a bowl, toss the chicken with all marinade ingredients. Cover and marinate for at least for 2 hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.
- When ready to cook, heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Remove the chicken from marinade (reserve the marinade). Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Remove to a plate.
- Add onion and bell peppers to the same pot and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a minute.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the tomato sauce along with reserved marinade, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Cook for 5 minutes. Add white wine and green olives and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add in chicken stock and mix well. Place the chicken back in the sauce. Reduce to medium low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add carrots, stir well, spoon the sauce over chicken, cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Add potatoes. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes, or till potatoes are tender. For a thicker sauce, you can cook uncover and cook till desired consistency.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
Notes
- The same recipe can also be used with boneless thighs, drumsticks, or leg quarters.
- Serve Fricase de Pollo with white rice and tostones or maduros.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days in an airtight container, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 394Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 138mgSodium 861mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 31g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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I had this in a friend’s house and loved it, she had used white wine but when I made it it I used red wine and I thought it gave it more body but both versions were so so tasty, definitely my go to meal when visitors are expected, prepare , start to cook and relax.
Yep, it’s a great company meal!