Pollo a la Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola Chicken)

Ready for a culinary curveball? Meet Pollo a la Coca-Cola, where your favorite fizzy go-to soda gets a new gig as a gourmet ingredient!

In this quirky and delightful recipe, Coca-Cola isn’t just for sipping anymore – it’s the secret ingredient that turns chicken from blah to ta-da!

Picture this: chicken thighs cooking in a mix of Coca-Cola, ketchup, and some spices, ending into something really special. As the Coke cooks, it thickens and sticks to the chicken, making a shiny, tasty coating that’s so good, you’ll want to lick your fingers clean. At the end, you will be left wondering, “Is that really Coca-Cola in there?”

Our favorite drink (if not alcoholic) to order with chicken is Coke most of the times. So we were very intrigued to try Coco-Cola Chicken and how it would taste. This unique chicken recipe is a favorite globally in different cultures, especially in Asian and Latin countries.

What is Pollo a la Coca-Cola or Coca-Cola Chicken

You will find Coca-Cola chicken in both Asian and Latin cultures. While both use Coke as a main ingredient, they use other different ingredients, resulting in different flavor profiles.

The Asian version typically combines Coke with soy sauce, ginger, and sometimes star anise or other Asian spices. It’s a bit more on the savory side due to the soy sauce.

On the other hand, Pollo a la Coca-Cola usually includes ingredients like tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and sometimes chili flakes, creating a balance of sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy flavors.

We decided to go the fusion way, and made our Coca-Cola Chicken with ingredients from both the cultures and it turned out to be finger licking delicious. The Coca-Cola in our recipe has a distinctive sweetness, creating a caramel-like glaze over the chicken. This sweetness is beautifully balanced with the other ingredients.

Ingredient Notes

• Coca-Cola – The star ingredient, Coke adds a unique sweetness and helps in caramelizing the sauce. It creates a rich, glossy glaze on the chicken.
• Chicken Thighs – We like bone-in, skinless thighs for this recipe. They remain juicy and tender absorbing the sauce beautifully.
• Yellow Mustard – Adds a tangy depth to the chicken’s initial seasoning.
• Garlic and Onion Powder – They complement both the chicken and the sweetness of the cola.
• Paprika – Gives a mild, smoky flavor and a beautiful color to the chicken.
• Onion – Sliced.
• Garlic – Finely chopped garlic is key.
• Ginger – Finely chopped, again.
• Tomato Ketchup – Adds tanginess and a hint of sweetness.
• Soy Sauce – Great for balancing the sweetness of the cola and ketchup.
• Worcestershire Sauce – We love Worcestershire in stew like dishes.
• Red Chili Flakes – Just a little.
• Oil – Used for searing the chicken. Any neutral oil like canola or vegetable will work.

Pollo a la Coca-Cola Recipe

1. Season Chicken: Rub the chicken thighs with a mix of yellow mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

2. Prepare Sauce: In a separate bowl, combine Coke, tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and red chili flakes.

3. Sear Chicken: In a large skillet, heat oil and sear the chicken on both sides until browned. Remove and set aside.

4. Cook Aromatics: In the same skillet, sauté sliced onions, then add garlic and ginger, cooking until fragrant.

5. Simmer: Pour the prepared Coca-Cola sauce into the skillet, bring to a simmer.

6. Cook Chicken in Sauce: Return the chicken to the skillet, cover, and let it simmer on medium-low heat, spooning the sauce over occasionally.

7. Reduce Sauce: Uncover, flip the chicken, and continue to cook until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced to a glaze.

8. Serve: Serve the chicken hot, ideally over a bed of rice, garnished with scallions.

Alpana’s Tips

• Marinate the Chicken: For deeper flavor, marinate the seasoned chicken in the refrigerator for at least an hour before cooking. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
• Deglaze the Pan: After searing the chicken, use a bit of the Coca-Cola mixture to deglaze the pan. This captures the flavorful bits stuck to the pan into your sauce.
• Balance the Flavors: Taste the sauce before adding the chicken back in. Adjust the sweetness, tanginess, or saltiness as needed. Remember, the sauce will concentrate in flavor as it cooks down.
• Reduce the Sauce: Let the sauce reduce to your desired consistency. A thicker sauce will cling better to the chicken and have a more intense flavor.

Leftovers and Storing

Allow the leftover chicken to cool to room temperature before storing. Store the leftovers in an airtight container. They can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.

If you want to store the chicken for a longer period, it can be frozen. Place the cooled chicken in a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. Properly stored, it can last in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

When ready to eat, reheat the chicken thoroughly. If it’s refrigerated, you can reheat it in a microwave, oven, or on the stovetop. If it’s frozen, it’s thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

When reheating, you may want to add a little water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much. This will help bring back the original consistency of the sauce.

There you go, try this Chicken in Coke Sauce the next time you’re looking for some fun meal. Get ready to surprise yourself and impress your guests with Pollo a la Coca-Cola, a dish that cooks with one of the world’s most popular beverages.

Pollo a la Coca-Cola: because sometimes, your soda just wants to be part of the meal, too!

Pollo a la Coca-Cola, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

More great chicken recipes:
Pollo a la Plancha
Greek Crockpot Chicken
Dragon Chicken
Pollo Guisado
Peri Peri Chicken
Jamaican Jerk Chicken
Chicken Masala

Pollo a la Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola Chicken)

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Pollo a la Coca-Cola is a unique dish where chicken braises in a sweet and tangy Coke-based sauce. It's super delish!

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Ingredients

Chicken Seasoning

• 6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Pollo a la Coca-Cola

• 12oz Coca-Cola
• ¼ cup tomato ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp red chili flakes
• 2 Tbsp oil
• ½ medium onion, sliced
• 4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp ginger, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Season the chicken with yellow mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Rub this all over the chicken and set it aside while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
2. In a bowl, mix Coca-Cola, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and red chili flakes and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and sear chicken thighs for 4-5 minutes on both sides. Remove to a plate.
4. In the same skillet, add sliced onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add in chopped garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute. Add the prepared Coco-Cola mixture and bring it to low boil.
5. Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, cover and cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Spoon over the sauce over the chicken occasionally.
6. Flip the chicken and cook uncovered for another 25-30 minutes (continue spooning the sauce over the chicken at intervals) until the chicken is fork tender and the sauce starts caramelizing and is reduced to your liking.
7. Serve immediately over a bed of rice garnished with scallions.

Notes

1. If time allows, marinate the chicken for longer to achieve deeper flavors.
2. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on stovetop, adding a little extra water if the sauce has thickened up too much.

Nutrition Information

Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 284Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 137mgSodium 1128mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 1gSugar 9gProtein 29g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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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.