Tag: chicken recipes

Chicken Adobo

I love trying different cuisines- this is my first time trying this Filipino classic.. of course, I put my own spin on it. It’s yummy!

4 to 5 chicken thighs with skin and bone in
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
6 to 8 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
½ cup cilantro, chopped
3 to 4 scallions, chopped

Place the soy sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns and orange juice in a large sauté pan. Place the chicken thighs, skin side down. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat and then cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Uncover the pan and increase the heat to high and return the sauce to boil while turning the chicken occasionally and basting at the same time. Take the chicken out after about 3 to 4 minutes and add the cornstarch. Bring to a boil and let the sauce thicken. Check for seasonings and turn the heat off.

Let the chicken pieces cool, take the skin off and take all the meat off the bone with a fork. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce, check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro and scallions.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I tweaked this recipe from New York Times cooking section- it is definitely one of my favorite places to get inspired as they have such amazing variety of recipes. This one reminds me of my childhood in India ordering sweet and sour chicken from a local Chinese restaurant called Suzie Wong.

2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Mix the cornstarch with the salt and pepper and toss the chicken pieces in the cornstarch mixture.
4 tablespoons peanut oil plus more
4 to 5 dried red chilies

Heat a large non-stick frying pan with the oil on high. Add half of the chicken and cook, turning occasionally until golden brown and near cooked, about 4 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the chicken and keep aside.

½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup honey
½ cup pineapple juice
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 medium onion, sliced
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup canned pineapple chunks
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Mix the vinegar, honey, pineapple juice, ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic in a small bowl and keep aside.

Add more oil to the frying pan if needed. Heat on medium heat and add the dried red chilies. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the onion and pepper and sauté on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the sauce, pineapple chunks and the chicken. Bring to a boil and let the sauce reduce on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure the chicken is cooked through. Check for seasonings and garnish with scallions. Serve with white or brown rice.

Vietnamese Style Chicken

2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

¼ cup tamari
¼ cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, stems and leaves separated
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
3 garlic cloves, grated
Zest and juice of one lime
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon corn starch mixed in with 2 teaspoons water
Peanut oil for grilling
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Add the tamari, fish sauce, brown sugar, cilantro stems, ginger, garlic, lime zest and juice and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mix well. Place the chicken in a zip lock bag and add the marinade and marinate for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge. Take chicken out of the bag, pat dry and keep aside. Transfer the marinade to a small saucepan, bring to a boil and add the corn starch sauce. Bring to another boil, taste for seasonings and keep aside.

Heat the grill on high to preheat to at least 500 degrees. Turn heat down to medium. Drizzle the chicken pieces with some peanut oil and place on the hot grill and wait 3 to 4 minutes or until grill marks form. Turn the thighs and grill on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes with the lid on. Once the chicken is cooked through, transfer to a platter and garnish with cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts.

Portuguese Style Chicken with Saffron and Peppers

2 tablespoons butter
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 large sweet red peppers, cored, seeded and cut into strips
3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup orange juice
1/3 cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup crushed tomatoes
Salt
Pepper

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Heat a wide skillet with the butter over high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken breasts and transfer them to the pan and cook over medium heat until lightly golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the pieces, reduce the heat and cook on the other side for another 4 minutes or till almost done- do not overcook. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep aside.

Add the olive oil to the same skillet and cook the onion, peppers and garlic over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Take out of the pan and keep aside. Deglaze the pan with the orange juice and chicken broth and scrape the bottom with a wooden spatula. Add the saffron and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pepper and onion mixture back to the pan and cook for a minute. Add the chicken back to the pan and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes to finish cooking the chicken. Check for seasonings and garnish with parsley.

Modified from New York Times

Greek Style Crispy Chicken Thighs

4 to 6 bone-in chicken thighs with skin on
Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Marinade/Sauce

Juice of 4 lemons
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, grated
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons salt

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

Marinate the chicken thighs in ¼ cup of the marinade and another teaspoon of salt for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge. Take out of fridge half an hour before cooking.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat a heavy frying pan or a cast iron pan with the 2 tablespoons olive oil till very hot. Place the chicken thighs skin side down and cook on medium high heat for about 12 minutes while moving around the chicken thighs a bit. Transfer to the oven and bake for another 12 minutes with the skin side down. Take out of oven and flip over the thighs and bake for another 5 minutes until the skin is super crispy and the chicken is cooked through.

Serve right away with a teaspoon of sauce over the thighs.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Potatoes

I am always looking for easy chicken recipes and this is definitely one of them.. yummy, easy and quick!

2 bone-in chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
½ cup cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
6 to 7 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in half
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the butter, oil, garlic, cilantro and salt in a small bowl. Mix well and place some of the butter mixture under the skin and the rest on top. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

Transfer the potatoes into a saucepan filled with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and pat dry. Transfer the potatoes to a lined baking pan. Add the chicken pieces on top and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Take the chicken pieces out and place them on a piece of foil and place under the broiler to brown the skin (briefly- make sure not to over do it). Transfer the potatoes to another pan and place under the broiler to brown on all sides (drizzle some olive oil if needed). Place the roasting pan with chicken and potato bits on the stove. Add the flour and cook on medium heat stirring with a whisk for 1 minute. Add the broth gradually whisking slowly making sure no lumps form. Add salt and pepper. Slice the chicken breast and serve with roast potatoes and green beans.

Skillet Chicken with Chorizo and Peppers

Skillet Chicken I love one pot meals- and this one is absolutely delicious. I think I was watching some cooking show on the tube and the host was using a variety of peppers and cooked it with some chicken. That is what gave me the idea of cooking up this flavorful dish.

I bought some cheap chicken drumsticks with thighs- I love drumsticks- super flavorful. I had lots of chorizo in the freezer- I took that out and I always have lots of oranges in the fridge. That is all I needed- well, almost. I also bought a variety peppers including a red pepper, a poblano and some cubanelles.

The main flavor in this dish is the chorizo of course but also ancho chili powder- it gives the dish a little kick and a great smoky flavor.

All in all it was a really easy dish to put together.. great for through the week..