Stewed Chicken and Rice
The cuisine of Puerto Rico resembles that of Latin America and Spain, however the food is a blend of European, African, Taino Indian and American. Puerto Rican food is smoky, colorful and hearty. Many native dishes are stewed for long periods of time, many of which are paired with rice.
Before meeting my husband Pierre, I never knew the flavors of Puerto Rican food. Pierre is Puerto Rican and grew up in Hartford, Connecticut - home to a very large Boricua community. What I never knew is that chicken and rice is a very important part of Puerto Rican cuisine and it’s seen in multiple dishes, including the classic dish, arroz con pollo. On our second date, he made me stewed chicken over rice and I fell in love…with the food. According to him, he just made it up on the spot. Whether it was an impromptu recipe or he spent the whole day memorizing it, I always tell him that I only married him because of this dish. Since that date, I feel that I’ve mastered many Puerto Rican dishes, including his stewed chicken. This dish is a flavorful escape from the ordinary chicken and rice and I encourage you to take your mouth on a journey to beautiful Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rican Style Stewed Chicken and Rice
1 ½ lb chicken breast cut into 1” pieces
1 small green pepper, sliced
½ yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 hot pepper, either Anaheim or jalapeno, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne (if the pepper isn’t hot enough for you)
2 8 oz cans Goya tomato sauce
15 oz can black beans, drained
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Yellow Rice
Begin first by preparing your yellow rice as directed on the packaging.
In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Cook chicken, in batches if necessary, until brown on all sides but not cooked through; about 5 minutes. Once the chicken is brown, transfer to a plate and set aside.
Next, sauté green peppers, onion, garlic and hot pepper until soft; about 5 minutes. More oil may be added if needed. Add spices to the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant; 1 minute.
Add tomato sauce along with 1 can of water to the mixture. Stir the tomato sauce to combine being sure to scrap up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken back to the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the black beans.
Serve stewed chicken over yellow rice. Enjoy!
