Full of fantastic Caribbean flavors, Fricase De Pollo is one of the best Cuban dishes. Chicken pieces are cooked in a tomato-red wine based sauce together with potatoes, olives, raisins, bell peppers, and more!
A year and a half ago, I kicked off this blog with a Cuban recipe. It was Ropa Vieja and it was astonishing. I still remember the fantastic smell my kitchen was filled with. Allspice, cloves, a flavorful tomato sauce, and tender braised beef. Cubans know their food, that's for sure!
That's why it's strange to me that I waited so long to cook another one from this beautiful island for the blog. It's better later than never, right? Today my apartment once again was (and still is) filled with Caribbean flavors thanks to Fricase De Pollo - the famous Cuban chicken stew!
Some of you may know such a dish as Fricassee. Wikipedia says that it's a French stew usually cooked in a white sauce. While that's a perfectly correct definition, it's not exactly what I'm cooking today.
How so? Even though this dish came to Cuba from France, the Caribbean version has some changes. Somehow (unfortunately, I don't know the whole story) Cubans tweaked this stew to their liking and made it more common to the region. The sauce here is not white, it's red. High-five from me for this variation (a big red sauce fan here). There is nothing better than a red intense tomato-based sauce!
Fricase De Pollo reminds me of Puerto Rican Chicken Stew a little bit but at the same time, it's totally different.
First, we marinate the chicken in a sweet and sour blend of orange and lime juices and spices. Then, the meat is cooked in a fragrant tomato-wine sauce featuring bell peppers. Finally, we add potatoes, olives, and raisins and cook a lil' bit more. How simple was that? The dish does take some time to make but not too much active effort is needed. It's mainly marinating and cooking time.
The recipe was adapted from The Cuban Table book. I can't recommend it enough guys if you are interested in Cuban cuisine. Foolproof recipes, beautiful pictures, I really like it a lot.
Fricase De Pollo is one of the most delicious meals I have had lately. So many flavors packed into this stew, it's unbelievable. I am sure I'll make it many more times to come. 
Fricase De Pollo - Cuban Chicken Stew
Ingredients
For the chicken marinade:
- 3 cloves garlic , crushed and minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¾ cups lime juice
- 2 ½ lb (1.1kg) boneless skinless chicken thighs
For the stew:
- 2-3 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper , seeded, cored, and finely chopped
- ½ green bell pepper , seeded, cored, and finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , diced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 lb (900g) baby potatoes , scrubbed, quartered
- ¼ cup pitted green olives
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for a few hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade reserving it for later use. Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the chicken on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic to the same pot. Stir constantly over medium heat until the onion is soft, for about 5 minutes. Add the wine, stock, tomato sauce, reserved marinade, oregano, and cumin. Return the chicken to the pot and cook, covered, for about 40 minutes, until cooked through.
- Add the potatoes, olives, raisins, and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through. Enjoy!
Nutrition
* This post contains affiliate links, thank you for the support in keeping Cooking The Globe up and running!
Julia @ Happy Foods Tube
This looks delicious and I love tomato based sauces very much 🙂
Igor
Red sauces are the best!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
Ohhh I want a taste of those potatoes! I bet this smells amazing! So many yummy flavors.
Igor
YUP! The potatoes were fantastic 🙂
Christina | Christina's Cucina
Do you know, I don't think I've ever tasted a Cuban dish? I know! Terrible, but this looks so good, maybe I could venture into unknown territory! 🙂
Igor
Oh, you are missing so much, Christina. Definitely, do try Cuban cuisine!
Dahn
wow,, that marinade for the chicken just does it!! And all those flavors in this stew are irresistible, this is a must! What a warm and cozy stew
Igor
A true flavor bomb. I am sure I'll make this stew many more times in the future!
Juli
I can't wait to try this. I know next to nothing about Cuban food, I found the blog looking for roja vieja but this looks great too.
Igor
Cuban food is divine, Juli. Do try more recipes from the blog!