Pollo Guisado (Braised Chicken)

My friend Debbie asked for a Latin style meal so I knew I was going to make rice and beans but needed a meat dish. I have tried Pollo Guidado (Braised Chicken) recipes in the past but nothing to write about until know. This recipe is so tasty. Although it did not specifically call for chicken thighs, the recipe does call for small pieces of chicken. So the thighs worked perfectly without having to chop into pieces. And if you have a Costco near you, I would recommend shopping there for big quantities. For this recipe, I bought a package of chicken thighs for $14. This package had 6 individually wrapped pockets with 5 thighs in each -- that's 30 thighs for $14! I used 15 chicken thighs for this recipe. Also since I love onions, I used 3 small red onions instead of one and I didn't use any olives. I hope you enjoy this keeper recipe!

Pollo Guisado served family style.

Pollo Guisado
Recipe by Dominican Cooking
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 lbs of chicken cut into small pieces
2 lemons cut into halves
2 green bell peppers
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1 small red onion chopped into fine strips or rings (I used 3 red onions)
4 plum tomatoes cut into quarters
2 tablespoons of oil
1/4 cup of seedless olives cut into halves (optional)
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon of mashed garlic
1 teaspoon of sugar
A pinch of oregano
Salt
Coriander leaves (I couldn't find these so didn't use)

Directions: In a bowl mix the chicken, oregano, onion, celery, tomatoes, a pinch of salt and garlic. Marinate for 30 minutes. (I let this marinate overnight in a ziplock bag) In a pot heat up the oil, add the sugar and let the sugar heat up until it becomes dark brown. Add the chicken (reserve vegetables and herbs) and sauté until the meat is light brown. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 12 minutes adjusting water when necessary. Add the remaining ingredients (except tomato paste), cover and and simmer until they are tender, adjust water if necessary. Add tomato paste and half a cup of water, simmer over low heat to produce a light sauce. Adjust salt to taste. Serve with white rice, a side dish (or salad) and beans.

Chicken thighs after being marinated overnight. 

Chopped veggies.

Chicken and veggies together. Almost done!