Fricase de Pollo (Cuban Chicken Fricassee) Recipe

Fricase de Pollo (Cuban Chicken Fricassee) Recipe delivers tender bone-in chicken simmered in a tomato-wine sauce with olives, potatoes, and sweet peppers; it tastes rich, tangy, and deeply savory with a hint of sweetness. It suits anyone craving Cuban comfort and cooks in about 1 hour 20 minutes from start to finish. I grew up in Miami and still keep pimiento-stuffed olives on standby just for this dish.

Why You Should Try This Fricase de Pollo (Cuban Chicken Fricassee) Recipe

This Fricase de Pollo (Cuban Chicken Fricassee) Recipe brings big flavor with simple pantry items, and it rewards you with juicy chicken and a glossy sauce that clings to rice. The leftovers taste even better the next day, which always feels like a win.

The sauce tasted bright and balanced, the chicken fell off the bone, and my family asked for seconds before I sat down ★★★★★

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chicken: 3 to 3.5 pounds bone-in thighs and drumsticks or a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces (boneless thighs work, but simmer less time)
• Citrus-garlic marinade: 1 cup sour orange juice, also called naranja agria (no sour orange? mix 1/2 cup orange juice + 1/4 cup lime juice + 1/4 cup grapefruit or more lime), 6 garlic cloves minced, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Oil: 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil or neutral oil
• Sofrito base: 1 large onion diced, 1 green bell pepper diced, 1 red bell pepper diced, 4 garlic cloves minced
• Tomato and wine: 1.5 cups Spanish-style tomato sauce or passata (Goya Spanish-style tomato sauce works great), 1 cup dry white wine or vino seco (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc also works)
• Vegetables and briny bits: 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1.5-inch chunks, 1 carrot sliced, 1/2 cup Manzanilla olives sliced, 1 tablespoon capers rinsed, 1/4 cup raisins optional
• Seasoning boosters: 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika optional, 1 teaspoon sugar to balance acidity, extra salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh finish: chopped cilantro or parsley
• Pantry shortcuts: bottled minced garlic, frozen diced peppers and onions, jarred sofrito or recaito for a flavor boost, adobo seasoning or a sazón packet for quick seasoning
• Substitutions: chicken stock for part of the wine if you prefer less alcohol, a splash of white vinegar for extra tang if you skip wine, sweet potatoes for a different twist
• Equipment: heavy Dutch oven or wide pot with lid, large bowl, tongs, wooden spoon, measuring cups and spoons, cutting board, chef’s knife

How to Make Fricase de Pollo (Cuban Chicken Fricassee) Recipe

Marinate the chicken

• Pat the chicken dry. Stir the sour orange juice, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin in a large bowl.
• Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes, or up to 8 hours if you have time.

Brown the chicken

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high until it shimmers. Shake excess marinade from the chicken and reserve the liquid.
• Sear the chicken in batches until the skin turns golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Move browned pieces to a plate.

Build the sofrito

• Lower heat to medium. Add onion and both peppers with a pinch of salt, and stir until soft and sweet, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, paprika, and smoked paprika, and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the reserved marinade and scrape up browned bits.

Simmer the stew

• Add tomato sauce, wine, bay leaves, sugar, olives, capers, and raisins if you use them. Nestle the chicken and any juices into the pot.
• Tuck in the potatoes and carrots around the chicken. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then lower to a steady simmer and cover.
• Cook 35 to 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken turns very tender and the potatoes turn soft.

Finish and rest

• Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and acidity. If you want a thicker sauce, uncover and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and rest the stew 5 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro or parsley and serve hot with rice.

Tips & Tricks

• Dry the chicken well so browning goes faster and deeper.
• Keep the heat moderate to prevent the garlic from burning in the sofrito.
• Cut potatoes large so they hold shape during the long simmer.
• Stir gently so the chicken stays on the bone and the potatoes stay intact.
• Prefer darker sauce? Add a spoon of tomato paste with the sofrito.
• No sour orange on hand? Use the orange-lime mix noted above and a tiny splash of vinegar for bite.
• Want more body? Stir in a few spoonfuls of chicken stock concentrate or a knob of butter at the end.
• Short on time? Skip marinating and rub the chicken with adobo seasoning before browning.

What to Serve with Fricase de Pollo (Cuban Chicken Fricassee) Recipe

Spoon the stew over fluffy white rice so the sauce soaks in. Add sweet plantains or tostones for a salty-sweet one-two punch. A crisp avocado salad with lime rounds out the plate and keeps the meal fresh. Warm Cuban bread on the side never hurts.

Make-Ahead and Storage

• Make ahead: Cook the stew fully, cool it, and chill it overnight for even better flavor. You can also marinate and brown the chicken a day ahead, then finish the stew when you plan to eat.
• Storage: Refrigerate in airtight containers up to 4 days. The sauce thickens in the fridge and tastes richer on day two.
• Freezer: Freeze up to 3 months. Potatoes can turn mealy after freezing, so freeze without potatoes or add fresh cooked potatoes when you reheat.
• Reheat: Warm gently on the stove over medium-low with a splash of water or stock until hot and bubbly. Microwave in short bursts, stirring between rounds, if you need speed.

Ally Sanders

Fricase de Pollo (Cuban Chicken Fricassee) Recipe

Fricase de Pollo (Cuban Chicken Fricassee) delivers tender bone-in chicken simmered in a tomato-wine sauce with olives, potatoes, and sweet peppers for a rich, tangy, and deeply savory Cuban comfort meal.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Dinner

Ingredients

  

• 3 to 3.5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks or a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
• 1 cup sour orange juice (naranja agria)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil or neutral oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 cups Spanish-style tomato sauce or passata
• 1 cup dry white wine or vino seco
• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5-inch chunks
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1/2 cup Manzanilla olives, sliced
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• chopped cilantro or parsley, for serving

Instructions

 

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sour orange juice, minced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and ground cumin.
3. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
2. Lift the chicken from the marinade, letting excess liquid drip back into the bowl, and reserve the marinade.
3. Working in batches, sear the chicken pieces until the skin is golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer browned chicken to a plate and set aside.

1. Lower the heat to medium and add the diced onion and both bell peppers with a pinch of salt.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and sweet, about 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the minced garlic, sweet paprika, and smoked paprika, and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Pour in the reserved marinade and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

1. Add the tomato sauce, white wine, bay leaves, sugar, olives, capers, and raisins if using. Stir to combine.
2. Nestle the browned chicken pieces and any accumulated juices back into the pot.
3. Tuck the potato chunks and sliced carrot around the chicken, making sure they are mostly submerged in the sauce.
4. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cover the pot.
5. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is very tender and the potatoes are soft.

1. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a pinch more sugar if needed.
2. If you prefer a thicker sauce, uncover the pot and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more to reduce slightly.
3. Turn off the heat and let the stew rest for about 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve hot, ideally over white rice.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per serving (6 servings): 430 calories; fat 20 g; saturated fat 5 g; carbohydrates 24 g; fiber 3 g; sugars 6 g; protein 32 g; sodium 920 mg. Values are estimates and will vary based on exact ingredients, brands, and portion size.