Mexican Food Recipes
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Pollo Frito Receta - Mexican Pan Fried Chicken with Tomatoes
This tomato based stew is popular in Mexico, as well as in the Philippines, and the original recipe was brought over by the Spanish. "Frito" is Spanish for fried and the chicken in the following recipe is pan fried with tomato sauce and bell peppers. It is similar to "pollo guisado" which is another Spanish fried chicken dish containing olives, and not too dissimilar to Italy's chicken cacciatore.
The following dish uses a simple tomato sauce rather than the traditional sofrito, which is a mixture of slow cooked, diced onion, tomato, and garlic, making it easier to follow for new cooks and quicker to prepare. You can make the ¼ cup of breadcrumbs by adding a slice of bread to a mini food processor and processing it. If you do not have a food processor, just tear the slice of bread up finely with your fingers or use readymade breadcrumbs.
This recipe keeps the flavors quite simple, and the combination of chicken, chilies, bell peppers, onion and tomatoes might sound very simple but Mexicans love dishes like this because they are so rich in fresh produce. Many traditional Mexican recipes are focused on using fresh ingredients and keeping the seasonings simple. This dish makes a great dinner for the family.
Simple Mexican Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients -
6 chicken legs
½ cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 diced onion
3 chopped cloves garlic
½ diced green bell pepper
1 diced red bell pepper
½ diced yellow bell pepper
1 cup water
2 peeled, quartered potatoes
3 chopped green chilies
¼ cup breadcrumbs
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Wash the chicken and pat it dry.
Season it with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a skillet, then sear the chicken until it is golden brown all over.
Set the chicken inside and add the onion and garlic to the pan, sautéing it until tender.
Add the water and tomato sauce and bring the mixture to a boil.
Add the chicken back into the pan, as well as the green chilies and potatoes.
Season with salt and black pepper.
You can use a little fish sauce, if you have it, instead of the salt and pepper.
Cover the skillet and bring the chicken mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat and cook it for 5 minutes.
Uncover the skillet and add the bell peppers, then let everything cook until the vegetables and chicken are tender.
Add the breadcrumbs and stir, to thicken the sauce.
Cook for 1 minute more, and then serve with rice or even mashed potato if you fancy something different.
(Serves 4)
Photo Description:
You can use chicken breasts or chicken pieces instead of the chicken legs in this recipe if you like but chicken legs are especially juicy and succulent. You can see from the photo how the bell pepper adds color to this delicious looking recipe. This is really easy to make and using a store-bought tomato sauce speeds up the preparation time of this easy Mexican stew recipe without sacrificing any flavor. If you enjoy cooking with chicken and you also like Mexican flavors, you will love this pollo frito recipe. It contains potatoes but you can serve it with rice or even mashed potato if you fancy something different.
