Pollo Frito a la Criolla Recipe
This Pollo Frito a la Criolla tastes just like your Cuban grandmother's! Full of comforting flavor this Cuban fried chicken recipe is made by marinating bone-in chicken with citrus juices, and plenty of onions and garlic. It's a simple one-pot meal made with everyday ingredients. Make it meal by serving with steamed rice and flan for dessert!
Servings: 6
Cost: $12
Equipment
- 1 (6 quart) cast iron pot or heavy-bottomed pot
- 1 mortar and pestle
- 1 chef knife
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 4 large garlic cloves peeled
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
For Serving:
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl. Using a mortar and pestle (or you can use the back of a chef's knife), mash the garlic. In a measuring cup or medium bowl, add the garlic cloves, dried oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and orange and lime juice; stir until combined.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken pieces, top with the sliced onions, and refrigerate, covered, for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken and onions from the marinade, drain and pat dry. Reserve the marinade for later use.
- Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches, brown the chicken on both sides until the fat is rendered, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the pot. Replenish the oil as needed. Set aside the browned chicken pieces.
- Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the oil and saute the reserved onions in the pot until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved marinade and wine and bring to a simmer. Return the browned chicken pieces to the pot and lower the heat.
- Cook, partially covered, until the chicken is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with wedges of lime and rice.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Mash the garlic. Don't skip this step. It's gives the chicken a deeper, more delicious flavor than you can get with simply mincing or slicing.
- Marinate the chicken. Prep your chicken a few hours before you are ready to serve it, because it only gets better the longer you marinade it!
- It freezes well. Make a double batch or save any leftovers in the freezer to enjoy later. After the chicken has cooled store in a freezer-safe container. Reheat in the microwave until warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 6g | Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 485mg | Potassium: 713mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 62IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg