Chicken Veracruzano is a vibrant and flavorful Mexican dish that combines the zesty flavors of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers with the savory taste of chicken. Originating from the coastal state of Veracruz, this dish is a delightful blend of Mexican and Spanish culinary influences. Chicken Veracruzano is typically made with bone-in chicken pieces, which are seared and then simmered in a savory tomato-based sauce. The sauce is enriched with a variety of ingredients, including briny olives, tangy capers, and aromatic spices. This dish is often served with rice or tortillas, making it a satisfying and complete meal. In this article, we'll explore two delectable variations of Chicken Veracruzano: a traditional version and a vegetarian alternative. Both recipes offer unique takes on this classic dish, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the vibrant flavors of Chicken Veracruzano.
Here are our top 10 tried and tested recipes!
CHICKEN VERACRUZANO
A bright, zesty topping of tomatoes, lime, cilantro, (surprise!) olives enlivens chicken breasts with a dash of Cinco de Mayo festivity.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes
Time 50m
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until golden and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil (reserve skillet). Set aside.
- Raise heat to medium; place onion in skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives; cook until tomatoes release their juice, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on top of chicken.
VERACRUZ SAUCE (FOR FISH OR CHICKEN)
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- Warm oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic briefly to release its flavor.
- Add tomatoes and onions and cook over low heat until tomatoes soften, about 20 minutes.
- Add jalapeño, olives, oregano, capers, water, and salt, to taste. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
- Serve Veracruz Sauce over grilled or pan-fried white fish or chicken breast. Accompany this with white rice , if you like.
- Use one whole red snapper of about 3 pounds or two pounds of snapper filets. If using the whole snapper, clean it and remove the scales, but leave the head and tail on for presentation.
- Prick the fish with a fork on both sides.
- Lay the fish (or the filets) in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Whisk together 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and 2 cloves (diced) of garlic. Pour this marinade over the snapper and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Make Veracruz Sauce (above), but reduce garlic to only 2 or 3 cloves. Simmer sauce for only about 5 minutes after adding jalapeños and other ingredients, as it will finish cooking in the oven.
- Cover the fish with the sauce and bake in a 300 F (150 C) oven for about 30 minutes, turning once.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 171 kcal, Carbohydrate 11 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 4 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, Sodium 407 mg, Sugar 4 g, Fat 15 g, ServingSize 2 Cups (3 to 4 Servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
VERACRUZANO "PUDDING" TAMALES WITH CHICKEN, CHIPOTLE, AND HERBS
These silky textured Veracruzano "pudding" tamales are made with a precooked batter that helps cut down the cooking time.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes
Yield Makes 8
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Place the chicken breast in a medium saucepan; cover with salted water. Bring liquid to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the chicken becomes opaque throughout, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken.
- Using kitchen scissors, cut off the brown, hard edges from the banana leaves. Cut each leaf into eight 10-inch squares. From the trimmings, make 16 1/4-inch-wide strips cut along the grain. Tie 2 strips together, forming 8 long strips; set aside.
- Set a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. When skillet is hot, add the dried chiles. Cook, stirring, until chiles are very fragrant and toasted in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chiles to a bowl, and cover with 1 1/2 cups hot water. Set a small plate on top of the chiles, keeping them submerged.
- Add the garlic cloves to the hot skillet, and cook, turning, until soft and darkened in spots, about 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. When the garlic becomes cool enough to handle, peel; set aside.
- Drain the chiles, reserving 1 1/4 cup soaking liquid. In the jar of a blender or the bowl of a food processor, combine the chiles, liquid, and the garlic. Process until a puree forms. Transfer puree to a small saucepan, and simmer over medium heat until the mixture reaches the consistency of canned tomato sauce, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar; set the chipotle salsa aside.
- Working in two batches, blend the masa with the stock, and strain the mixture through a medium sieve into a large saucepan. Set over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, about 20 minutes.
- Whisk in lard until combined and thick enough to hold its shape when placed in a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt; transfer to a bowl. Let cool completely.
- Lay 1 banana leaf, shiny-side down, on a clean work surface, and lightly pat dry. Place 2/3 cup batter into the center. Spread the batter toward the right side, forming a rough 3-by-6-inch rectangle. Place 1 tablespoon chipotle salsa, 2 tablespoons shredded chicken, and one-fourth of a hoja santa leaf or 3 sprigs cilantro onto the left side of the batter. Fold the right third of the leaf over, covering the middle third and encasing the filling between the batter. Fold the uncovered section of the leaf over the top, then fold both of the open ends under. Tie loosely with a strip around the middle. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Line the steamer basket with small pieces of banana leaves. Transfer prepared tamales to steamer, no more than 2 deep. Cover the tamales with remaining banana leaves.
- Steam the tamales 1 1/2 hours. Serve the tamales with the remaining chipotle salsa.
CHICKEN VERACRUZ
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 25m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over high heat. Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle with the oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Sear the chicken until well browned, about 7 minutes per side. Meanwhile, slice the poblano into strips and thinly slice the onion. Cut the tomato into 8 wedges and smash the garlic. Once the chicken is browned, scatter the poblano, onion, tomato, garlic, jalapenos and olives over and around the chicken. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the wine and bring to a boil; cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Serve the chicken with the vegetables.
CHICKEN VERACRUZ
Flavor from the Gulf of Mexico
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 40m
Yield Serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- 1. Place chicken breast between plastic wrap sheets; using mallet, pound chicken to ¼" thickness; repeat with remaining breasts. Season chicken with adobo. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until light golden brown on both sides, flipping once, about 7 minutes; set aside.
- 2. Add onions; cook until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and oregano to pan; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Add tomato sauce, 1 cup water, olives, capers, bay leaf and jalapenos to pan; bring tomato sauce mixture to boil.
- 3. Transfer chicken to pan; cook, flipping once, until coated in sauce and cooked through, about 15 minutes more. Remove chicken from pan; stir remaining oil into tomato sauce mixture.
- 4. To serve, divide chicken and sauce evenly among serving dishes; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with rice and lime wedge.
AUTHENTIC MOLE FROM VERACRUZ MEXICO
My MIL gave me this recipe. She makes this for any special occasion. Its delicious and beats the base you buy in a jar here in the US.
Provided by cervantesbrandi
Categories Poultry
Time 6h30m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Place the water, chicken base or cubes and chicken in a stock pot. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down to a medium simmer, cover and cook the chicken for 1 hour or until fork tender and the meat shreds easily.
- While the chicken is cooking pour the oil into a large saute pan. Heat the oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot enough add in all ingredients from the dried chiles to the garlic clove. Fry the ingredients for 1 minute or until fragrant making sure not to burn the chiles.
- Strain the ingredients and discard all of the oil except for 2 tablespoons Place the strained ingredients possibly working in two batches in the blender.
- When the chicken is done, remove the meat from the broth and add in 2 cups of broth into the blender and half of the fried tortilla. Blend on high for 5 minutes.
- Heat the 2 tbsp of reserved oil on medium heat in the large skillet you were using before and pour in the blended mole.
- Then pour the other batch of chile and spices into the blender with the other half of the tortilla and 2 cups of broth and blend on high for 5 minutes.
- Pour the other batch of mole in the saute pan and stir to combine. Place the piloncillo and chocolate in the mole and stir until melted. Taste to adjust for salt.
- Add in the chicken pieces spooning the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes to marry the flavors. Serve with fresh warm corn tortillas and white rice.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1210.1, Fat 88.6, SaturatedFat 20, Cholesterol 246.2, Sodium 361.1, Carbohydrate 42.7, Fiber 9.1, Sugar 12.2, Protein 63.6
VERACRUZ-STYLE RED SNAPPER
I like red snapper for this, but any white, flaky fish will work. By the way, many Veracruz-style fish recipes call for pickled jalapenos, but I think there's plenty of acidity in this from the lime and tomatoes, so I like the fresh pepper a little more.
Provided by Chef John
Categories World Cuisine Recipes Latin American Mexican
Time 40m
Yield 2
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion; cook and stir until onions begin to turn translucent, 6 to 7 minutes.
- Cook and stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add capers and caper juice; stir to combine.
- Stir in tomatoes, olives, jalapeno pepper, . Cook and stir until jalapeno pepper softens and tomatoes begin to collapse, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in oregano.
- Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil into a small baking dish. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of the tomato-olive mixture. Top with 1 snapper fillet, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Top with more filling and juice from 1 lime. Repeat with remaining snapper fillet, seasoning, and lime juice in a second baking dish.
- Bake in the preheated oven until fish is flaky and no longer translucent, 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 452.3 calories, Carbohydrate 16.2 g, Cholesterol 72.6 mg, Fat 25.2 g, Fiber 4.1 g, Protein 43.1 g, SaturatedFat 3.6 g, Sodium 1033.5 mg, Sugar 2.7 g
VERACRUZANA CHICKEN STEW WITH WINTER SQUASH
This is loosely based on a chicken stew from the Mexican state of Veracruz. The cuisine of Veracruz, more than any of the other cuisines of Mexico, retains much Spanish influence, and this is a perfect example. There are not even any chilies in this stew, though I've added some cayenne for a little punch.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Time 1h45m
Yield 4 to 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat the broiler. Line a small baking sheet or a pie tin with foil and place the onion and garlic on it. Place under the broiler, close to the heat. Broil for 2 minutes and check. As soon as the garlic skin is charred, remove the cloves and set aside. Turn the onion, using tongs, and continue to broil, turning often, until it is charred and softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Peel the garlic and transfer to a blender with the onion and tomatoes (do this in 2 batches if your blender is small). Blend until smooth.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a deep lidded frying pan or a heavy casserole. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown for 5 minutes on each side, in batches if necessary. Transfer to a bowl. Pour off the fat from the pan.
- Keep the heat high and add the remaining olive oil. Add the blended tomato mixture to the pan all at once. It should sear and splutter. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until the mixture thickens noticeably, then add 1/2 cup of the stock and salt to taste. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring from time to time, for 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining chicken broth.
- Return the chicken pieces to the sauce, along with any liquid that has accumulated in the bowl. Add the olives, capers, raisins, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cayenne and squash and bring back to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, or until the chicken and squash are tender. Stir in the sherry, if desired, and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with rice or other grains.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 140, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 20 grams, Fat 7 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 702 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams
CHICKEN VERACRUZANO RECIPE - (4.7/5)
Provided by mirelsonp
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- 1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until golden and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil (reserve skillet). Set aside. 2. Raise heat to medium; place onion in skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives; cook until tomatoes release their juice, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on top of chicken.
PERUVIAN ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SPICY CILANTRO SAUCE
Burnished-skinned, deeply flavored and more than just a little spicy, it's no wonder that Peruvian chicken has become something of an obsession here in the United States. There are dozens of way to make this dish, but most recipes call for two different kinds of Peruvian chile pastes - aji amarilla and aji panca - to add the necessary complexity and heat. You can find them at South American markets and online. But in a pinch, you can substitute a red chile paste (like sriracha or sambal) for the aji amarillo, and ground pasilla chile powder for the aji panca. The flavors won't be traditional, but the chicken will still be tasty - especially when slathered with the irresistibly creamy, spicy cilantro sauce that goes alongside.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, easy, weekday, poultry, main course
Time 50m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- For the marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, soy sauce, aji amarillo paste, lime juice, aji panca paste, mustard, cumin, pepper and salt.
- Add chicken halves, turning to coat them all over with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil.
- Roast until skin is golden and chicken is cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes (if using chicken parts, remove the breasts after 25 to 35 minutes). Remove from oven and let sit, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before serving.
- While chicken is roasting, make the sauce. In a blender, blend cilantro, jalapeños, feta, garlic, lime juice, oregano, salt, mustard, aji amarillo paste, honey, and cumin until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in oil until mixture is emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt or lime juice or both.
- Carve the chicken and serve with the sauce and lime wedges on the side.
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Before you start cooking, make sure you have all of your ingredients and tools ready to go. This will help you stay organized and prevent any scrambling during the cooking process.
- Choose ripe tomatoes: The riper the tomatoes, the sweeter and more flavorful your sauce will be. Look for tomatoes that are deep red in color and free of blemishes.
- Use a good quality olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the best choice for this recipe, as it has a rich flavor that will enhance the taste of the other ingredients.
- Don't overcrowd the pan: When you're searing the chicken, make sure you don't overcrowd the pan. This will prevent the chicken from cooking evenly and will make it more likely to stick to the pan.
- Simmer the sauce for at least 30 minutes: This will allow the flavors to meld and develop. The longer you simmer the sauce, the better it will taste.
- Serve with a side of rice or tortillas: Chicken Veracruzana is traditionally served with a side of rice or tortillas. This will help to soak up the delicious sauce.
Conclusion:
Chicken Veracruzana is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The combination of chicken, tomatoes, peppers, and olives is flavorful and satisfying, and the sauce is perfectly balanced. This dish is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
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