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Seco de Pollo

Name: Seco de Pollo
Total time: 70 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Ecuador
Ingredients: 800g (bone-in) Chicken Thigh; 3 Tomato; 1 Onion; 2 Green Bell Pepper; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Achiote paste; 1 tsp Cumin powder; 150ml Orange juice; 1 bunch Cilantro; 1 1/2 tsp Salt; 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil; To taste Cooked rice; 1 Plantain

Main Dish

⏱ 70 min

👥 Serves 4

Difficulty ⭐

Chicken slow-stewed with tomato, peppers, cilantro, and orange juice — Ecuador's home stew.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Seco means 'dry,' but it's actually a stew with plenty of sauce. Chicken is simmered with tomato, green pepper, onion, garlic, achiote, cilantro, and orange or naranjilla (a tart fruit) juice. The standard Ecuadorian pairing is white rice, fried ripe plantain, and avocado.

🌆 Where it's eaten: At a weekday lunch in an Ecuadorian home, cilantro-scented chicken stew is served with rice and sweet fried plantain as the family gathers on their lunch break.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 4)

Chicken Thigh 800g (bone-in)
Tomato 3
Onion 1
Green Bell Pepper 2
Garlic 3 cloves
Achiote paste 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Orange juice 150ml
Cilantro 1 bunch
Salt 1 1/2 tsp
Vegetable Oil 2 tbsp
Cooked rice To taste
Plantain 1

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Rub the chicken with salt, cumin, and grated garlic and let stand 30 minutes.
Heat oil and achiote paste in a pot, brown the chicken, and remove.
In the same pot, sauté the onion and green pepper, then blend the tomato and half the cilantro and add.
Return the chicken, add the orange juice and 200ml water, and simmer 40 minutes.
Add the remaining cilantro, chopped, and season with salt.
Serve with rice and fried plantain.

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