Alicia’s Chicken a.k.a Pollo de la Bandera

I tend to do most of the cooking in our house, but my boyfriend definitely has a few secret recipes up his sleeve.  This is one of them.  He made this for me when we started dating, and I loved it so much I forgo the tortillas all together so I could get a healthier portion of chicken.  Alicia, a family friend, taught him this recipe, which he later shared with me once it passed the taste test! Its true name is Pollo de la Bandera, “Mexican Flag Chicken”, because the green cilantro, red tomato and white chicken make up the colors of the Mexican flag.

The best thing about this recipe is it’s almost impossible to mess up. The chicken always comes out perfectly tender and moist, and you don’t need to fuss over it.  Just stick it on the stove and leave it alone, could that be any easier?  Of course, I encourage you to experiment with the spices, I LOVE cumin so I tend to go a bit crazy with it, but if you prefer something else go for it!  I’d love to hear your ideas.

Ingredients

• 2 – 3 pound chicken
• 3 – 4 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 diced large onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 tsp. peppercorns
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Chopped cilantro
• Corn tortillas

Method

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil
• Place whole chicken (with skin), peppercorns, salt, and half the onion in boiling water.  Leave it on a light boil for 1 hour with the lid on (start on high and then lower to medium once the water returns to a light boil)
• Remove chicken and discard cooked onion.   Let the chicken cool and make sure to reserve the chicken stock.  You will use some of the stock in the recipe and the rest can be used throughout the week
• Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and shred the chicken with a fork.
• Heat a large skillet on medium; add oil, left over onion, and a sprinkle of salt.
• Add the minced garlic once the onions are translucent and cook an additional minute.
• Add chicken and sprinkle with cumin, paprika and cayenne, and mix until the chicken is coated in spices
• Add 1/2 cup of stock (or more as needed) and diced tomatoes
• Simmer on stove for 5 mins and garnish with cilantro
• Warm a few corn tortillas in the microwave.  Place the tortillas in a clean damp cloth and heat for 20 seconds.
• Fill the tortillas with chicken and serve with a side of salsa or sour cream.
• Enjoy!

I used the left overs in an omelet the following morning, throw a little cheese on top and you’ve got yourself a gourmet breakfast!

Tags: cayenne, chicken, cilantro, cumin, garlic, onion, paprika, Pollo de la Bandera, recipe, shredded, tomatoe, tortilla