- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
- Calories
- 650 kcal
Quick summary
“Traditional pot dish prepared with chicken thigh and drumstick cuts marinated in lemon juice, salt, and pepper. The pieces are browned in hot oil with chopped onion and garlic, cooking slowly over low heat until they form a thick reduced sauce with fresh parsley.”
What you need to know
- The thirty-minute acidic marinade in lemon softens the connective tissues and fixes the seasoning in the meat.
- Searing the chicken until a golden crust forms in the pan provides a caramel base rich in cooking aromas.
- The reduction of the broth with the garlic cloves on low heat thickens the sauce without leaving a bitter taste.
Ingredients
Main
- 1 kg of chicken (thigh and drumstick)
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup of chopped parsley
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
Principal
- Start by seasoning the chicken with salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté quickly so as not to burn.
- Place the chicken in the pan and brown on all sides.
- Add water until it covers the chicken and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Let it cook until the chicken is very tender and the sauce reduces.
- Finish by sprinkling the chopped parsley before serving.
Chef's tips
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels after removing from the marinade to brown quickly in the oil.
- Do not burn the chopped garlic during the initial sauté; maintain a light golden color to avoid bitterness in the sauce.
- Drip the water little by little during cooking over low heat to control the consistency of the broth.
Variations
- Chicken with Garlic Confit: add ten whole cloves of garlic with skin to cook in the broth until they become buttery.
- Garlic and Beer Chicken: replace half of the water with pilsner beer to provide a malty flavor.
- Spicy Garlic Chicken: add a seeded and chopped chili pepper to the initial sauté.
Substitutions
- Chicken leg and thigh can be swapped for chicken pieces cut into smaller pieces or boneless thighs.
- Lemon juice can be replaced with white wine vinegar or caipira lime juice.
- Common vegetable oil can be swapped for artisanal lard or olive oil for frying.
How to store
Store leftover chicken with the sauce in a plastic or glass container with an airtight lid in the refrigerator for up to four days. To reheat, take to the pan over low heat with two tablespoons of water for six minutes with the lid semi-open.
Can it be frozen?
Freeze the chicken pieces dipped in the reduced sauce in containers suitable for freezing for up to ninety days. Defrost in the refrigerator for twelve hours and boil for five minutes over medium heat to return the velvety consistency of the sauce.
What to serve with
Pair with fluffy white rice prepared with fried garlic, carioca beans with thick broth, creamy polenta, and sautéed okra.
Frequently asked questions
How to brown the chicken without releasing too much water in the pan?
Heat the pan well with the oil over high heat and brown the chicken pieces in batches, without crowding the pieces at the bottom.
Can I make this recipe using chicken breast in cubes?
You can, but reduce the cooking time in water to ten minutes, as the boneless breast dries out easily if boiled for too long.
Why should the lime marinade not exceed thirty minutes?
Excess citric acid coagulates and 'cooks' the surface proteins of the chicken meat, drying out the fiber if left too long.
How to make the garlic very evident without being spicy?
When sautéing the garlic gently with the onion and cooking it in the broth, the garlic loses its spicy bite and gains sweet and unctuous notes.
