Chicken Veracruz
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1.5 pounds, or 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (ground red pepper)
- 1 Tablespoon capers
- 1 Tablespoon caper juice from the jar
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- ½ cup green olives halved
- fresh cilantro for garnish and serving
- lime wedges for serving
Prep
Peel and chop onion and garlic, remove seeds and cut pepper
Steps
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of each piece of chicken.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of the oil to the pan when hot. Add the chicken and cook until browned (does not need to be cooked through), about 2 minutes per side.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the rest of the oil to the skillet. Add the onion and jalapeno, and cook until onion is translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, dried oregano, and cayenne. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add in the diced tomatoes (including juice), capers, caper juice, and olives. Stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- At this time, season to taste with more olives, capers or caper juice for a briny touch, more cayenne for heat, and/or salt. Add water if your sauce is getting too thick.
- When you are happy with your sauce, add the chicken back in and scoop a little sauce on top of each piece to coat.
- Cover the skillet and continue simmering until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.
- Add fresh cilantro and fresh lime wedges for serving. Serve with white rice, vegetables, or tortillas.