One of the highlights of our recent community culinary trip to Barcelona was the hands-on cooking class at Barcelona Cooking School, just off the lively promenade of La Rambla. With music from street performers drifting in through the windows, our instructor Sonia Ojeda guided our group through a truly special Catalan meal.

We started with a classic Tortilla de Patatas and a strawberry gazpacho that completely surprised me—I didn’t expect to love it as much as the tomato version, but it was that good! The star of the evening, though, was the paella recipe she taught us how to make. Paella is a showstopping pan of golden rice studded with fresh shrimp, mussels, and clams.

Sonia was kind enough to share her paella recipe with me, which she said was a festive twist on traditional Valencian paella. I’ve adapted it a bit and added chicken to make it a paella mixta with vegetables, chicken, and seafood, but it still carries that same spirit of celebration. The rice is infused with saffron and paprika, the seafood and chicken are juicy and tender, and every bite tastes like summer by the sea.

Honestly, it was the best paella I had on the trip (and I tried three or four elsewhere). That dinner is a memory I’ll cherish for a long time. In the spirit of bringing those flavors and that energy home with me, I’m sharing the recipe with you, so you can experience it for yourself! When I make it for my friends and family, I like to bring the whole pan right to the table and let everyone dig in—because, really, a beautiful Spanish paella is meant to be shared.

Do You Need a Paella Pan to make Paella? 

You don’t need a traditional paella pan to make delicious paella at home, but it does make a difference if you have one! A real paella pan is wide and shallow, which helps the rice cook evenly in a thin layer and encourages that golden, crispy bottom layer called socarrat. 

That said, if you don’t have one, don’t worry—you can use a large, wide skillet (12 inches or more) or a cast iron pan. For 4 people, a 16-inch pan (measured across the top) is ideal. Use the widest pan you can fit on your burner. Just make sure it’s not too deep, so the liquid can reduce properly. The key is even heat and resisting the urge to stir once the broth is in!

Paella Recipe Cooking Tips 

Our tour members asked some great questions about how to make the best paella at home. Here are two of the gems I took with me!

• To Shell or Not to Shell? I learned from Sonia that in Spain, restaurants rarely serve seafood shelled or deboned. They see it as a sign that the quality is bad and you have something to hide. Plus, the shell adds flavor. When served with cleaned, deveined shrimp and the shellfish removed from their shells, it’s called paella “del señorito.” Because historically, it wouldn’t be too messy for the upper-class men to eat during a work lunch. You can serve it this way, or you can just let people get a little messy!
• Rice Underdone? A common issue with paella is that the rice at the top can be a little underdone, even while the bottom is cooked. Sonia’s trick to fix that is to take the paella off the heat and cover it with a clean, damp kitchen towel for 5 to 10 minutes. This gentle rest lets the steam redistribute and finishes cooking the top layer without overcooking on the bottom.

What to Serve with Paella

I’m a huge fan of paella and already have two other recipes, a Seafood Pella and Chicken Paella on the site. I like to serve this version with Tortilla de Patatas and Watermelon gazpacho (when in season) to recall the way I had it in Barcelona, but truly, you need very little besides this impressive dish.

Add a couple of Spanish tapas if you want to serve it at a dinner party, and a pitcher of red sangria or white sangria to sip. 

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Paella with Chicken and Seafood (Paella mixta)

There's chicken paella and seafood paella, but this Paella Mixta packed with saffron-infused rice, tender chicken, and fresh shellfish is the best of both worlds! It's a festive, one-pan meal made to share with family and friends.

Course Entree, Entree/Poultry, Seafood

Cuisine Spanish

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Calories 422kcal

Author Suzy Karadsheh

Ingredients

• 4 cups seafood stock
• 8 saffron threads
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 pound cleaned calamari, cut into 1/2-inch thick rings and bite-sized pieces (227g)
• 2/3 cup frozen or fresh peas
• 3/4 cup chopped green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 3/4 cups Spanish bomba rice (360g)
• 1/2 pound fresh live mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded if necessary (about a dozen)
• 1/2 pound fresh live Manila or little neck clams, purged and scrubbed (8 to 10)
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika

Instructions

• Heat the stock. Bring the seafood stock and saffron threads to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep the stock at a simmer. While the stock heats, begin working on the paella.
• Sear the shrimp. Heat the olive oil in a large paella pan or a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp generously with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until seared, about 1 minute per side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• Brown the chicken. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. It does not need to be cooked all the way through at this stage. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Cook the vegetables and calamari. Add the onion and squid. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onion starts to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the peas and green beans, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic, and cook until the tomato reduces by half, about 2 minutes.
• Cook the rice. Add the rice, mussels, clams, paprika, and reserved chicken pieces. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the rice. Use the wooden spoon to distribute the contents of the pan into an even layer. Pour in the hot stock and add a pinch of salt. Cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until all of the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender. About 3 minutes before the paella is done cooking, add the reserved shrimp on top of the rice.
• Rest. Take the pan off the heat. Let the paella stand for 3 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, saffron, Arborio rice and smoked paprika used in this recipe.
• Choose the right pan: You don’t need a traditional paella pan to make delicious paella at home, but it does make a difference if you have one! A real paella pan is wide and shallow, which helps the rice cook evenly in a thin layer and encourages that golden, crispy bottom layer called socarrat. If you don’t have one, don’t worry—you can use a large, wide skillet (12 inches or more) or a cast iron pan. For 4 people, a 16-inch pan (measured across the top) is ideal. Use the widest pan you can fit on your burner. Just make sure it’s not too deep, so the liquid can reduce properly. The key is even heat and resisting the urge to stir once the broth is in!

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 27.2g | Fat: 14.9g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 150.4mg | Sodium: 650.4mg | Potassium: 582.9mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 3.1g | Vitamin A: 390.5IU | Vitamin C: 12.5mg | Calcium: 89.7mg | Iron: 4.2mg

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I love a no-fuss meal that I can make ahead of time, especially if it tastes even better the next day. Pollo en escabeche is a centuries-old Spanish dish of chicken cooked in vinegar sauce. While the sharp vinegar sauce was initially used to help preserve food for longer, modern recipes like this one balance the tang and richness without entirely sacrificing its bright, punchy flavor.

Aromatic herbs and vegetables braise alongside the chicken to create a tart, savory sauce, creating a remarkably flavorful meal. While you can serve it hot from the pan with some crusty bread or over a bed of rice, I prefer to cool it and serve it for an easy lunch the next day, after the flavors have had time to mingle.

After a night in the fridge, the sharp vinegar mellows, the herbaceous flavor deepens, and the whole dish takes on a complexity you’d never expect from such simple ingredients.

What is Escabeche?

Escabeche is a method of cooking meat, seafood, or vegetables in a vinegar sauce that dates back centuries. According to author and historian Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking, modern escabeche derives from the Arabic sikbaj, which was introduced to the Iberian Peninsula in medieval Al-Andalus.

Cooking and storing food in vinegar helped to preserve it before the advent of modern refrigeration. The acid in the sauce had the added benefit of making chicken more tender by denaturing the collagen and proteins in the meat.

Old recipes required much more vinegar and were diluted upon serving. With refrigeration, we don’t need as much vinegar, so we can make a more balanced dish. The most common ratio nowadays is two parts olive oil, one part vinegar, and one part wine. I usually cut down on the oil to equal parts olive oil, vinegar, and wine. While it’s sharper than the traditional ratio, it won’t make you pucker, especially after mellowing out in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients for Pollo en Escabeche

Chicken escabeche coaxes maximum flavor out of humble ingredients, most of which you likely already have in your pantry. Here is everything you’ll need:

• Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil adds richness and rounds out the acidity from the vinegar and wine. Hojiblanca has a fruity flavor that complements the flavors of the white wine vinegar.
• Chicken thighs and drumsticks: Traditionally, cooks would use a whole chicken broken down into eight pieces. I find that the chicken breasts tend to dry out before the dark meat becomes tender, so I prefer a mix of bone-in thighs and drumsticks for consistently tender chicken. You can use skin-on chicken pieces or remove the skin.
• Onion: Use a Spanish or yellow onion for its sweet and mild flavor. 
• Carrots: Although carrots aren’t always included, I appreciate the sweetness they add to the sharp sauce.
• Garlic: Sweet and savory garlic infuses the chicken and escabeche with depth of flavor.
• White wine vinegar: Use a vinegar with a smooth and bright flavor. You can substitute it with apple cider vinegar, but avoid stronger kinds of vinegar, like distilled white vinegar.
• White wine: Use an unoaked, crisp white wine. Spanish Verdejo wine has a bright, citrusy flavor. Sauvignon Blanc is a good alternative. If you avoid alcohol, substitute it with chicken stock.
• Rosemary: A sprig of fresh rosemary adds herbaceous flavor without overwhelming the chicken. I also like to substitute other fresh herbs, such as thyme, oregano, or sage, depending on what I have around.
• Bay leaves: A couple of bay leaves add an earthy, floral flavor and a subtle complexity.
• Sugar: A bit of sugar helps to balance the sharpness of the vinegar.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: Enhance the other flavors in the dish

How to Make Pollo en Escabeche

This one-pan chicken escabeche comes together in just about an hour. Simply brown the chicken, cook the vegetables, and then braise everything in the olive oil and vinegar sauce.

• Season and brown the chicken: Season 2 lbs (910g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks all over with salt and pepper. Heat about 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. The chicken won’t be fully cooked at this time, but will finish cooking in the sauce later.
• Cook the vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. Add about another 3/4 cup olive oil,1 thinly sliced onion, and 3 carrots sliced into 1/4-inch rounds to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add 4 cloves of thinly sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Braise the chicken: Add 1 cup white wine vinegar, 1 cup dry white wine, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Use a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, incorporating them into the liquid. Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices on the plate. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary and 2 bay leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, covered with the lid slightly ajar, until the chicken is tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Chicken thighs and drumsticks are most tender when the internal temperature registers between 190°F and 195°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Serve: Serve right away, or let it marinate overnight. Let the escabeche cool to room temperature. Transfer the chicken to a container, ensuring it is submerged in the sauce. Store in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cold or hot. The escabeche sauce may gel in the fridge. You can heat it in the microwave to make it liquid again.

Make it Your Own

You can easily adapt escabeche to incorporate new flavors or to cook your preferred cut of chicken. Here are some ideas for adapting it.

• Use boneless, skinless chicken. You can use this escabeche method to cook any cut of chicken by varying the cooking time. If using boneless chicken thighs or breasts, start checking for doneness after 15 minutes. Chicken breast should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer when fully cooked.
• Instead of wine, try it with dry hard cider. In northern Spain, they often cook with hard cider instead of wine. Substitute apple cider vinegar for the white wine vinegar and a dry hard cider for the wine.
• Add Spanish paprika. To add sweet smokiness, add a teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika at the same time as the garlic.

What to Serve with Pollo en Escabeche

Chicken escabeche can be served hot, but it’s often served cold the next day after marinating in the refrigerator overnight.

In the summer, I enjoy it cold for lunch. Remove the meat from the bones and use it to top a salad, like this simple lettuce salad or this summery cucumber and radish salad. The escabeche sauce makes a flavorful salad dressing. The time resting in the fridge infuses the chicken with more flavor while also taming the harshness of the vinegar. For this reason, it’s right at home alongside many of our favorite Spanish summer recipes.

When serving chicken escabeche hot, pair it with a starchy side to soak up the sauce, such as crusty bread or a plate of rice. It would be a nice make-ahead main to a few tapas at cocktail hour.

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Pollo en Escabeche

Escabeche de Pollo is a classic Spanish dish of tangy and rich chicken braised in a combination of olive oil, vinegar, and wine with aromatics for a deeply flavorful, make-ahead-friendly meal.

Course Entree, Entree/Poultry

Cuisine Spanish

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Calories 426.4kcal

Author Mark Beahm

Ingredients

• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Spanish or yellow onion, sliced
• 3 carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 sprig sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

• Season and brown the chicken. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat about 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point. Transfer to a plate.
• Cook the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium. Add about 3/4 cup more olive oil, onions, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Braise the chicken. Add the vinegar, wine or stock, and sugar. Use a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, incorporating them into the liquid. Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices on the plate. Add a sprig of fresh rosemary and 2 bay leaves.
• Finish cooking: Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, covered with the lid slightly ajar, until the chicken is tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Chicken thighs and drumsticks are cooked through and the most tender when the internal temperature registers between 190°F and 195°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Serve or chill overnight. Serve right away, or to let it marinate overnight, cool the escabeche to room temperature. You can accelerate the process by placing the pan in a larger tray of ice water. Transfer it to an airtight container, ensuring the chicken is submerged in the sauce. Store in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cold or hot.

Notes

• Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil used in this recipe.
• Note: The escabeche sauce may gel in the fridge. You can warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave to make it liquid again.
• Use boneless, skinless chicken. You can use this escabeche method to cook any cut of chicken by varying the cooking time. If using boneless chicken thighs or breasts, start checking for doneness after 15 minutes. Chicken breast should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Instead of wine, try it with dry hard cider. In northern Spain, they often cook with hard cider instead of wine. Substitute apple cider vinegar for the white wine vinegar and a dry hard cider for the wine.
• Add Spanish paprika. To add sweet smokiness, add a teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika at the same time as the garlic.

Nutrition

Calories: 426.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.5g | Protein: 11.1g | Fat: 37.4g | Saturated Fat: 6.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 60.1mg | Sodium: 75.3mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 2.5g | Vitamin A: 3883.3IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 24.4mg | Iron: 1mg

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The post Escabeche de Pollo (Spanish Chicken Escabeche) appeared first on The Mediterranean Dish.

This is a dish where I take a light hand with the seasoning, keeping the focus on the flavors of the vegetables. I’m careful with the stewing to ensure they’re just tender without losing all their structure.

Even when summer ends, I don’t stop making pisto. In the winter or when I can’t get the best produce, I like to boost the flavor by using canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes, doubling the spices, and stewing the pisto for an extra 5 to 10 minutes until it’s soft and velvety.

What is Pisto?

Think of pisto as Spain’s version of ratatouille. It’s a dish of stewed fresh vegetables. At its most basic, pisto is made with tomatoes, onions, and peppers. But like many old, classic Spanish recipes, there are countless variations throughout the different regions of Spain. The most common is pisto Manchego, or pisto from the region of La Mancha, which includes zucchini and sometimes eggplant.

In Spain’s typical multicourse lunches, pisto is often served as a first course. But it’s also popular as a side to roasted or grilled meat and seafood. I often look forward to a bowl of pisto as a light, but flavorful summer meal. When I want something more substantial, I add a fried or poached egg and some bread for dipping. 

Ingredients for Pisto

A delicious pisto relies on summer produce at its peak. If you grow peppers or zucchini in your garden, this is the recipe to use them in. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Extra virgin olive oil: Use flavorful, high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Hojiblanca, with its peppery flavor, will bring out the best in the vegetables.
• Onion: I like to use red onion for its color and sweet flavor, but you can use a yellow onion if you prefer.
• Bell pepper: I like to use both red and green bell peppers for a variety of colors and flavors, but feel free to use any color you want.
• Garlic: I add lots of garlic, but as it cooks, it mellows and gives the vegetables a sweet and nutty flavor.
• Eggplant: Look for Italian eggplant, which is more tender than globe eggplant and has a robust flavor. Italian eggplant is a bit smaller than globe eggplants with a tear-drop shape. If you use a globe eggplant, you may only need to use half, depending on its size. 
• Zucchini: Pisto is a great way to use flavorful, homegrown zucchini. In the store, look for smooth and firm zucchini. Any type of summer squash will work well in this recipe. 
• Diced tomatoes: I usually save juicy, in-season tomatoes to eat fresh and instead opt for good-quality canned diced tomatoes. They have excellent flavor and don’t need any chopping. For a smoky flavor, you can use canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
• Sweet paprika: Sweet Spanish paprika has a warm, fruity flavor that packs a punch without any heat. I don’t add much to avoid overpowering the flavor of the vegetables. For out-of-season veggies, feel free to add more or use smoked Spanish paprika.
• Cumin has a warm, citrusy flavor that rounds out the taste of the stewed vegetables.
• Sherry vinegar: A splash of sherry vinegar added at the end of cooking brightens the pisto with some acidity. If you don’t have sherry vinegar, don’t skip it; substitute it with white or red wine vinegar or even a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Parsley: Stirring in a small handful of chopped fresh parsley adds herbaceous flavor to the pisto.
• Salt and pepper: Salt brings out all the flavors the vegetables have to offer, and freshly ground black pepper adds a hint of heat.

How to Make Pisto

The secret to the best pisto is adding the vegetables one by one to ensure each one is perfectly tender, but not mushy. Here’s how to make it:

• Cook the vegetables. Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 diced red onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Keep stirring often as you add the remaining vegetables. Add 1 diced red bell pepper and 1 diced green bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the 1 eggplant, diced into 1/2-inch cubes, and cook for 3 minutes. Add 1 diced zucchini and cook until the vegetables begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and seasoning. Add 1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the tomatoes down, stirring occasionally, until reduced and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Finish and serve. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Serve the pisto in bowls with crusty bread as an appetizer or side dish with meat or fish. If you’d like to serve it as a main course, top it with a fried egg.

Ways to Make it Your Own

Pisto recipes vary in each region of Spain, but what unites all the different versions is the stewed tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Here are some variations you can try:

• Add potatoes: Some versions add potatoes either in addition to or instead of the eggplant or zucchini. After cooking the onions, add 1 pound of peeled potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Stew it longer: Pisto is often stewed until very soft, and the flavors concentrate. I prefer to cook it less, for perfectly tender vegetables. But if you like the stewed version, reduce the heat to low after adding the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
• Add eggs: When served as a meal, pisto often comes with a fried or poached egg on top. In some areas, eggs are dropped directly into the pisto to poach, like with shakshuka. To do this, double the tomato so there’s enough juice to poach the tomatoes. After the tomatoes have simmered for 10 minutes, make an indentation in the pisto for each egg. Gently crack an egg into each indentation. Cover and cook on low until the egg whites are set.

What to Serve with Pisto

Serve this pisto recipe as an appetizer with rustic bread for dipping. Add a fried or poached egg on top for a light meal, or spoon some pisto over a bowl of aromatic saffron rice.

Pisto is often served as a side for roasted or grilled meat or fish. Try it with simple, lemony grilled chicken or comforting roasted pork tenderloin. For a meal with fish, grill some marinated swordfish steaks, or serve the pisto alongside this lemon and garlic roasted salmon.

Love this recipe? Check out our collections of Spanish tapas and Spanish recipes for Summer!

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Pisto (Spanish Vegetable Stew)

Think of pisto as Spain’s version of ratatouille. It’s a dish of stewed fresh vegetables often served as a first course or as a side to roasted or grilled meat and seafood. When served as a meal, pisto often comes with a fried or poached egg on top.

Course Appetizer, Entree or Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine Spanish

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 188.9kcal

Author Mark Beahm

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 eggplant, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Fried or Poached Eggs (optional)
• Crusty bread (optional), to serve

Instructions

• Cook the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Keep stirring often as you add each vegetable. Add the bell peppers and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the eggplant and cook for 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook until the vegetables begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and seasoning. Add the canned diced tomatoes, salt, black pepper, paprika, and cumin. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the tomatoes down, stirring occasionally, until reduced and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Finish and serve. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sherry vinegar and parsley. Serve the pisto in bowls with crusty bread as an appetizer or side dish with meat or fish. If you’d like to serve it as a main course, top it with a fried egg.

Notes

• Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil, cumin, and paprika used in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 188.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.5g | Protein: 2.9g | Fat: 14.2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9.9g | Sodium: 593.9mg | Potassium: 582.2mg | Fiber: 5.8g | Sugar: 8.5g | Vitamin A: 1462.5IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1.2mg

The post Pisto (Spanish Vegetable Stew) appeared first on The Mediterranean Dish.

I’ve been making this braised chicken and peppers recipe since my student days, back when I lived in a tiny studio tucked into a narrow building in the old city. With just a two-burner stove and barely any counter space, I had to balance my hunger for cooking traditional Spanish meals with the limits of a student kitchen.

Braised chicken, simmered in a rustic red pepper and tomato sauce, checks all the boxes to make it a favorite. It’s affordable, only requires one pan, and the result is full of smoky, savory flavor. Even now, more than a decade later, it’s still in my regular rotation.

Typically, it’s made with a whole chicken broken down into bone-in parts. But I prefer sticking with just dark meat or just white meat since the white meat dries out before the dark meat is tender. Slow simmering deepens the sauce’s sweet, smoky flavor while the chicken becomes tender and rich. Just don’t forget the crusty bread. Every drop of the sauce is worth savoring.

What is Pollo al Chilindrón?

Chilindrón, or txilindron in Basque, is a simple yet bold sauce made with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Red bell peppers are most common, though some versions mix in green or use fire-roasted piquillo peppers. The dish, which appears often on lunch menus of traditional restaurants called mesones, originates from northern Spain, particularly the Ebro Valley regions of Aragón, Navarra, La Rioja, and the Basque Country, areas renowned for cultivating some of the country’s finest peppers.

What’s in Basque Chicken and Peppers? 

Bone-in chicken becomes juicy and tender as it braises with tomatoes and aromatics. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Chicken thighs and drumsticks: I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken legs, which are economical and become tender and flavorful as they cook. You can use only drumsticks or thighs, if you prefer. See below for tips on substituting boneless, skinless chicken instead.
• Extra virgin olive oil helps the chicken brown and adds richness to the sauce. I think it’s fitting to use a fruity, peppery Spanish Hojiblanca olive oil for this recipe. 
  • READ MORE: Cooking with Olive Oil: Everything You Need to Know
  • TRY IT: Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain
• Onion becomes mild and sweet as it simmers in the sauce. 
• Red bell peppers: While this dish often includes a mix of red and green peppers, I like the sweet fruitiness of using just red bell peppers. You can use any type of sweet pepper in this recipe.
• Jamón Serrano: Diced cured Spanish ham adds savory nuttiness and richness to the sauce. Pancetta may be easier to find and is a good substitute. Using bacon will add a layer of smoky flavor, which isn’t traditional, but will work fine. 
• Garlic adds its distinctive savory flavor to the sauce and sweetens as it simmers. 
• Spanish smoked paprika: Made from finely ground smoked and dried sweet red peppers, smoked paprika adds a fruity, smoky flavor to the sauce.
• Fire-roasted canned tomatoes: You can use either diced or crushed tomatoes, whichever you prefer, but look for fire-roasted canned tomatoes for the rich, smoky flavor they add.
• White wine: A bit of white wine adds fruity complexity and liquid for the chicken to braise in. If you’re avoiding alcohol, substitute chicken stock with a splash of vinegar—sherry, white wine, or apple cider—to mimic the wine’s acidity. 
• Sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes and white wine.
• Bay leaf adds a complex herbaceous note to the sauce.
• Fresh thyme infuses the sauce with its earthy, herby flavor.
• Kosher salt and black pepper bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.

How to Make Pollo al Chilindrón

This braised chicken and peppers recipe is an easy, one-pan meal that’s ready to serve in just over an hour. Here are the steps:

• Brown the chicken. Season 2 pounds, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, or both all over with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point. Transfer to a plate.
• Cook the onions and peppers. Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 thinly sliced onion; 2 thinly sliced red bell peppers; 3 1/2 ounces (100g) diced jamón Serrano, pancetta, or bacon; and 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
• Braise the chicken. Add 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed or diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine (or chicken stock mixed with 1 tablespoon of apple cider or white wine vinegar), 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 bay leaf, and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits and incorporate them into the sauce. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the internal temperature registers 190 to 195°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Serve. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

How to Make It Your Own

A classic recipe like chilindrón wouldn’t have stood the test of time if busy home cooks couldn’t adapt it to their whims and needs. Here are some ideas for swaps you can make:

• Use boneless, skinless chicken. Either breasts or chicken thighs will work, though they may cook more quickly depending on the thickness. Check the chicken after 15 minutes of braising. Chicken breasts should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, and chicken thighs are more tender if cooked to around 190°F.
• Use jarred peppers. Use thinly sliced roasted red peppers, especially fire-roasted piquillo or Florina peppers. In step 2 below, cook the onion, jamón, and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the roasted red peppers and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
• Instead of wine, try it with dry hard cider. 

What to Serve with Basque Chicken and Peppers

For me, it’s not a meal without some crusty bread on the table, but you can serve pollo al chilindrón with any side that would welcome a spoonful of the red pepper tomato sauce on top. Try steamed rice or saffron rice, roasted potatoes, or garlic mashed potatoes.

For a lighter side, I’d pair it with this smashed cucumber salad in the summer or this endive salad with citrus in the colder months.

More Braised Chicken Recipes

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Basque Chicken and Peppers (Pollo al Chilindrón)

Pollo al Chilindrón is Basque-style braised chicken and peppers in smoked paprika-spiked tomato sauce. It’s a rustic, homey, one-pan dish that’s both economical and easy to make.

Course Dinner, Entree, Entree/Poultry

Cuisine Spanish

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 452.5kcal

Author Mark Beahm

Ingredients

• 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, drumsticks, or both
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 3 1/2 ounces diced jamón Serrano, pancetta, or bacon (100g)
• 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• Fresh thyme

Instructions

• Brown the chicken. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point.Transfer to a plate.
• Cook the onions and peppers. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, peppers, jamón, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the paprika and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
• Braise the chicken. Add the tomatoes, white wine, sugar, bay leaf, and thyme. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits and incorporate them into the sauce. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 35 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the internal temperature registers 190 to 195°F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Serve. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Notes

• Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil and smoked paprika used in this recipe.
• To use boneless, skinless chicken: Either breasts or chicken thighs will work, though they may cook more quickly depending on the thickness. Check the chicken after 15 minutes of braising. Chicken breasts should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, and chicken thighs are more tender if cooked to around 190°F.
• To substitute jarred peppers. Use thinly sliced roasted red peppers, especially fire-roasted piquillo or Florina peppers. In step 2, cook the onion, jamón, and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the roasted red peppers and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
• To substitute the wine: Use chicken stock mixed with 1 tablespoon of apple cider or white wine vinegar.

Nutrition

Calories: 452.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.6g | Protein: 23.7g | Fat: 35.1g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16.9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 136.9mg | Sodium: 212.6mg | Potassium: 433.3mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 3.3g | Vitamin A: 1432.4IU | Vitamin C: 52.8mg | Calcium: 24.2mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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