Orange Chicken (Pollo en Salsa)

One of my favorite dishes of all time is my mother’s “Orange Chicken” or pollo en salsa.   

I lovingly call this dish orange chicken because of the vibrant orange color the sauce gets after cooking and imparts on the chicken. The sauce of this dish is incredibly flavorful, and the chicken is so tender it just falls apart, which are the main reasons I love this dish so much! What makes this recipe even better is that it is a single pot meal in which all of the ingredients get put in a pot and left to cook. Yet, the result is an amazing meal/dish that is complex in flavor. So have fun giving this recipe a try, and enjoy!     

Orange Chicken (Pollo en Salsa) Recipe 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 chicken leg quarters (about 3 lbs) (you can include chicken breast; please note if you choose to only use chicken breast the sauce will end up having a weaker flavor than if chicken leg quarters are used or at least included when making this recipe)
• 1 medium or large red pepper
• 2 medium onions
• 2 packets of sazón con azafran or 1 tablespoon of saffron/bijol
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• ¾ tablespoon of salt
• Half of a 7 ounce jar of green olives
• 2 teaspoons of the green olive liquid
• 1 cup of tomato sauce
• ¼ cup of white cooking wine
• 1 ½ to 2 cups of water
• 1 large potatoes (optional)

Note: Taste the green olives to see how salty they are and adjust the salt additions accordingly.  Just remember salt can be added at the end but it can’t be taken out, so err on the side of caution and reduce the amount of salt and/or green olive liquid if the green olives seem on the saltier side.

TOOLS NEEDED:

• A large pot
• A knife, cutting board, large spoon, and measuring utensils.

VIDEO DEMONSTRATION / INSTRUCTIONS

BRIEF DIRECTIONS (See the video demonstration for detailed instructions):

1. First, collect and prepare the ingredients. Cut the leg quarters to separate the legs from the thighs (or use precut legs and thighs). Next, cut the onions in half, and then slice each half into slices ¹/₈ inch thick.  Slice the red peppers lengthwise into slices about ¼ inch thick. Next, cut the potato in four and then cut each piece into slices a ½ inch thick. 
2. In a large pot, place the chicken in the pot side by side.  Then add the salt, garlic, sazón con azafran (saffron), onions, red pepper, potatoes, green olives, and tomato sauce.  Make sure to evenly distribute the ingredients over the chicken. Lastly, add the tomato sauce and water. The water should come up to the top of the chicken and other ingredients.  If not, just add a bit more water to the pot.  Reserve the cooking wine to add later during the cooking process.
3. Now, put the pot on the stove with the lid on, bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, and let cook for 40 minutes.
4. Next, add in the cooking wine and continue to cook for another 40 minutes on medium heat. The chicken and sauce should be ready to serve. You will know it’s done because the sauce should have thickened, you should see red oil floating on top of the sauce from the oils naturally extracted from the red pepper, and the potatoes, chicken, and red peppers should be tender.  Use a fork to test for tenderness and if the potatoes or red peppers feel firm continue to cook until those are tender. Once done, serve with white rice or another side dish(es).