AI-generated image
Pollo arvejado
Chicken with peas
Pollo arvejado: Chilean chicken braised with green peas, carrots and onion
Pollo arvejado is a Chilean home-cooking classic, the kind of quick, homely braise that mothers in Santiago make on a weekday and that appears on set lunch (colación) menus all over the country. Chicken pieces simmer with onion, garlic, carrot and plenty of green peas (arvejas) in a light, golden sauce flavoured with cumin, oregano and a little paprika. It is a good balance of protein and vegetables and suitable as part of a balanced diet; serve with salad or a small portion of brown rice instead of the usual white rice or mashed potato. About 400 kcal and 17 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is adding the peas at the start, which turns them grey; add frozen peas only for the last 8 minutes. Chef's tip: take the skin off the chicken after browning, so you keep the colour but lose most of the fat.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 carrotsdiced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ¾ cups chicken stock
- 10 ½ oz frozen green peas
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Season the 2 ⅝ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks on the bone with half the 1 tsp salt. Heat the 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pot and brown the pieces for 4 minutes a side. Lift out, then pull off and discard the skin.
10 minStep 2: Pour off most of the fat. Fry the 2 onions for 6 minutes until soft, then add the 2 cloves garlic, 3 carrots, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1 tsp sweet paprika for 2 minutes.
8 minStep 3: Return the chicken with the 1 ¾ cups chicken stock, 1 bay leaf and the rest of the salt. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 4: Add the 10 ½ oz frozen green peas and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, until the peas are tender and bright, the sauce has reduced a little and the chicken reaches 165°F at the bone.
8 minStep 5: Scatter with 2 tbsp chopped parsley if you like and serve.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pollo arvejado take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Arroz con pitu de caleyaSoupy rice with chicken
A pitu de caleya is a cockerel raised free in the lanes, or caleyas, of rural Asturias; its firm, flavourful meat needs long stewing, and families around Villaviciosa and Grado still cook it for feast days. The stew is often finished as a soupy rice, so the deep chicken juices go into every grain. Use the best free-range chicken you can find. The braise includes dry white wine; replace it with extra stock and a squeeze of lemon if you want it alcohol-free. Chef's tip: brown the chicken slowly and deeply; that colour is where the flavour of the whole pot comes from.
Spanish
Leche con plátanoBanana milk
Ask anyone who grew up in Chile, from Arica to Punta Arenas, what they drank after school and many will say leche con plátano. It is made in a blender in two minutes, usually at onces, the late-afternoon tea, alongside marraqueta rolls with butter or avocado, and it is the first thing many children learn to make by themselves. It is pale, foamy and thick enough to leave a moustache, tasting simply of sweet ripe banana and cold milk, sometimes with a pinch of cinnamon. The common mistake is making it ahead: within half an hour the banana turns the milk greyish-beige and the foam collapses, so blend it just before drinking. It is ready when it is completely smooth, light and frothy, with no banana lumps at the bottom of the jug. Use bananas with a few brown freckles: they are sweet enough that you may need little or no sugar. Chef's tip: slice and freeze overripe bananas, then blend them straight from the freezer; the drink comes out icy and extra thick without any ice.
Huevos a la copaSoft-boiled eggs in a glass
In Chilean homes, huevos a la copa are a weekday breakfast and a sick-day comfort: eggs boiled until the whites are just set and the yolks still runny, then scooped out of their shells into a small glass (the copa), broken up with a spoon, salted and eaten with warm marraqueta for dipping. The common mistake is timing from cold water, which makes the result unpredictable; lower the eggs into water that is already boiling. Runny yolks are not suitable for pregnant people, young children, older or vulnerable people; for them, boil the eggs for 9–10 minutes until fully set. If you need it gluten free, serve with gluten-free bread. Chef's tip: a tiny knob of butter stirred into the hot egg in the glass makes it silky.