This is one of the tastiest chicken fricassee recipes to enjoy Cuban cuisine. You can add it to your lunch or dinner ideas, and it pairs perfectly with white rice, fried plantains (tostones), and a simple salad of lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. It’s easy to make, budget-friendly, and incredibly satisfying.
The Origin of the Word “Fricassee”
The word fricassee comes from the French term fricassée, which may have its roots in the Latin frigicare (“to fry”) or from the French words frire (“to fry”) and casser (“to break”). It refers to a stew typically made with white meat, where the meat is first browned in pieces and then simmered in a flavorful sauce.
It’s believed that the term fricassee spread throughout the American Continent during the time of European colonization and migration. Over time, the recipe adapted to include local ingredients from different regions of Latin America. Cuban chicken fricassee is a creative fusion of classic French technique with the flavors of traditional Cuban cooking. It’s a beloved dish that has been passed down through generations and remains a favorite in many Cuban households.
How to Make a Sour Orange Substitute?
In Cuba, we typically make fricasè (Spanish word for fricassee) with onions, garlic, red or green bell peppers, tomatoes or tomato sauce, potatoes, and either dry white wine or naranja agria (a sour orange that’s very common on the island). For this version, we’ll be using white wine and a blend of lemon and sweet orange juice to create a homemade version of sour orange (naranja agria).
We’ll also be adding olives, though you can use raisins or capers as well if you prefer. This particular recipe is from my mother-in-law, and her special touch is adding a few fried plantains (tostones) right into the stew—but that part is totally optional. Just the ingredients listed below, along with the potatoes, are enough to make a delicious Cuban chicken fricassee (Fricasé de Pollo Cubano) without needing to add the fried plantains.
Once your chicken is marinated, some people like to refrigerate it for an hour or two so it absorbs more flavor. Personally, I don’t do that—I prefer not to make the sauce too acidic from the lemon juice used to marinate the chicken.
What you’ll need for this Chicken Fricassee Recipe
- A deep skillet or pot with a lid
- A small frying pan (to fry the plantains)
What Type of Chicken to Use
For this recipe, I used small organic chicken drumsticks, but you can use any size or type of drumsticks. Just keep in mind that if they’re larger, the cooking time may increase to around 45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
How to Cook Chicken Fricassee (Stew) Without the Sauce Drying Out
This is an important tip: if you cook the sauce on high heat—whether covered or uncovered—it will evaporate. To prevent this, bring the sauce to a boil uncovered, then cover the pot and immediately reduce the heat to low or medium-low. That way, the sauce continues to cook gently without evaporating too much.
How to make Cuban Chicken Fricassee
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves (for marinating the chicken)
- 1 unpeeled garlic clove (for the sauce)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 3 medium red potatoes
- 1 8 https://amzn.to/40eb9Cgoz can of Contadina tomato sauce (or similar)
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- 10 green olives (approx)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Juice of ½ orange
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sugar (to balance the flavor)
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley to garnish
For the Fried Plantain (optional)
1 green plantain
About ½ cup of olive oil (or more as needed)
How to Make Cuban Chicken Fricassee
1
Season the chicken drumsticks with salt, pepper, 3 mashed garlic cloves, and the juice of half a lemon and half an orange. Set aside.
2
Dice the onion and red bell pepper.
Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks, then place them in a bowl of salted water to prevent browning.
3
In a large skillet, heat 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the chicken on both sides, then transfer it to a separate dish.
Save the lemon-orange marinade—you’ll use it later.
4
In the same skillet, sauté the onion and bell pepper.
Take the unpeeled garlic clove and smash it slightly with your hand or the side of a knife—add it to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes.
5
Add the tomato sauce and stir. Then pour in the white wine and bring to a boil briefly to cook off the alcohol.
Add the sugar, the reserved lemon-orange marinade, bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
6
Add the olives and return the chicken to the skillet, making sure it’s well coated in the sauce. Bring it to a gentle boil, then cover and reduce the heat. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.
7
After that, add the potatoes (discarding the soaking water), bring the stew back to a boil, then cover and cook on low heat for 15–20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
8
Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. If you’re using fried plantains, gently place them into the stew and simmer for another 2 minutes.
9
Turn off the heat and sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Serve hot.
How to Make Fried Plantains to Add to Any Stew or Fricassee
1
Heat olive oil in a small skillet. Peel the plantain and slice it as shown in the photo (or into 1-inch rounds).
2
Once the oil is hot, lightly fry the plantains on both sides—don’t let them get too golden. Remove and let them cool slightly.
3
Flatten them with a spatula by pressing down firmly. Set them aside until you’re ready to add them to the chicken fricassee.
Equipment
- A skillet with lid for the fricassee
- A small frying pan to fry the plantains
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks with or without skin
- 1 onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves mashed, for marinating
- 1 garlic clove unpeeled
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 medium red potatoes
- 1 can Contadina tomato sauce (or similar) 8 oz
- 1 cup white wine
- 8 approx green olives pitted
- juice of ½ lemon
- juice of ½ orange
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar to balance the flavor
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley
Fried plantains (tostones)
- 1 green plantain
- 1/2 cup olive oil or enough for frying
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- In a bowl, season chicken drumsticks with salt, pepper, 3 mashed garlic cloves, lemon juice, and orange juice. Set aside.
Prep Ingredients
- Dice the onion and bell pepper. Peel and cut potatoes, placing them in salted water to prevent browning.
Brown the Chicken
- Heat 2–3 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown chicken pieces on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- Keep the marinade for later.
Build the Base
- In the same pan, sauté onion and bell pepper. Smash the unpeeled garlic clove and add it. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce and stir. Pour in white wine and bring to a boil for 1–2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Stir in sugar, reserved marinade, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
Add Chicken and Cook
- Return the chicken to the pan, add the olives and stir to coat in sauce. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10-15 minutes.
Add Potatoes
- Add potato chunks, adjust salt if needed. Bring back to a gentle boil, cover, and cook another 15–20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
Optional: Add Tostones
- If using, gently add tostones into the stew and simmer for 2 more minutes.
Finish and Serve
- Turn off the heat. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve hot and enjoy.
How to Make Fried Plantains (Optional)
- Peel the green plantain and slice into 1-inch thick rounds.
- Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.
- Lightly fry plantains until just golden (don’t overbrown).
- Remove, let cool slightly, then flatten with a spatula or the back of a mug.
- Add to fricassee.
Notes
Tips for Best Results
- Sauce Control: To avoid the sauce drying out, cook covered over low heat after it reaches a gentle boil.
- Flavor Tip: Homemade “sour orange” (half lemon + half sweet orange juice).
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