Latin-Style Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives 
Serves 4 • Cooking Time 2 to 3 hours on Low • Slow Cooker Size 4 to 7 Quarts
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: This classic Latin-style chicken features tender chicken braised in a chunky tomato sauce; gently simmering the chicken in the sauce helps it to remain moist while enriching the flavors of both. Most slow-cooker recipes result in a dull, waterlogged tomato sauce, so we looked to give our dish a richer texture with a bright and assertive tomato flavor. Our testing revealed that canned diced tomatoes with their juice had the fresh tomato taste we wanted but created too much liquid during cooking. Compounded with the juices from the chicken, they created a thin, dull sauce. Draining the diced tomatoes, plus adding tomato paste and a small amount of tapioca, created the thickened sauce we were after. Finishing the sauce with green olives gave our dish a briny contrast, and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and lime juice tied it all together. Check the chicken’s temperature after 2 hours of cooking and continue to monitor until it registers 160 degrees. You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. Serve with rice. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
1 |
onion, halved and sliced thin |
4 |
garlic cloves, sliced thin |
1 |
tablespoon tomato paste |
2 |
teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried |
1 |
teaspoon canola oil |
¼ |
teaspoon ground cumin |
1 |
(14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained |
1 |
teaspoon instant tapioca |
4 |
(12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, skin and ribs removed, trimmed of all visible fat |
Salt and pepper |
|
⅓ |
cup pitted large brine-cured green olives, chopped coarse |
2 |
tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro |
1 |
tablespoon lime juice |
1. Microwave onion, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, oil, and cumin in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes and tapioca. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 2 to 3 hours on low.
2. Transfer chicken to serving platter. Stir olives, cilantro, and lime juice into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.
Per serving:
Cal 300
Fat 8g
Sat Fat 1g
Chol 130mg
Carb 12g
Protein 45g
Fiber 3g
Sodium 840mg
*To reduce sodium level to 590mg, use no-salt-added tomatoes.