This keto Cuban chicken fricassee is a slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone, hearty Cuban comfort meal! Loaded with flavor, it’s a staple in Cuban cuisine that got a little keto makeover.
My dad is of Cuban descent and having grown up in South Florida in the city of Hialeah known for its vast Cuban community, well let’s just say this girl wasn’t going to give up her chicken fricassee just because she went keto.
A low-carb version of one of my favorite ultimate comfort foods was non-negotiable. The good news is that what emerged was an amazing chicken fricassee recipe that fits your keto macros.
I have an entire collection of keto Cuban food for those of you looking for low-carb versions of this classic Hispanic cuisine.
Keto Cuban Fricassee Chicken
How did I make this a Cuban version of chicken fricassee? Well, this Cuban classic comfort dish got a keto makeover by leaving out the potatoes. I promise you won’t even miss them.
It’s a hearty, flavorful, great option that also happens to be an affordable meal to make. It’s no wonder it’s a favorite in so many Cuban homes.
What Is A Fricassee?
A fricassee is a cooking method that originated in France, its original french comfort food at its finest. As time went on many countries and cultures have adapted their own unique technique as well as regional ingredients.
Unlike the classic French dish, a Cuban-style fricassee is tomato-based and uses dry white wine. In many Hispanic homes, it also goes by the name pollo guisado or fricase de Pollo.
It’s a one-pan chicken dish that is cooked over medium-low heat until it’s fork-tender.
Basically, it’s a type of chicken stew since the dish is cooked until the chicken almost falls off the bone.
This dish holds a special place in my heart since it was the first real meal I learned to cook at 12 years of age.
In my family, we actually call it chicken Lifetime after the waterless cookware it was cooked in.
Yep, I was that young girl who went around with her mom selling the cookware by cooking a meal for the guests who would come to our demos.
I remember how wowed the people were at seeing a preteen cook for a large crowd. It was our dear family Cuban friend, Ada Padron, who taught me how to make this dish.
She had a way of elevating comfort food to great culinary heights.
Over the years I have tweaked the recipe to make it my own and now it’s become a keto-friendly one-pan meal! In fact, you can even make this in a slow cooker.
How To Make Keto Cuban Chicken Fricassee
This Cuban keto-friendly fricassee is not only delicious but also super easy to make.
You begin by first generously seasoning both sides of the chicken with dry spices.
I allow the chicken to marinate while I prep the other ingredients.
I prefer to use a combination of bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks and leave the skin on.
That being said you can also use skinless chicken thighs or drumsticks and even chicken breasts. Just keep in mind that the cooking time will vary if you decide to use only chicken breasts.
Heat the oil and add the chicken in batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pan.
Once the chicken is golden brown on all sides over medium heat, you’ll need to remove the chicken and cook the onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and garlic.
Deglaze the pan with dry white wine, and tomato sauce, stirring constantly, being sure to loosen the brown bits at the bottom of the skillet.
Then you add the carrots, return chicken pieces to the large skillet, add the pimento-stuffed olives add the chicken broth, and simmer in the tomato-based sauce until the sauce has reduced and the chicken is tender.
You can alternatively use a slow cooker by browning the pieces of chicken first, adding all the vegetables, and then setting it to a low setting.
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The following are all the ingredients needed to make a keto chicken fricassee recipe. Note that the printable recipe card is at the bottom of the page
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Ingredients Needed
- Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks (note that you can also use chicken breasts, but the cooking time will vary.
- Tomato sauce
- Spanish smoked paprika
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Cumin powder
- Dried Oregano
- Onion powder
- Garlic Powder
- Sliced yellow onion
- Garlic cloves
- Red or green bell pepper sliced
- Halved cherry tomatoes
- Green pimento olives
- Chopped carrots
- Bay leaves
- Dry white wine (optional)
- Chicken stock
Rather than serve with white rice, serve over cauliflower rice and a green salad keeps this low enough in carbs to call it a keto-friendly meal.
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Keto Cuban Chicken Fricassee
Keto Cuban chicken fricassee a slow-cooked fall-off-the-bone hearty Cuban comfort meal! Loaded with flavor it's a staple in Cuban cuisine that needed a little keto makeover. Cuban fricassee is tomato-based. It's a one-pan chicken dish that is cooked over medium-low heat until its fork-tender.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 medium sized yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic finely minced
- 1/2 cup of green pimento stuffed olives
- 1/2 a green red or green bell chopped
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional) if not using add an additional 1/2 cup of chicken stock
- 3 cups of chicken stock
Instructions
- In a large bowl, season the chicken with salt, paprika, ground pepper, cumin powder, dried oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. Toss well, making sure the chicken is covered well with the dry seasoning. Set aside.
- Mince the garlic cloves, chop the onion, bell pepper, carrot, and cherry tomatoes. Set aside
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, I used a 15-inch cast-iron skillet, but any large skillet will work. Brown the chicken in batches on both sides for about 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the chopped onions, bell pepper, sliced tomatoes, and garlic. Cook the vegetables until tender and translucent.
- Next, add the dry white wine, tomato sauce, bay leaves, and chopped carrot.
- Place the chicken back into the skillet and add the green olives and the chicken stock to almost cover the chicken.
- Cook uncovered over medium-low heat or until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are fork-tender for about an hour. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. Cover the chicken lightly with foil and cook another over low heat for 20-25 minutes.
- Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve the keto-friendly Cuban Chicken Fricassee over cauliflower rice.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
You can also use chicken breasts but the cooking time will be about 25 minutes less.
You can alternatively use a slow cooker by browning the pieces of chicken first add all vegetables and dry white wine if using and then set to a low setting. If you opt to use a crockpot reduce the chicken stock to only 2 cups. The fricassee will be done in about 2 1/2 hours.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 615Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 8.5gCholesterol: 189mgSodium: 466mgCarbohydrates: 3.5gNet Carbohydrates: 2.5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 35g
