Cuban Chicken Breast Stuffed with Sweet Plantain and Olives with Light Tomato Sauce and Garlic Rice

Name: Cuban Chicken Breast Stuffed with Sweet Plantain and Olives with Light Tomato Sauce and Garlic Rice
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Cubana
Ingredients: 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 3/4 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 6 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp lime juice; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 large ripe plantain; 1 1/4 cups white onion; 1/3 cup green olives stuffed with pimento; 1/4 cup fresh parsley; 1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice; 3 cups water; 1 leaf bay leaf; 1 cup crushed tomato; 3/4 cup chicken broth; 1 tsp brown sugar; 1 tsp white vinegar

An original Cuban recipe featuring chicken breasts butterflied and stuffed with sautéed sweet plantain, green olives, and herbs, seared in a skillet and finished in the oven, served with a light tomato criollo-style sauce and fragrant garlic rice.

25 minPrep

40 minCook

65 minTotal

4Servings

Gluten-FreeDairy-FreeHigh Protein

Ingredients

Adjust servings

4 piezas (aprox. 680 g) 680 g boneless skinless chicken breasts (abiertas tipo mariposa)
8 g 8 g salt (divided)
3 g 3 g black pepper (freshly ground)
2 g 2 g ground cumin (divided)
2 g 2 g dried oregano (divided)
18 g 18 g garlic (4 cloves chopped and 2 cloves thinly sliced)
30 ml 30 ml lime juice (freshly squeezed)
45 ml 45 ml olive oil (divided)
220 g 220 g ripe plantain (pelado and diced small)
180 g 180 g white onion (mitad chopped fina, mitad en pluma fina)
60 g 60 g green olives stuffed with pimento (chopped)
10 g 10 g fresh parsley (chopped)
240 g 240 g long-grain white rice (enjuagado)
720 ml 720 ml water (for the arroz)
1 unidad 1 unit bay leaf (for the arroz)
240 ml 240 ml crushed tomato (for the sauce)
180 ml 180 ml chicken broth (for the sauce)
4 g 4 g brown sugar (for equilibrar the sauce)
5 ml 5 ml white vinegar (for the sauce)

Nutrition facts

per serving

498 kcal

Calories

39 g

Protein

42 g

Carbs

18 g

Fat

3 g

Fiber

39 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

Sulfites

Instructions

1
1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F.
2
2. Season the chicken breasts with 4 g salt, black pepper, half of the cumin, and half of the oregano. Add the lime juice and let rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.
3
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ripe plantain and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden. Stir in the chopped onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, green olives, the remaining oregano, and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, and mix.
4
4. Stuff each chicken breast with a portion of the plantain and olive mixture. Close each breast carefully, folding the edges inward to hold the filling.
5
5. In a large oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the stuffed chicken breasts for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
6
6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the breasts at 200 °C / 400 °F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.
7
7. While the chicken bakes, make the rice. In a medium pot, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the 2 sliced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds. Add the white rice, bay leaf, and 2 g salt; stir for 1 minute. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, reduce to very low heat, cover, and cook for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
8
8. For the sauce, place a small skillet over medium heat with any juices left from the chicken, or add 1 tablespoon water if needed. Add the sliced onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomato, chicken broth, remaining cumin, brown sugar, and white vinegar. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly thickened and well blended.
9
9. Serve a bed of garlic rice, place a stuffed chicken breast on top or alongside, and spoon over the light tomato and onion sauce.

Chef tips

If you want a firmer filling, cool the plantain mixture for 5 minutes before stuffing the chicken breasts. You can secure them with toothpicks and remove them before serving.

Substitutions

You can swap parsley for cilantro if you prefer a fresher profile. If you do not have crushed tomato, use tomato passata or blended peeled tomatoes. Pimento-stuffed olives can be replaced with regular green olives.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
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Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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