Puerto Rican FoodPuerto Rican Chicken Breasts in Green Plantain Crust with Creamy Pigeon Peas and Warm Corn Salad
An original recipe inspired by Puerto Rican flavors: chicken breasts seasoned with criollo-style adobo, coated in a crisp green plantain crust, served over a silky pigeon pea cream and paired with a warm salad of corn, sweet peppers, and red onion.
Ingredients
- 680 g boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 pieces small or medium)
- 400 g green plantains (approx. 2 plátanos, pelados)
- 300 g cooked pigeon peas (escurridos si son of lata)
- 165 g corn kernels (fresh, congelado or descongelado)
- 120 g red onion (in strips finas, divided)
- 60 g sweet peppers (without semillas and chopped)
- 18 g garlic (chopped, divided)
- 16 g fresh cilantro (chopped, divided)
- 240 ml chicken broth (for the cream of gandules)
- 180 ml coconut milk (without endulzar)
- 60 ml olive oil (divided)
- 28 g butter (for the cream of gandules)
- 30 ml lemon juice (divided)
- 2 g dried oregano
- 1 g ground cumin
- 2 g sweet paprika
- 8 g salt (divided or to taste)
- 2 g black pepper (to taste)
Nutrition facts
per serving
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
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- 2
Peel the green plantains and grate them on the coarse side of a grater. Mix them in a bowl with half of the chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and a pinch of black pepper. Set aside.
- 3
Season the chicken breasts with dried oregano, cumin, sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Rub well to coat all pieces evenly.
- 4
Heat a large oven-safe skillet or regular skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear the chicken breasts for 2 minutes per side, just until lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
- 5
Cover the top of each chicken breast with a firm layer of grated plantain, pressing gently so it adheres. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet, or keep it in the skillet if oven-safe. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes at 220 °C / 425 °F, until the chicken is cooked through and the crust is golden.
- 6
While the chicken bakes, make the pigeon pea cream. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Sauté half of the red onion, the remaining garlic, and half of the sweet peppers for 3 to 4 minutes.
- 7
Add the cooked pigeon peas and chicken broth. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the coconut milk and cook 2 minutes more. Carefully blend until smooth. Return the cream to the saucepan, add 1 tablespoon cilantro, adjust salt, and keep warm over low heat.
- 8
For the warm salad, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the corn with the remaining red onion and sweet peppers for 4 to 5 minutes, until the corn is glossy and the onion is just tender.
- 9
Add the remaining lemon juice, the rest of the cilantro, a pinch of salt, and black pepper to the warm salad. Toss well and remove from the heat.
- 10
Spoon a layer of creamy pigeon peas onto each plate. Place a green plantain-crusted chicken breast on top and serve with the warm corn salad on the side. Serve immediately.
Chef tips
For a crispier crust, spread the grated plantain over the chicken in thin strands rather than packing it too tightly. If you want deeper color, broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end, watching closely.
Substitutions
You can substitute the pigeon peas with white beans for a different version, though it will be less traditional. The coconut milk may be replaced with light cream if you do not need a dairy-free version, but the flavor will change. Cilantro can be replaced with culantro/recao if available.
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 imageNinja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
Illustrative imageCosori 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
Illustrative imageTempPro 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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