Is there anything that sounds more boring than “braised chicken?” Maybe poached chicken. But that’s about it. Don’t worry, this East African chicken recipe is anything but boring! It’s loaded with rich spices and flavors, and cooked with lots of broth and onion to keep the chicken tender. This chicken was just falling apart when I took it out of the pot. There’s not much that is better than fork-tender meat.
This chicken is flavored with curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon, ginger, and garlic. Soooo the five basic food groups, right? Plus it cooks in a delicious mixture of sauteed onions, raisins, and dried dates. The raisins and dates soak up the broth and come out super plump and juicy. Heaven, I tell you. The only “special” equipment you’d need for this recipe is a big oven-safe pot. I used my 6-quart Dutch oven and it came out perfectly. You won’t be able to get this kind of beautiful color using a pan that has a non-stick coating. The secret to getting a lot of flavor out of your chicken is making sure you brown it properly. Your pan needs to be very hot with just a light sheen of oil in the bottom of it. The chicken should sizzle like crazy and stick to the bottom when you put it in the pan. Once the meat naturally releases from the pan, it’s ready to be turned.
This East African chicken is moist enough to eat with a simple side of rice, but I like it with couscous and a fresh salad. Looking for other East African recipes? Check out this great East African salad recipe: East African Mango Cucumber Salad recipe!
Here’s the East African Braised Chicken Recipe!
