Soy Butter Chicken

Soy Butter Chicken

Soy Butter Chicken

Pollo ala Barbacoa, aka Cuban soy butter chicken is a dish based out of communism and poverty. Cuba, being a communist country, doesn’t always have access to everyday ingredients. This soy butter chicken was created by making the most out of what was available. This dish was traditionally only made with 3 ingredients: chicken, butter, and soy sauce.
You can use any cut of chicken except boneless skinless in this recipe. I’m partial to chicken thighs. Once they are seasoned, the most important thing is to get nice crispy skin on the chicken. To achieve this, the oil has to be hot. Once you place the chicken in the saucepan, don’t touch it. Let that skin brown for 6-7 minutes. If you touch it before hand, the skin will stick to the pan and tear. So don’t touch it.
The best part of this dish is the sauce. The best way to utilize it is to toss in your favorite shaped pasta and cook for 3-4 minutes. I like to use gemilli, but penne, farfalle, fusilli, or caveteppi are all great choices. A spaghetti shaped noodle wouldn’t work as well.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cuban
Keyword: Caribbean, Chicken, Cuban, main course
Author: Alex Gorgos

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 bone in chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 8 oz uncooked pasta prepared accordingly to package directions

Garnish

  • cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Season the chicken with the oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Make sure to get the seasoning underneath the skin.
    Cuban, main course, chicken
  • Heat up olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin side down, searing for 6-7 minutes a side.
    Cuban, main course, chicken
  • Add in the remaining ingredients. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer. Cover and continue cooking over medium heat for 25 minutes, occasionally basting the chicken with the sauce.
    Cuban, main course, chicken
  • The sauce will reduce and thicken on it’s own. Remove the chicken.
    Cuban, main course, chicken
  • Stir in the cooked pasta of your choosing. I’m partial to gemilli. Cook for 3-4 minutes in the sauce.
    Cuban, main course, chicken
Cuban, main course, chicken