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    My Colombian Recipes » Recipes » Main Dishes » Chicken and Turkey » Chicken Ropa Vieja

    Chicken Ropa Vieja

    Aug 22, 2018 · Modified: Jul 14, 2021 by Erica Dinho · 15 Comments

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    Today I am putting a healthy twist on a Latin classic with a lighter variation of Ropa Vieja. Traditionally, Ropa Vieja or Carne Desmechada is made with beef, but I made this recipe with chicken and come to find out, it's just as tasty as the traditional version. Served over rice with tajadas de maduro, it's an excellent dish that the whole family will love.

    Chicken Ropa Vieja (Shreded Chicken) |mycolombianrecipes.comPin

    Chicken Ropa Vieja

    Erica Dinho
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Ingredients
     

    • To cook the chicken
    • 4 chicken breasts with bone
    • 1 onion quartered
    • 1 green pepper cut into pieces
    • 1 carrot peeled and cut into pieces
    • 4 cloves garlic peeled
    • Salt and pepper
    • Sofrito
    • 1 tablespoon of oil
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 1 cup chopped onion
    • 1 large red bell pepper seeded and thinly sliced
    • 1 cup of chicken broth
    • ¼ cup of tomato sauce
    • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • ½ cup capers

    Instructions
     

    • In a pot, place the chicken, 1 onion, carrot, green pepper, and 4 cloves of garlic. Add water to cover the chicken, add salt, pepper and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
    • Measure and strain 1 cup of the liquid used to cook the chicken and set aside.
    • Remove the chicken from the pot, let it cool and shred with a fork or your hands.
    • In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic, onions and red pepper. Cook about 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Add the cooked and shredded chicken, tomato sauce, tomato paste, reserved broth, capers, salt, pepper and cumin. Cover and cook on low for about 10 minutes, adding more broth and seasoning if needed, stirring occasionally.
    Have you Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @mycolombianrecipes and tag #mycolombianrecipes!

    Another advantage to the Chicken Ropa Vieja versus its beef counterpart is in preparation time. You can have dinner ready in less that an hour with the chicken variation, whereas beef ropa vieja typically requires more time.

    As much as I love cooking, sometimes it’s just about getting dinner on the table as simply and quickly as possible. Well, most of the time lately! When you have kids, dinner time is definitely one the most hectic times of the day, along with the 15 minutes just before going to school in the morning! This Chicken Ropa Vieja or Pollo Desmechado is an easy dish to make and it's delicious.

    If you’re feeling super healthy, throw it over some spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. But if you’re craving a hearty dish to warm up on a cold winter day, serve it over white rice with ripe plantains and avocado on the side, like I did. I ate the leftovers for lunch with arepa for three days straight and I loved every single bite.

    Buen provecho!

    Chicken Ropa ViejaPin

    More Chicken and Turkey Recipes

    Chicken-Bacon Rolls Stuffed With Prunes (Envueltos De Pollo, Tocineta Y Ciruela)Tropical Curried Chicken With RiceChicken With Coconut Milk (Pollo Con Leche De Coco)Chicken With Passion Fruit Sauce Over Dried Fruit And Nuts OrzoChuleta De Pollo (Colombian-Style Breaded Chicken Breast)
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    About Erica Dinho

    My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

    Author Page →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alan Bowman

      February 17, 2015 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      Hola Erica de españa
      Your comment about the rush to get dinner on the table interests me. Alejandra (a..k.a She Who Must Be Obeyed or SWMBO for short) teaches kids on a Saturday morning and classes go on until 1.pm (lunch time). Our solution to the problem is to use a slow-cooker.
      I put the meal together on Friday evening and set up the slow-cooker to start cooking on 'Low' at 3.am. By 1.pm, lunch is cooked to perfection and has just to be served. All that has to be done on the day is prepare and cook the vegetables (maybe broccoli and super-whipped cheesy potatoes or herby dumplings).

      Reply
      • Erica Dinho

        February 17, 2015 at 1:53 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks,Alan! I should use my slowcooker more 🙂

        Reply
    2. Caritocolombia

      February 17, 2015 at 1:13 pm

      5 stars
      Definitely doing this tonight. I was thinking what to do with a left over shredded chicken from yesterday and here it is ! Gracias Erika, Dios te bendiga y que en lo queda del invierno sigamos cocinando rico y adelgazando jaja!

      Reply
    3. Evelyne@cheapethniceatz

      February 17, 2015 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      That chicken really looks wonderful. I plan on having chicken meat over the weekend left over from another recipe, might have to give this a try.

      Reply
    4. Angie@Angie's Recipes

      February 17, 2015 at 11:57 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious and good for you too!

      Reply
    5. Juliana

      February 18, 2015 at 5:51 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious chicken dish Erica...and yes, I would love this chicken with some white rice...
      Hope you are enjoying your week 🙂

      Reply
    6. grace

      February 19, 2015 at 11:01 am

      5 stars
      this is something i've actually heard of and eaten, but never made. it's a satisfying meal, for sure!

      Reply
    7. Ruby

      April 07, 2016 at 1:30 pm

      5 stars
      I'm a big fan of your recipes and I've made many of them especially the ones from the Coast. I'm from Cartagena. Esta receta es la preferida de mi familia. The best!

      Reply
    8. Leo

      March 05, 2018 at 9:39 pm

      5 stars
      What's the sofrito for? You mention it up in the ingredients but never use it in the directions.

      Reply
      • Bill Maddox

        August 29, 2018 at 6:42 am

        5 stars
        In step 4 all of the ingredients of the sofrito are used.

        Reply
    9. Sha

      June 11, 2018 at 9:18 pm

      5 stars
      I tried this recipe tonight with boneless chicken tenders I defrosted (I cut back the boiling time by 10 minutes so they wouldn't dry out) and it was very good. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    10. sillygirl

      August 22, 2018 at 12:43 pm

      5 stars
      Somehow I don't think you meant 1/2 CUP of capers, did you?

      Reply
      • Janet Perez

        January 19, 2023 at 6:58 pm

        Made this recipe with boneless chicken breasts. I didn’t have capers so I had to leave those out. It came out so delicious! Everyone in the family loved it! It was quick and easy and can be eaten with rice or in a wrap. Definitely recommend! Thanks Erica! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Griselda Guzman

      October 21, 2020 at 8:01 pm

      5 stars
      Hello, to clarify I only take the chicken out. Throw away the cooked onion, green pepper, garlic cloves and carrot?

      Reply
      • AA

        September 23, 2021 at 5:01 pm

        I have the same question

        Reply

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    Erica Dinho Author | My Colombian Recipes

    Hola and welcome to My Colombian Recipes. My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Colombia and now live in the northeastern United States with my husband and family. This blog was inspired by my grandmother, Mamita, who was an amazing traditional Colombian cook.

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