Calabaza Con Pollo

Submitted by Chef #393425

"This is a wonderful chicken and vegetable dish that I grew up with in Texas. I believe it is very healthy and filling. When served with mexican rice this dish is killer."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 2 -3 lbs chicken thighs (or whatever you like but I don't recommend breast)
• 1 calabaza squash
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 3 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn (drained)
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

directions

1. Wash chicken and boil until cooked, set aside.
2. Wash all the squash, cut up into cubes, set aside.
3. Wash tomato, cut up into cubes, set aside.
4. Cut onion into cubes, set aside.
5. Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin in a bowl, set aside.
6. Get a large pan, add 2 tbs cooking oil, tomato, cubed squash and cubed onion.
7. On medium high heat sautee for approximately 10 minutes or until you can see that everything is nice and tender.
8. Add drained corn.
9. Add tomato sauce.
10. Add dry spice mixture.
11. Add chicken.
12. Add 2 cups chicken broth from chicken boil.
13. Gently mix all the ingredients to coat everything well.
14. Cover and let simmer on medium heat for approximately 20-30 minutes.

Reviews

[Sandra D.]

I was craving calabaza so tried this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as listed with the exception of adding chicken legs to go with the thighs. All turned out great. It was not overseasoned. Hearty meal. I ate it alone, but will try it with rice next time.

 

[ClauLopez2112]

This was very helpful!! I made this today for the first time EVER! I had been wanting to learn how to make it and WOW!!! Thank you so much!!! It was delicious!

 

[AquariaTX]

This dish is so easy to make. What I did differently was buy the chicken thighs for fajitas at HEB, and I cooked that in a bit of oil. It keeps the flavor in better on the chicken than boiling it does, at least for me.<br/><br/>I also made this without salt, since my husband is sensitive to it, and the HEB meat was already seasoned nicely. Even if the husband could eat sodium, I wouldn't have put 3 Tablespoons of the stuff in any dish this small. It's way too much. Putting that much salt in one dish is why I took off a star.<br/><br/>One thing about this meal: If you eat it right away, it doesn't taste quite right. But put it in the fridge overnight to let the flavors blend together even more, re-heat on the stove, and it is simply divine. This would go really, really well in a slow cooker, to get the most out of the flavors, and I've made it that way. Just put the veggies in first, then the spices and chicken. Let it cook while you're at work, mix it all up before you serve it, and you have the perfect calabazas con pollo. I usually replace the tomato sauce with tomato paste for that recipe, so that it doesn't get too runny.<br/><br/>A variation on this meal is to replace the tomato products with cream of chicken, some milk and a bit of cornstarch. That seems weird at first, but it's a popular dish in McAllen, down on the border. It's very filling, and awesome comfort food. With that one, even if you're not salt-sensitive, you will definitely have to cut way back on the salt, because the cream of chicken has tons of the stuff.

 

[Justin H.]

If I'm looking to cook for about 20 people, is it a simple double everything in the recipe?

 

[ces2929]

added chili powder to get a "smoky" flavor & fresh cilantro stalks during simmer; added a dollop of sour cream w each bowl very authentic MEXICAN cuisine we liked it!