Port and Paprika Chicken Bites

Submitted by Lavender Lynn

"Portuguese and Spanish ingredients—inimitable port wine, paprika, cilantro, and olive oil—flavor this tapas-style dish. ***Marinating time is not included in prep time.****"

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons port wine (ruby or tawny)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 lb chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size chunks (about 1-inch dice)
• 1⁄2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup onion, finely diced

directions

1. 1. Grind the garlic and bay leaves together in the work bowl of a hand blender or mini chopper. (Alternatively, chop the garlic by hand and finely crumble the bay leaves and combine.) Add the port, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the vinegar, paprika, and salt and pulse until well combined.
2. 2. Pour the mixture over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
3. 3. Just before cooking, chop enough cilantro to make 1/2 cup. Scatter the cilantro on a serving plate.
4. 4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet. With a slotted spoon, scoop the chicken pieces out of the marinade and into the hot oil, arranging the chicken in a single layer and discarding the marinade. Cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes, then stir-fry until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Scoop the chicken out of the pan, leaving any excess oil behind, and place the chicken on the cilantro.
5. 5. Add the onion to the oil in the hot pan, return it to medium-high heat, and cook, stirring, until the onion is browned at the edges, about 2 minutes. Scoop the onion out of the oil and strew it over the chicken.
6. 6. Serve the plate of chicken bites hot or at room temperature, sprinkled with a touch of salt and with cocktail picks or toothpicks for handling.

Reviews

[teresas]

What an interesting dish...we loved the mix of flavors...this was very easy to prepare and when the time came to whip it together...it took no time at all...loved the cilantro on the plate not only did it add flavor...but the presentation was excellent...thanks for posting it...=)

 

[weekend cooker]

Great ! Enjoyed the onion/paprika flavors, especially the kids. Overall flavors were excellent, and DS and I enjoyed the flavor of the marinade. Nice, simple, and very enjoyable. Served with some flavored mashed potatoes, and some broccoli florets. Made for a bonus tag in I Recommend.

 

[IngridH]

Oh, yum! This was just wonderful. The port gave it a tiny edge of sweetness without going overboard, and the onion and paprika just rounded out the flavors beautifully. The cilantro was a really nice touch- adding a fresh bite of flavor to a very rich piece of chicken. I loved how easy the marinade was to make. I may use this on whole chicken pieces in the future- with a longer marinating time, of course. I can't wait to have the leftovers tomorrow for lunch! Thanks for sharing. Made for ZWT8

 

[Mia in Germany]

This was outstanding! I didn't change a thing in the recipe, and it was fantastic. What a great find - I'll definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing!<br/>Made for ZWT 8 / Spain/Portugal for the Lively Lemon Lovelies.