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Meat, South and mountains

Catalan style chicken with rice

Catalan style chicken is a simmered dish of chicken thighs, peppers, tomatoes and olives, flavored with a splash of sweet wine, served with rice. For 4 people, it takes 1 hour and stays easy to make, for about €3.30 per serving. The key to success is a gentle simmer that keeps the chicken tender and the sweet wine that rounds out the sauce.

A Catalan style chicken simmered with peppers, tomatoes, olives and a splash of sweet wine, served with rice.

Catalan style chicken with rice
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.30
Calories per person
590 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Catalan style chicken smells like the south as soon as the peppers hit the pan. The tomato sauce, slightly sweetened by the wine and lifted by green olives, coats chicken thighs that turn melt in your mouth tender after a half hour of gentle simmering. It's a generous, colorful dish that gets everyone excited about the rice underneath.

Mon Chou suggests it for evenings when you have a bit more time but no patience for fuss, a family Sunday or a weeknight meal prepped a little ahead. Kids love the rice soaking up the sauce, and adults enjoy the sweet wine and olives. It's also a gentle way into southern flavors for anyone new to them.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Bell peppers 3
  • Onions 2
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Green olivesoften in the pantry 100 g
  • Sweet wineoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Riceoften in the pantry 280 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the chicken thighs in the oil, then set them aside. 10 min

    Start skin side down to make it crisp.

  2. Sauté the onions, garlic and peppers cut into strips. 10 min

    Keep a bit of crunch in the peppers.

  3. Add the sweet wine, tomatoes and chicken, cover and let simmer. 30 min

    A gentle simmer keeps the chicken tender.

  4. Add the olives for the last few minutes of cooking. 5 min

    Taste before salting, the olives are already salty.

  5. Cook the rice and serve with the chicken. 11 min

    Drain the rice well so it doesn't turn sticky.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick peppers in different colors, red and yellow, for a sweeter, more colorful sauce.
  • If you don't have sweet wine, a splash of orange juice at the end of cooking gives a similar roundness.
  • Let the dish rest off the heat for a few minutes before serving, the flavors blend even better.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken thighs with skin for boneless thighs for a slightly faster cook.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with chickpeas and shorten the simmering time a bit.
  • For rushed kids, serve the sauce over small pasta shapes instead of rice, they soak it up just as well.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of the same sweet wine
  • Bread for mopping up sauce
  • A simple green salad

Storage

Catalan style chicken keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, without the rice, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a pan or pot with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can you make Catalan style chicken ahead of time?

Yes, this dish actually improves when made a day ahead. Reheat gently the next day and cook the rice fresh just before serving.

What sweet wine works best for this recipe?

A muscat or a banyuls works well, as the recipe tip suggests. A sweet or off dry white wine also works if you don't have either.

Can you use black olives instead of green?

Yes, black olives work too, they bring a milder, less briny flavor than green olives.

Does Catalan style chicken freeze well?

Yes, freeze the chicken and its sauce for up to 2 months, but skip freezing the rice since it doesn't hold up as well. Cook fresh rice when you're ready to serve.

How long does it take to make a Catalan style chicken with rice?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Catalan style chicken with rice?

About 590 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Catalan style chicken with rice cost?

About €3.30 per serving, or €13.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains none of the major allergens tracked by Mon Chou. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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