Meat, Americas
La bandera dominicana (Dominican flag plate)
La bandera is the national plate of the Dominican Republic, rice, red beans, and braised chicken served with golden fried plantain. This recipe serves 4, takes 60 minutes, is easy to make, and costs €3.00 per person. The key to getting it right is letting the chicken's sauce reduce until syrupy before serving.
Tonight, the Dominican flag lands on the plate, rice, beans, braised chicken, and a little golden plantain.
- Total time
- 1 h
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost per person
- €3.00
- Calories per person
- 740 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
- Season
- Summer, Fall
- The kids
- They generally like it
La bandera takes its name from the three colors sitting side by side on the plate, white rice, red beans, and golden brown chicken. The chicken simmers slowly with onion, pepper, and tomato until the sauce turns thick and fragrant, while the beans get lightly mashed to form a creamy sauce without any cream at all. Sweet plantain rounds out the plate with a touch of sweetness.
It's a full meal in one plate, perfect for a weeknight when everyone comes home hungry. Kids usually go straight for the rice and the golden plantain, and the braised chicken is soft enough to eat with just a spoon. Mon Chou brings you this recipe the way it's cooked at home in the Dominican Republic, with nothing hard to find at the store.
The ingredients
Butcher
- Chicken thighs 4
Fruits and vegetables
- Onion 2
- Green bell pepper 1
- Garlic 3 cloves
- Ripe plantain 2
- Lettuce 1
- Tomatoes 2
Pantry
- Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 200 g
- Canned red beansoften in the pantry 400 g
- Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
- Oreganooften in the pantry 1 tsp
- Vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
- Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
- Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
- Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch
The step by step recipe
-
Season the chicken thighs with crushed garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, then brown them in a Dutch oven with 2 tablespoons of oil. 10 min
Let them marinate for 15 minutes beforehand if you can, the meat will taste better.
-
Add one chopped onion and the diced pepper, the tomatoes, and half a glass of water, cover, and let the chicken simmer. 30 min
The sauce should turn syrupy, uncover the pot for the last five minutes to reduce it.
-
Meanwhile, sauté the other onion in a saucepan, add the drained beans with a little water, and let them simmer gently. 15 min
Mash a few beans with a fork, the sauce thickens on its own.
-
Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min
A drizzle of oil in the cooking water keeps the grains separate.
-
Cut the plantains into thick rounds and fry them in a pan with the remaining oil, then serve with a lettuce and tomato salad. 8 min
Flip the rounds when the edges turn brown, plantain sugar burns fast.
Our tips to get it right
- Pick chicken thighs with the skin on, it renders fat that flavors the whole pot as everything simmers.
- Look for plantains that are very ripe, almost black on the outside, they turn sweet and soft once fried.
- If you have time, cook the beans a day ahead, their sauce thickens even more as they cool and get reheated.
The variations
- Swap the chicken for pork chunks in a stew simmered a bit longer, about 45 minutes.
- For a vegetarian version, skip the chicken and double the red beans with a little smoked paprika.
- For kids in a hurry, serve just the rice, beans, and plantain rounds, skipping the salad.
What to serve it with
- Sliced avocado on the side
- Homemade hot sauce at the table
- Cold tropical fruit juice
Storage
The chicken and beans keep for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, stored separately from the rice. They freeze well for up to 2 months, while the rice and plantain are better made fresh since they don't freeze as nicely. Reheat the chicken and beans in a saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce again.
Questions about this dish
Can canned red beans be swapped for dried beans?
Yes, just soak them overnight and cook them for about an hour before adding them to the recipe. Canned beans stay the faster option for a weeknight dinner.
What can replace plantain if it's not available?
An unripe firm banana can work in a pinch, sliced and fried the same way, though it won't be as sweet. Plantain still gives the most authentic result.
Can la bandera be made ahead of time?
The chicken and beans actually taste better reheated the next day, so you can cook them in advance. It's best to cook the rice and plantain right before serving to keep their texture.
Why mash some of the beans while cooking?
Mashing a few beans with a fork releases their starch and naturally thickens the sauce, no flour or cream needed. That's what gives the dish its signature creamy texture.
How long does it take to make a Dominican bandera plate with chicken, rice, and beans?
Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.
How many calories are in a Dominican bandera plate with chicken, rice, and beans?
About 740 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 Dominican bandera plate with chicken, rice, and beans cost?
About €3.00 per serving, or €12.00 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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