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Braised Chicken and Chayote Recipe

Braised Chicken and Chayote
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: | Makes: 2 to 3 servings

Though chayote is often found in Caribbean recipes, it’s underused elsewhere. With a sweet, starchy, slightly fruity flavor, it lends a lot of taste to this simple dish.

What to buy: Chayote is a gourd common to Caribbean cuisine, and it goes by many aliases: chocho, mirliton, christophene, vegetable pear. Females have smooth skin, while males have prickly skin; either will work in this recipe, though the female fruit is easier to prepare. Look for chayotes that are firm and free from blemishes. If you can’t find chayote, substitute squash or potatoes.

This dish was featured as part of our Recipes for Fall Ingredients.

INGREDIENTS
  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 pound total)
  • 2 medium large-dice chayotes (about 1 pound)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
  • 1/2 lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl with the diced chayotes. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss until evenly coated.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken (skin side down) and chayote pieces. Cook, undisturbed, until the chicken skin is crisped and the chayote is turning golden brown, about 20 minutes. Flip the chicken over, sprinkle the oregano over the chayote, and stir.
  3. Add the broth or water to the pan (avoid the chicken skin) and cook uncovered until the chicken registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, the underside is browned, and the chayote is fork tender, about 15 minutes more.
  4. Squeeze the lemon over top before serving.
    Write a review | 3 Reviews
  • Braised Chicken and Chayote Recipe
    5

    I had never used chayote before. I didn't have any thighs so I used shredded, boiled chicken breast instead and waited until the midway point (after the 20 minutes) to add it, just to heat it through. It may have been better with the fried thighs, mainly because I love fried chicken skin, but it was pretty good the way I did it. I also didn't know if I was supposed to peel the chayote, but since the skin wasn't the prickly kind, I left it on. I'll be sure to try this recipe again when I have thighs to fry.

  • was a hit for dinner!!

  • Does anyone know, can you substitute nopalitos for the chayote?

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