Sweet Paprika Skillet Chicken

Election Day tomorrow and I am not going to talk about politics because this is a kitchen, not a convention, but I will say this: I voted. I have voted in every election since I became eligible, because Mami told me, Your grandmother could not vote in Puerto Rico the way she wanted. You live on the mainland now. You vote. So I vote. Every time. And then I come home and I cook because no matter who wins, people need to eat, and feeding people is the one political act that never fails and never divides and never lies.

I made arroz con pollo tonight and I made it the way Mami makes it, which is the way Abuela Consuelo made it, which is the way it has always been made in the Delgado kitchen: with love and garlic and patience and the absolute conviction that food prepared with intention can fix what is broken in the world, even if what is broken is everything. I know this sounds naive. I am not naive. I am a fifty-one-year-old Puerto Rican woman who has buried a brother and survived a father drinking himself to death and run a hospital kitchen for twenty years. I am not naive. I am hopeful. There is a difference, and the difference is in the seasoning.

Sofia came down for dinner and asked me who I voted for. I said, Mija, I voted for the person who I think will take care of people like us. She said, What does like us mean? I said, People who work hard and cook good food and love their families and deserve better than they usually get. She nodded. She is sixteen and she is starting to understand that the world is complicated and unfair and that the best response to complications and unfairness is to keep cooking, keep feeding, keep showing up at the table. The table does not care about your politics. The table only cares that you are there.

Eduardo voted during his lunch break and came home and said nothing about it because Eduardo is the most private voter in America. He could be voting for the reincarnation of George Washington and he would not tell me. This drives me crazy. I told him who I voted for. He said, Good, Carmen. That was it. Good, Carmen. Twenty-eight years and I do not know his political opinions and at this point I think that is a feature not a bug.

Called Mami. She said she watched the news all day from Bayamon. She said, Whatever happens, make dinner. I said, Mami, I always make dinner. She said, I know. That is why I am not worried about you. My mother. My anchor. My reason for sofrito. Whatever happens tomorrow and the day after and the year after — the dinner will be made. The table will be set. The food will be good. This I can promise. Everything else is out of my hands.

Mami’s voice stayed with me after I hung up — whatever happens, make dinner — and I knew I needed something that felt like a promise kept, warm and uncomplicated and impossible to argue with. Sweet Paprika Skillet Chicken is that dish for me: nothing fancy, nothing fraught, just good fat and good spice and the kind of sizzle that fills a kitchen and says we are here, we are fed, we are fine. Eduardo set the table without being asked. Here is how I made it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 pieces)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped (for serving)

Instructions

Season the chicken. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine both paprikas, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly over all sides of each piece. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
Sear until golden. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken skin-side down and sear without moving for 6–7 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases easily from the pan. Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; do not wipe out the pan.
Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and bell pepper to the same pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened and starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Deglaze and simmer. Pour in the diced tomatoes and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan—that is all flavor. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
Finish in the sauce. Nestle the seared chicken back into the skillet skin-side up, leaving the skin above the liquid so it stays as crisp as possible. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover loosely, and cook 20–25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F at the thickest part.
Rest and serve. Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes. Scatter fresh parsley or cilantro over the top. Serve directly from the skillet with white rice, crusty bread, or warm tortillas to catch the sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sweet Paprika Skillet Chicken — The Dinner That Gets Made No Matter What