This post was originally published in 2017 and was updated in May 2020.
I honestly have never heard of Nicaragua until I travelled in Central America. I had no idea about its culture, history, and its food. Travelling overland in Central America gave us a chance to explore areas that some people may overlook.
We travelled in Nicaragua for over a month and discovered its natural wonders, colonial cities and charming islands and tasted some of its delicious cuisine. Nicaraguan food was truly memorable during our travels in Central America. The mixed influences of Creole (Caribbean), Spanish and indigenous flavours made Nicaraguan food unique.
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One of the best dishes we’ve tried in Nicaragua was chicken with jalapeño cream sauce. It is traditionally served with fried plantains, steamed rice, salad and avocado.
I couldn’t find any recipe online so I thought I’d let my tastebuds decide and tried recreate the dish on my own. It’s hard to find fresh jalapeños in New Zealand so I used pickled jalapeño instead. The first time I cooked the dish I made it way too hot (too many peppers!) so adjust the amount of jalapeño peppers based on your preference. I also found that sour cream works best for this recipt but you can also use fresh cream or even Greek yoghurt. Do note that you may consistency will vary depending on the type of cream you use.
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I’ve made the dish twice and I finally have the perfect recipe that closely represents the Nicaraguan dish. Even if you haven’t tried Nicaraguan food, don’t be afraid to give this dish a try. It certainly won’t disappoint. Here’s my recipe for Nicaraguan Jalapeño Cream Chicken:
Ingredients:
300 g chicken breast cut into strips
5 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp butter
1 large white onion cut into thin rings
2 tbsp pickled jalapeño peppers diced
1/2 cup of sour cream (or fresh cream)
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat a deep skillet. Saute onions with a bit of olive oil and butter.
• Place the chicken pieces in the pan once onions start to become translucent. Cover and cook the chicken over medium heat, gently stirring and turning the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until the chicken is tender enough.
• Keep the heat adjusted so that the chicken doesn’t scorch.
• Add the jalapeño peppers and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low, stir in sour cream.
• Remove the pan from heat just before it starts to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve over steamed rice.
Have you tried to make this Nicaraguan Chicken with Jalapeño Cream Sauce recipe? Have you tried Nicaraguan / Creole food? Let us know.
Nicaraguan Creole Chicken with Jalapeño Cream Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g chicken breast cut into strips
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 white onion cut into thin rings
- 2 tbsp pickled jalapeño peppers diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream or fresh cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat a deep skillet. Saute onions with a bit of olive oil and butter.
- Place the chicken pieces in the pan once onions start to become translucent. Cover and cook the chicken over medium heat, gently stirring and turning the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until the chicken is tender enough.
- Keep the heat adjusted so that the chicken doesn’t scorch.
- Add the jalapeño peppers and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, stir in sour cream or fresh cream.
- Remove the pan from heat just before it starts to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve over steamed rice.
