Spicy Baked Habanero Chicken Recipe
For Hot, Spicy Dishes, the Habanero pepper, Related to the Scotch Bonnet Will Light You Up
Copyright © Kelly Smith; all Rights Reserved; Author’s Google profile; Posted June 06, 2011
There is a similar pepper used in Panamanian ceviche (or seviche) is called aji chombo. When cooking with any of these peppers, know your temperature limit; they make jalapenos taste like marshmallows.
But there are alternatives. The Scoville scale is the standard by which “heat” is measured. If I was going for something milder, I’d go with poblano. Where habanero = 58,000 units, poblano = 1,175 units.
Since I like to cook organic as much as possible, I keep a couple of plants going in terracotta pots. I just set them out in the garden in the spring and bring them inside by a window in the fall. This gives me a constant supply.
Likewise, I use tomatoes ripened on the vine out of my garden since I have a bit of a bumper crop just now. This recipe is fairly versatile in its preparation. Just ratio it up or down to fit your needs.
Ingredient List
- 6 large chicken pieces; thighs work well
- Barbecue sauce; enough for a couple of tablespoons on each piece of meat
- Tomatoes; enough for a thick layer over the thighs sliced or diced
- 1 habanero pepper
- Organic baby spinach and mixed red leafy vegetable, often bagged together in the produce department; enough for a thick layer
Baked Habanero Chicken Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Strip the skin off the chicken and arrange it in a 9“ X 13” Pyrex baking dish.
- Apply the barbecue sauce and spread it over the meat.
- Slice and/or dice the tomatoes and layer over the meat.
- Dice the habanero very finely and distribute the pieces over the tomatoes.
- Apply a layer of spinach/mixed reds over it all.
- Optional: drizzle Italian salad dressing over the greens.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil or a glass lid.
- Bake for 1 hour.
That’s it! This dish goes well with wild rice, scalloped potatoes, or any of your other favorites. The main dish already fills out your meat and vegetable food groups.
Although the tomato pulp will remain, much of the liquid will seep out into the chicken broth that results from the cooking process. Don’t throw this away; it makes a delicious base for soup.
