Aztec Chicken

Name: Aztec Chicken
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Latin American
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons chilled butter; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 large red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise; ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced; 1½ tablespoons sugar; ¾ cup Sherry wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper; 6 boneless chicken breast halves with skin; 4 teaspoons olive oil; 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced; ¼ cup coarsely chopped pitted oil-cured black olives; ¼ cup drained capers, rinsed; ¼ cup Sherry; ⅓ cup low-salt chicken broth; ¼ cup fresh lime juice; 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped; 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced; 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Recipe GLPR056cb9d2efe867

Latin American

Main Course

45 min

Oven

Stovetop

Pan-seared boneless chicken breasts topped with a rich, complex sauce featuring caramelized red and yellow onions, fresh herbs, olives, capers, tomato, and creamy avocado. This restaurant-quality dish combines the brightness of lime juice and sherry vinegar with warming spices and a silky butter-enriched sauce.

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Ingredients

6 tablespoons chilled butter

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

½ yellow onion, thinly sliced

1½ tablespoons sugar

¾ cup Sherry wine vinegar

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

6 boneless chicken breast halves with skin

4 teaspoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced

¼ cup coarsely chopped pitted oil-cured black olives

¼ cup drained capers, rinsed

¼ cup Sherry

⅓ cup low-salt chicken broth

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced red onion and yellow onion to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions turn deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook for about 1 minute until the sugar dissolves completely. Pour in 1/2 cup of the Sherry vinegar and continue sautéing, stirring constantly, until nearly all the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Transfer the caramelized onion mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 200°F. In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the ground cumin, and black pepper. Rub this spice mixture evenly over all sides of the chicken breasts. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the same large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken breasts skin-side down in the hot oil and sauté for approximately 4 minutes until the skin is golden. Flip the chicken breasts and cook the other side for about 4 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the cooked chicken to a baking sheet and place it in the warm oven to keep hot.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds until fragrant. Return the caramelized onion mixture to the pan along with the remaining 1/4 cup of Sherry vinegar, diced tomato, black olives, capers, and Sherry. Cook this mixture, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until the liquid reduces slightly. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin, chicken broth, lime juice, chopped sage, chopped thyme, and minced rosemary. Gently fold in the avocado cubes and continue cooking, stirring gently, for about 3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, stirring until completely blended into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Place one chicken breast on each of 6 plates and spoon the sauce generously over the top.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

This recipe is accessible from Charlotte chains but marries a name that promises bold Aztec flavors with an ingredient list that reads more Spanish than Mesoamerican—no chiles, no cocoa, no corn masa. Capers and sherry vinegar give it brined, Old World edge rather than authentic regional character. The stated 45 minutes ignores vegetable prep and sauce reduction; budget closer to 60 for weeknight sanity. Cost per serving lands around $3–4 once you account for chicken breast, two onions, olives, and sherry; it's not cheap, but all ingredients are standard at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, or Walmart. The dish reheats adequately and is family-friendly if your table tolerates capers and wine-forward flavors. None of this is wrong—it works, cooks in one pan, and suits a Tuesday night—but the name oversells what you're actually making.