Ingredients

Units Scale

Butter or olive oil
1 whole chicken (about 5 pounds) cut into 6 pieces*
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or filtered water*
2 cups long grain rice such as jasmine or basmati rice rinsed well and drained*
3/4 cup tomato sauce
2/3 cup green olives
1 Tablespoon capers drained
2 medium bay leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley for serving (optional)

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Instructions

Cut chicken into 6 pieces (see notes). Dry chicken with paper towels and then add salt and pepper to both sides.
Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add butter or olive oil (I used salted butter) to pan as it is heating. Add chicken and cook 5-7 minutes on each side until deep golden brown.
Once browned, remove chicken with tongs to a large plate and set aside.
If needed add two teaspoons of butter to the skillet and the chopped onion. Stir the onion to coat with butter. Sauté onion for about 5 minutes until tender but not cooked all the way through.
Add cumin, paprika, sea salt, black pepper, chili flakes, and garlic to the onion and stir for about 30 seconds to one minute.
Add stock or water to the pan scraping the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. Add rice, tomato sauce, olives, capers, and then stir until incorporated.
Nestle the browned chicken pieces into the pan. Add bay leaves to each side of the pan.
Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, cover with a lid that fits the pan, and cook for about 35-45 minutes until the rice is cooked through and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley if desired, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

When cutting a whole chicken I use the two thighs, two drumsticks and two breasts. I used to cut each breast in half and have four total breast pieces. I noticed over time that the breasts would dry out and be quite tasteless. Leave them whole and they will cook perfectly and be moist. I sprinkle on a bit more salt if I am eating the breast meat as it can sometimes be more challenging to get the flavors to come through on such a large and lean piece of meat.

Chicken stock is a great flavor boost and adds some extra minerals to the dish. Add it if you can but filtered water will work as well. I have used water when in a pinch and it turns out great!