Roasted bone-in chicken thighs may be served up Greek-style with black olives and cherry tomatoes or in a hot and spicy version with fresh ginger and chili flakes, or plain and simple with salt and black pepper. One thing is for certain, this Paleo Chicken Colombo is like none you have ever tasted! So, if you are in the market for some new flavors, do yourself a grand favor and be sure to grab all the spice ingredients on the list: ground coriander, mustard, cumin, aniseed, and ground ginger. Then get to work on creating a dish that is novel to you!
There are several ways to make chicken Colombo, a dish which was popularized long ago in the French West Indies. Once you know the basics, you can then make it with any meat – fish and poultry included. The secret is truly in the spicing, so be sure to put together a nicely proportioned Colombo spice mix. You can even make it in a larger batch and set it aside for later, inspired use. In the meantime spread it on generously, adding it to the vegetables and chicken thighs in the pot and simmer for 45 minutes.
In the end, you will be rewarded with a one-pot meal that is full of intense flavor, your favorite veggies and plenty of chicken to go around. Note: if you don’t have aniseed on hand, go ahead and substitute with sweet fennel seeds. You may just have some fennel seeds leftover from the time you made that slow cooker fennel and rosemary pork shoulder.
Paleo Chicken Colombo Recipe
Protein: 59g / %
Carbs: 25g / %
Fat: 48g / %
Values are per portion. These are for information only & are not meant to be exact calculations.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, skinless with bone-in
- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 zucchini, cubed
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
- 2 cups full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground aniseed
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- In a bowl combine the coriander, mustard, cumin, aniseed, and ginger.
- Season the chicken to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Melt some coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the chicken pieces on both sides, about 4 minutes, then set aside.
- In the same pot, add the onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add all the remaining vegetables and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk, lime juice, and the coriander mixture, then give everything a good stir.
- Return the chicken to the pot and season everything to taste.
- Cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until chicken is fully cooked.