Cuban Chicken

This Cuban-style chicken and rice dish comes together in a wok in about 10 minutes, making it one of the best ways to use up leftover rice and cooked chicken. The combination of slivered ham, briny pimento-stuffed olives, and sweet green peas gives it that classic Caribbean flavor profile.

Use cold, day-old rice here. Freshly cooked rice is too wet and will steam instead of frying, leaving you with a mushy mess. Cold rice separates into individual grains when it hits the hot wok, giving you that signature stir-fried texture.

Pile everything onto a big platter and ring it with sliced avocado right before serving. The cool, creamy avocado against the warm, savory rice is what makes this dish land.

Pro Tips

• Get the wok smoking hot before adding the oil. A properly heated wok means the garlic and onion sizzle on contact instead of steaming.
• Use purple onion as called for. It adds a slightly sweeter, milder bite than yellow onion and the color pops against the rice.
• Drain the canned tomatoes well. Excess liquid will make the rice soggy instead of letting it fry properly.

Variations

• Swap chicken for cooked shrimp and add it at the very end just to warm through.
• Stir in a teaspoon of cumin and a squeeze of lime juice for a more pronounced Cuban flavor.
• Top with a fried egg for a heartier brunch-style serving.