Make this super delicious and easy to prepare Nicaraguan-Inspired Pressure Cooker Pollo Desmenuzado or Chicken Ropa Vieja (Shredded Chicken) any weekday or weekend in under 30 mins.
This post was sponsored by Fresh From Florida as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central, however, all opinions expressed are my own.
Have you ever had pollo desmenuzado aka chicken ropa vieja? I personally, grew up enjoying a good carne desmenuzada or ropa vieja; so, whenever I make it or eat this dish, it surely brings back so many wonderful memories. Because my family and I love the classical carne desmenuzada or ropa vieja, I began making different variations of the original, for instance today I am sharing with you my version of pollo desmenuzado or chicken ropa vieja. This pollo desmenuzado or chicken ropa vieja dish is not only full of the flavors I grew up enjoying but with the wonders of my pressure cooker, I can have it ready in less than 30 mins and yes, even with frozen chicken! So, let’s get this party started.
Pressure Cooker Pollo Desmenuzado or
Chicken Ropa Vieja (Shredded Chicken) Recipe
Although today I am showing how I make this pollo desmenuzado or chicken ropa vieja dish in the pressure cooker, you can easily make it on your stove top or your slow cooker as well. The best part is that whether you choose to use your pressure cooker or your slow cooker, the entire dish will only take ONE pot to prepare, that’s from start to finish. Say what!? Exactly, win-win for moms everywhere! 🙂
Pressure Cooker Pollo Desmenuzado or Chicken Ropa Vieja (Shredded Chicken) Ingredients
Okay, so what are the ingredients to prepare this delicious pressure cooker pollo desmenuzado or chicken ropa vieja dish? You are going to need 6 tablespoons corn oil or Extra virgin Olive oil, 1.5-2.0 pounds of chicken breast, 1 medium yellow onion (1/2 in big wedges and 1/2 sliced lengthwise), 1 medium green bell pepper (1/2 in big wedges and 1/2 sliced lengthwise), 1 medium red bell pepper (1/2 sliced lengthwise), 3 roma tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes (cut lengthwise), the juice of half a bitter orange, 2 1/2 cups of the broth, chicken stock or one or two chicken bullions; salt & pepper to taste, 1/4 cup of ketchup, 1 tablespoons of mustard, 1/2 tablespoon of achiote diluted in a bit little of the reserved broth, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce.
Pressure Cooker Pollo Desmenuzado or Chicken Ropa Vieja (Shredded Chicken) Instructions
To prepare this pressure cooker pollo desmenuzado or chicken ropa vieja dish, you begin by cutting your chicken in fourths and setting them aside. Once that is done, place the pressure cooker inner liner inside the pressure cooker housing. Now, click on the pre-set “saute” and wait for the display to read “hot.” Once the display reads “hot,” add three tablespoons of olive oil, place the chicken pieces inside the liner, season both sides of the chicken with garlic salt, salt & pepper and sear both sides of your chicken. Note, I do this to infuse the chicken with as much flavor as possible.
Once the chicken has been sear on both sides, pour the chicken broth on top of your chicken and deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker inner liner. Make sure, you deglaze the bottom, don’t skip this step or your display will read out, “burnt.” Now, seal your pressure cooker by placing the lid on and making sure the valve is set to sealing. Cook the chicken in “manual” setting for 10 minutes, once the pressure cooker is done, let it “naturally release” for 10 minutes and then do a “quick release” by turning the Steam release to “venting” to release the rest of the steam.
Now, carefully remove the Instant Pot lid and remove the chicken from the broth. DO NOT discard the beef broth, just transfer the beef stock from the inner liner to another container and reserve it. Next, let the chicken rest for a few minutes and then shredded the chicken using two forks or with using your fingers to separate the strands.
Once again, return the pressure cooker inner liner to its housing and click on the saute pre-set. Once it reads “hot,” add olive oil to the inner liner. Once it is ready, add the lengthwise sliced peppers, onion, and tomatoes and cook until tender about 3-5 mins. Now, add the shredded chicken back to the inner liner and mix the chicken and the veggies together. Now add about 1-2 cups of reserved broth, Worcestershire sauce, bitter orange (or lemon juice), ketchup, mustard, diluted achiote, salt, and pepper to taste and saute for 2-5 minutes. Note, if the sauce gets too dry, add a bit more reserved stock. Also, if the chicken is on the bitter side, you can add a bit more of ketchup or a pinch of sugar.
Easy does it, serve your pressure cooker pollo desmenuzado or chicken ropa vieja dish with a side of rice and yummy delicious tostones. I make my tostones in my air fryer that way, we don’t add unnecessary oil to them and they still taste so deliciously crunchy. You can also reduce the sauce as much as possible and make chicken tacos, just delish!
Yummy recipe, right? Not only is this recipe deliciously yummy, but oh so easy to prepare, just the way mommy likes it! 🙂 That’s why I love living in Florida, I can find the freshest Fresh From Florida fruits and veggies, especially bell peppers! By the way, bell peppers are now in season in Florida. Thankfully, Florida farmers make it super easy for everyone to eat fresh produce all year-round. The best part though is that they make it so easy to find the best in-season produce, seafood, and of course, delicious bell peppers, so we can enjoy delicious recipes like this one I am sharing with you today.
To find the freshest in-season produce, fruits and, seafood, all we have to do is look for the specially marked Fresh From Florida label. In any case, if you get to try out our recipe or if you want to create other delicious bell pepper inspired recipes, be sure to Follow the Fresh on social media and/or check out the Fresh From Florida Fresh! recipe videos here and don’t forget to comment on how you liked our recipe via the comment section below.
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