Brazilian Chicken and Rice (Galinhada)
Galinhada is Brazil's ultimate comfort food — golden chicken thighs slow-cooked with rice, carrots, corn, and aromatic spices all in one pot. Deeply flavorful, effortlessly simple, and made to feed a crowd.
🛒 Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) chicken thighs
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 2 pinches of ground black pepper
- 2 pinches of ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 can (285 g) sweet corn, drained
- 3 cups long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
- Salt to taste
- A drizzle of vegetable oil
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Directions
- 1
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until golden and softened.
- 2
Add the crushed garlic and chicken thighs. Stir and cook together, turning the chicken to sear on all sides.
- 3
Sprinkle the black pepper, cumin, and paprika over the chicken. Stir well to coat and let it cook for 5 minutes until the chicken takes on a rich golden colour.
- 4
Add the rinsed rice directly to the pot with the chicken. Stir and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, letting the rice toast and absorb the cooking juices.
- 5
Dissolve the stock cube in 600 ml (2½ cups) of hot water and pour into the pot. Add the diced carrots, sweet corn, and salt to taste.
- 6
Cover and simmer over very low heat for about 20 minutes until the rice is fluffy and all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve hot straight from the pot.
💡 Chef's Tip
Toasting the rice in the chicken fat before adding the stock is the key to this dish — it keeps the grains separate and adds a nutty depth you can't get any other way. Resist lifting the lid during the final simmer!
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Same category — Poultry
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