Name: Cilantro Garlic Sauce with Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 4 chicken thighs; 3 garlic cloves; 1 cup of evaporated milk; 1 tablespoon oil; 2 cilantro bundles (about 2 cups of leaves, washed, without stems); 4 water crackers; Oil, salt, and pepper

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Versión en español

I love using evaporated milk in sauces and soups. The concentrated flavor (it has less water) complements our Latin flavors very well and adds richness. It is one of the secret ingredients in my pantry.
I grew up in Chile, where evaporated milk is ubiquitous and used for vegetable creams, sauces, and desserts. Have you ever tried evaporated milk bread puddings? They are excellent.

In Peru, the use of evaporated milk is also widespread. For this recipe, I took some inspiration from the traditional Peruvian dish Ají de Gallina, which uses evaporated milk and water crackers (to thicken).

I hope you enjoy this Cilantro Garlic sauce; if you don’t eat chicken, you can use the same sauce with noodles or as a salad dressing. It is very versatile, and if you want to add heat, you can add half a seeded jalapeño, serrano, or poblano.

Cilantro Garlic Sauce with Chicken

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A delicious chicken dish.

Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

4 chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves
1 cup of evaporated milk
1 tablespoon oil
2 cilantro bundles (about 2 cups of leaves, washed, without stems)
4 water crackers
Oil, salt, and pepper

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Instructions

In a medium skillet, heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel and cook them with the skin touching the bottom of the pan for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; turn over; season with salt and pepper again and cook for three more minutes. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 8 -10 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
In a blender, place the evaporated milk, garlic, oil, salt, pepper, and cilantro leaves. Process until you get a sauce. Add the water crackers. Blend until smooth.
Move the cooked chicken to a plate, clean the skillet, and pour the sauce into it. Cook over low heat; it will thicken. Return the chicken and serve immediately.
If you want a thinner, creamier sauce, add more evaporated milk.