4-day slide meal plan · Protein: chicken thighs
Days: 4
Protein: chicken thighs
Budget:
$$—
Difficulty:
🍳🍳—
Explore Venezuelan home cooking with this budget-friendly, 4-day chicken thigh meal plan featuring annatto, cumin, garlic, and paprika.
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Day 1: Annatto Chicken with Rice and Beans
Ingredients
Main
- 4 chicken thighs
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1 tbsp annatto seeds
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1 large onion, chopped
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 red bell pepper, chopped
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1 tbsp ground cumin
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1 tbsp paprika
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2 cups rice
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2 cans black beans, drained
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2 tbsp olive oil
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salt
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black pepper
Garnish
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add annatto seeds and cook until oil is colored, then remove seeds.
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Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown in the annatto oil, about 5 minutes per side.
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Add onion, garlic, and red bell pepper to the pan. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in cumin and paprika, cook for 1 minute.
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Add rice, black beans, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.
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Reserve 2 cooked chicken thighs and 1 cup rice and beans for tomorrow.
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Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Cook’s Notes:
Reserve some chicken and rice for the next meal.
Day 2: Chicken Arepas with Avocado
Ingredients
Main
- reserved 2 chicken thighs
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reserved 1 cup rice and beans
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2 large tomatoes, chopped
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2 avocados, sliced
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1 lime, juiced
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salt
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black pepper
Arepas
- 2 cups arepa flour
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2 cups water
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1 tsp salt
Directions
- Shred reserved chicken. Mix with reserved rice and beans, and chopped tomatoes.
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In a bowl, combine arepa flour, water, and salt. Mix until dough forms.
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Form dough into 8 balls, flatten into discs.
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Cook arepas on a skillet over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes per side.
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Fill arepas with chicken mixture and avocado slices.
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Squeeze lime juice over filled arepas before serving.
Cook’s Notes:
Arepas can be made ahead and reheated.
Day 3: Venezuelan Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Main
- 2 chicken thighs
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1 large onion, chopped
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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1 red bell pepper, chopped
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4 medium tomatoes, chopped
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1 tbsp ground cumin
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1 tbsp paprika
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salt
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black pepper
Broth
- 8 cups water
Directions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and red bell pepper, cook until soft.
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Add chicken thighs, tomatoes, cumin, and paprika. Cook for 5 minutes.
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Add water, bring to a boil, then simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
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Remove chicken, shred it, and return to the soup.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Cook’s Notes:
Serve with crusty bread if desired.
Day 4: Plantain and Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
Main
- 2 plantains, sliced
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reserved chicken from soup
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1 large onion, sliced
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tbsp olive oil
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1 lime, juiced
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salt
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black pepper
Garnish
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add plantains, cook until golden, about 5 minutes.
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Add onion and garlic, cook until onion is translucent.
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Add reserved shredded chicken, stir well to combine.
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Squeeze lime juice over the stir fry, season with salt and pepper.
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Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Cook’s Notes:
Adjust seasoning to taste.
Combined Shopping List
Quantities shown are totals for the whole plan.
- chicken thighs — 8 pieces
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onion — 3 large
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garlic — 10 cloves
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red bell pepper — 2 large
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annatto seeds — 2 tbsp
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ground cumin — 2 tbsp
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paprika — 1 tbsp
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rice — 4 cups
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black beans — 2 cans
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tomatoes — 4 medium
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cilantro — 1 bunch
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lime — 2
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avocado — 2
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plantains — 4
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olive oil — 1 cup
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salt — to taste
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black pepper — to taste
Final Notes
Enjoy a journey through Venezuelan flavors with this economical and flavorful meal plan.
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