Cinnamon Chicken

This is one of my family's favorite meals. It's got a great texture, delicious taste, and is a real comfort food for our crew. The cinnamon and spices complement the chicken beautifully, and the result is a delicately flavored chicken with a silky broth. If you have never tried cinnamon in a savory dish, you are really missing out.

Not only is this a scrumptious recipe, but its also very easy. You can make it on the stovetop or in the crockpot, and I most often do the latter but both are great. I've included directions for both--for me it just depends if I can switch off the stove in an hour, or if I will be able to turn off the crockpot after about 5 hours. You don't want to cook chicken breasts for too long or they dry out.

That aside, cooking a chicken in the crockpot is one of my favorite things. Why? Because it's #1 super easy, and #2 when I get home from work, dinner is basically all ready. One tip--take the skin off of the chicken before you put it in the crockpot. It adds a lot of fat, and you just don't need it. The bones give the chicken a lot of flavor, and you won't miss the skin. I most often take the skin off and put the chicken parts in a freezer bag with the spices, then freeze. When I'm ready to make cinnamon chicken, I grab the bag, defrost, and then quickly toss it all in the pot.

Once the chicken is done, take it off of the bones and then serve with the broth ladled on top. The broth is so good, you could really even add all of the chicken back into it, add in some spinach and other veggies and serve as soup. The original version of this recipe (ie: pre-ideal protein) called for cooking orzo in the broth after the chicken cooks. I'm going to try it next time by simmering some shredded cauliflower in the broth, and I'll see how it goes. If you make it first, let me know!

Cinnamon Chicken

2 leeks, sliced

Whole chicken cut into 8ths, plus an extra breast, skin removed

3 cups water

8 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced (you can use 1 tsp ground ginger if you prefer)

3 tsp cinnamon 

10 cardamom pods or 2 tsp ground cardamom

Salt and pepper to taste

2 lemons

Stovetop Directions

Put everything in a pot. Bring to a low boil and then simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally  Remove lid and continue simmering for 20 more minutes, or until all chicken is cooked and tender. There should be liquid at all times, so add water as necessary.

Take the chicken off of the bones, shredding a bit as you go. Pour the remaining broth through a sieve (optional, but makes the sauce nice and clear). Add the juice of two lemons to the strained broth, and then pour over the shredded chicken. Serve and enjoy!! 

Crockpot Directions

Put everything in the crockpot. Cook on low for ~5 hours, until chicken is cooked and tender (should be falling off of the bone). There should be liquid at all times, so add water as necessary.

Take the chicken off of the bones, shredding a bit as you go. Pour the remaining broth through a sieve (optional, but makes the sauce nice and clear). Add the juice of two lemons to the strained broth, and then pour over the shredded chicken. Serve and enjoy!!