Would you like an easy recipe where you just place everything in a pot and you don’t have to worry about stirring, toasting, grinding, blending, or watching the meal for hours? Then this recipe for Olla Tapada is for you! “Olla Tapada” means “covered pot”, and this dish is usually made in a large, deep clay pot.

Last year, I saw several posts all over social media about a “no-recipe” chicken dish, and when I saw what it was I thought about this meal right away, since it is the same process: place the chicken, veggies, herbs, and Wine in the pot and simmer until done.

This meal is more common in the states of Veracruz and Chiapas, where the typical vegetables used are carrots, potatoes and chayotes, but I have found that cooks in Chiapas have many variations of this dish that can use green peas, red peppers, plantains, oregano, saffron, and even Achiote paste. All this is cooked with wine and vinegar; some use Sherry wine, too. If you don’t want to use wine or vinegar, you can use chicken broth as a substitute.