Casado Bowl with Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chicken Thighs
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can black beans, warmed with a pinch of cumin
• 1 ripe plantain (or banana in a pinch), sliced diagonally
• 2 cups Cabbage, shredded, dressed with lime and salt
• 1 tsp cumin + 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• Lime wedges and hot sauce

Method

1. Season the Chicken Thighs with the cumin, paprika, and salt. Sear in half the oil over medium-high until browned and cooked through (165°F for chicken; 145°F + rest for whole cuts).
2. Fry the plantain slices in the remaining oil, 2–3 minutes per side, until caramelized at the edges — sweet plantain is the casado's signature soft note.
3. Toss the Cabbage with lime juice and salt for a bright, crunchy slaw — no mayo, just acid.
4. Warm the rice and beans in their own corners; a casado keeps its components proudly separate on the plate. That's the point — every bite is a different marriage.
5. Assemble the bowl in sections: rice, beans, Chicken Thighs, plantains, slaw. Lime over everything. Pura vida achieved.