In Cameroon there’s a scrumptious chicken recipe called Poulet DG, which is really just a fancy name for Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Recipe. The chicken thighs are cooked in a cast iron skillet alongside vegetables like bell peppers, green beans, and plantains and then coated in a yummy parsley sauce.

Overhead view of Cast Iron Skillet chicken thighs with vegetables and plantains

Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!

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Why is this Recipe Called “Poulet DG”?

As you may recall, the national languages of Cameroon are English and French. And the word for chicken in French is… you guessed it… le poulet.

Now the “DG” in this recipe stands for Directeur Général, because this dish is meant to be served to only the most important of guests.

In Cameroon, this dish is still served to important dinner guests, at holidays, and on very fancy menus. That makes it sound unapproachable or difficult, but don’t worry! This is an easy meal to make at home without too much hassle.

Making this Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Recipe with No Oven

If you’re looking for a stovetop chicken recipe, you’re in luck! This entire chicken recipe is made in your cast iron skillet. No need to preheat that oven if it’s hot outside. No need to wait for your chicken to cook in the oven!

Instead, this entire recipe can be made in one pot (or two… actually, I’d recommend 2. Just a little one to fry the plantains and then another to cook the chicken). If you do want to use your oven today, check out this recipe for Oven Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs.

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make this Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Recipe?

Plantains
Olive Oil
Chicken thighs
Ginger root
Chicken bouillon cube
Celery
Green onions
Carrots
Green beans
Parsley
White pepper
Bell pepper

For full measurements and instructions, visit the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

This recipe for Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs with plantains and green beans is such a healthy and delicious meal! Click for the recipe

How Do I Make This Recipe?

Season your chicken with black pepper and salt.

Heat the oil in a large pan on your stove top.

Fry the chicken on both sides until it turns brown but doesn’t cook all the way through.

Remove the chicken and set on a plate.

Blend parsley, onion, olive oil, ginger, garlic, celery in a blender.

Add the blender mixture into the large pan along with a bouillon cube and heat for a few moments until the bouillon cube melts.

Combine ¼ cup water, green beans, carrots, and red bell pepper into the pan and cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add chicken back in and cook, covered for another 20.

While the chicken is cooking, slice the plantains into inch slices. Fry them in a little bit of oil so that they become slightly crispy and cook through.

After the chicken and vegetables are done cooking, arrange the plantains in the pan. Serve and enjoy!

How Do I Fry the Plantains?

To fry the plantains for this recipe, slice them up to about ½ inch thick. Heat some vegetable oil in a skillet and allow it to warm up enough that when the plantain touches the oil, it begins to fry immediately.

Put the plantain on the oil and allow it to crisp up for a few minutes. Then, flip and allow the other side to fry.

This process is identical to the 1st steps of making homemade tostones.

If you’d like to watch a video about how to make these plantains, view the first half of this video, before I smash the plantains with the glass 🙂

Making the Sauce for this Recipe

The original recipe for this post featured 1 bunch of parsley, 1 clove of garlic, 1 stalk of celery, etc.

The dish was delicious this way, but it didn’t provide enough sauce! I wanted my chicken to have enough sauce that it was covered in it.

So I doubled the ingredients for the blender steps, hoping that I could get 2 times as much sauce out of it. It turned out perfectly!

Now you have double the flavor and moisture in your Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Recipe.

Is this Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs Recipe Whole30? Paleo?

Yes, you lucky duck! It’s both!

There are no grains in this recipe whatsoever and no dairy or sugar either. This makes it a compliant Whole30 meal, as well as a compliant Paleo meal.

You’re welcome 😉

If you like this recipe, post a photo of it on Facebook or Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork. I can’t wait to see what you make! You can also leave a comment on this post letting me know what you thought.

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