Frango com Quiabo (Brazil) – Brazilian-style chicken with okra, traditional popular recipe from Minas Gerais

Frango com Quiabo is a traditional Brazilian dish from the Minas Gerais region, a state in southeastern Brazil known for its rural cuisine.

This dish combines golden browned chicken pieces simmered with okra (quiabo in Portuguese), a vegetable of African origin common in Afro-Brazilian cooking.

It is traditionally cooked on fazendas (farms) and comes from the meeting of African, indigenous, and Portuguese cultures in agricultural areas. It is usually served with white rice and angu (cornmeal polenta made from white or yellow corn, without cheese).

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)
For the chicken:

• 1 free-range chicken cut into pieces

• 4 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice

• 3 crushed garlic cloves

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• 1 sliced onion

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil (pork lard or vegetable oil)

• 1 bay leaf (optional)

• 1 mild chili or cheiro pepper (optional)

For the quiabo (okra):

• 500 g fresh okra, washed and sliced

• Lemon juice or vinegar (to reduce slimy texture)

• Oil or fat for sautéing

• Salt to taste

Preparation
Prepare and marinate the chicken
Clean the chicken pieces with lemon or vinegar, then rinse well with cold water.
Season with crushed garlic, salt, and pepper. Let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerated.

Brown the chicken
Heat the fat or oil in a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven.
Sauté the onion until translucent.
Add the chicken pieces and brown evenly on all sides.
Add a little water if needed, cover, and simmer until fully cooked (30 to 40 minutes depending on piece size).

Prepare the okra
Cut the okra into slices.
To reduce the slimy texture, sauté them over high heat in a dry or lightly oiled pan with some salt and a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar.
Cook until slightly browned and not sticky (10 to 15 minutes).

Finish the dish
Once the chicken is tender, add the sautéed okra to the pot.
Mix well and cook together for another 5 to 10 minutes so the flavors meld.

Traditional accompaniments

• Plain white rice

• Angu (Brazilian cornmeal polenta) without cheese or cream

• Farofa (toasted cassava flour, sometimes served on the side)

• Feijão tropeiro (optional, for large gatherings in Minas Gerais)

Cultural notes
Okra is an African ingredient introduced to Brazil during the colonial period.
Frango com Quiabo is a symbol of Minas Gerais cuisine, simple yet rich in Afro-Indigenous influences.
In some rural families, this dish is still cooked over wood fires or traditional ovens and served in clay pots.