Picture yourself living in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and having to order a meal. The first time I saw Pollo Con Wasakaka, a traditional and very popular Dominican dish, was on a menu in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I knew that “pollo” was chicken but what was a “wasakaka” and was it even something I would dare put into my mouth. I really shouldn’t have worried because it turned out that wasakaka is a savory parsley, lime and garlic sauce that is very similar to the Argentinean chimichurri sauce, and it’s often served with rotisserie chicken as well as being used as a dipping sauce for fried yuca and thick slices of fried sweet potato and it’s delicious!
I ended up ordering Pollo Con Wasakaka many times at small restaurant that was within walking distance of the Jaragua Hotel where my husband and I were living in Santo Domingo. The restaurant had an open air dining room that looked out at the busy traffic on Ave. Independencia, certainly not very atmospheric but it was very popular with the locals. That’s because the restaurant’s specialty was their delicious rotisserie chicken. The chicken had a hint of wood smoke, its skin was crispy and golden brown and the meat was juicy and tender. It was always served with wasakaka which gave the chicken a great flavor. You could order either dark or white meat and the chicken came with a choice of sides such as rice, beans, yuca, Russian potato salad, or tomato salad. It was a simple, inexpensive and yet delicious meal.
Thinking of our time spent in the Dominican Republic, I decided to make my own version of this traditional dish using chicken breasts which I grilled and served with a wasakaka sauce. If the weather is good where you live, head outside, fire up the grill and make pollo con wasakaka. If you don’t happen to have a grill, the chicken can also be cooked on a grill pan. If you really don’t feel like cooking, just buy a rotisserie chicken and make the sauce. It will take just minutes to put a tasty and typical Dominican meal on the table.
Pollo Con Wasakaka (Chicken With Green Sauce)
Serves two, adjust the recipe accordingly
Wasakaka Sauce
- 2 – 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 large garlic clove, chopped
- 1/4 c. fresh parsley, stems removed
- 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 c. water, optional (the sauce I had in the Dominican Republic was thinner than I make, Dominicans like to thin it with water)
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended.
Grilled Chicken Breasts
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 tsp. each of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper
Combine the oil, lime juice and the seasonings in a shallow dish and stir well. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade, turn to coat and then let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning once.
In the meantime, preheat your grill (set one zone on med. high and one on medium) for about 15 minutes until hot. Place the chicken breasts (presentation side down) on the high heat zone and cook for 3 to 5 minutes with the lid down, depending on how hot your grill is. Move to the medium zone for another 3 to 5 minutes until done and the juices run clear. The trick to getting good grill marks is to turn the meat as little as possible. When the chicken breasts are done remove from the grill. Let stand covered for about 5 minutes before serving so that the juices redistribute.
Serve the grilled chicken breasts with a drizzle of the wasakaka on top and serve the remainder of the sauce at the table.
****
Pollo con wasakaka is easy to prepare and delicious. The flavors of the fresh citrus, herb and garlic sauce is a great match with chicken as well as other meats and seafood. I can certainly see why many countries around the world have their own version of this sauce. It might be called green sauce, salsa verde, sauce verte, grüne soße, chimichurri, or wasakaka but each country’s sauce is similar in that it is prepared with fresh herbs.
Now as to being worried about ordering food you are not familiar with when you are in a foreign country, most of the time I’ve done just fine. That is except for when a chef came out of his kitchen to ask me, “does madame really want to order veal brains” but that is another story.
Back Road Journal 
Deciphering menus can be a challenge, can’t it? Often the literal translation doesn’t help. But this is a lovely sauce and great with the chicken.
Hi Kay, It certainly can be perplexing at times. You are right about literal translations, they usually just give you a laugh. I’m glad you agree about the sauce. 🙂
That looks delicious – I’d like some of that wasakaka with my pollo rico 🙂
Thanks Mad Dog, I smiled when I saw we both had posts about a chicken restaurant. You can’t beat a rotisserie chicken. 😀
With grilling season around the corner, I may have to give this one a try.
Hi Frank, Know you’ve had a little snow, hopefully the weather will warm up and you’ll be grilling soon. I hope you will enjoy the chicken.
Sounds delicious and I love that at the restaurant you could order dark or white meat. Great idea!
Thank you Tanya, I think it is a good dish. Yes, I wish more restaurants gave you a choice of dark or white meat…my husband would choose dark and I’d have white.
Oh how marvelous……………a new culinary exploration for me!! Thank You!!!!
Hi Tin Man, It is nice to hear from you. 😀 I hope all is well, you’ve been missed. I’m glad you like the recipe.
Very interesting post. Like you I knew pollo but not the rest of the name. I always like some type of sauce on grilled meats, now I have a new one to try.
Hi Jovina, I’m glad that you liked the post…thank you. This really is a good sauce for grilled meats.
Good Morning, Karen!
What a delight to see your post–I was just thinking of you the other day and wondering how you’ve been.
The recipe looks delicious–and heck, it’s fun to say, too!
Have a great day
Good Morning to you too, Sue. Life has been very hectic for the last couple of months but I’m looking forward to things returning to normal shortly…thank you so much for asking. You are right, wasakaka is a fun word to say. Happy gardening, I know you start working hard right about now especially with an easy winter behind you.
I adore sauces, in fact it’s what I taste first when a plate is presented to me. This dish sounds fantastic and I would love to try it. I admit I am guilty of being able to read only parts of the menu in foreign countries. I would have recognized the word chicken too, but not much more… Oh well, it’s fun to try things even if you don’t know what they are.
Sam
I agree with you Sam, the sauces are what can make a dish shine and I’m like you, I like to take the sauce by itself. Maybe that is the foodie in us trying to figure out how the sauce was made. My husband and I do OK in France, Italy not too bad but in the Germany speaking countries, it’s hard sometimes. Thank goodness, most places that we visit now have an English translated menu. 🙂
What is Russian potato salad?
Never mind, I looked it up. It has beets in it. I will tell Marigene too.
Hi Kathleen, Sorry I couldn’t answer your question earlier, I was out of town. At the restaurant where we used to eat the chicken, the Russian salad was a potato and vegetable salad made with diced boiled potatoes, carrots, dill pickles,onions, green peas, and hard boiled eggs in a mayo and vinegar based dressing. In other restaurants, beets or apples were added so when it came to the table it usually was a surprise which version you were getting.
Crispy rotisserie chicken … the only reason to go to Swiss Chalet. Sauce looks delicious. I had/ made chimichurri sauce and it IS great. 🙂
Hi Boleyn, Aren’t rotisserie chickens just the best. If you like chimichurri sauce then I think you will enjoy wasakaka as well.
I’m vegetarian, but I hope it was good.
Hi Ladyfi, Yes the meal was good. Even though you are vegetarian, I think you would enjoy the sauce…it would add a nice flavor boost to many dishes.
That looks like dinner for tonight. Thanks
Hi Bishop, I hope your dinner turned out great. I’m glad you liked the recipe, thank you.
This sounds delicious to me. I think it is a great alternative to all things cilantro. I like the idea of a rotisserie chicken too. And, your sides look delish too. You’ve made me hungry.:)
Thank you Madonna, I’m glad you like the dish but I’m sorry to have made you hungry. We have friends that won’t eat cilantro…they think it tastes soapy. Wasakaka is a good herb sauce to serve those that don’t care for cilantro.
I just returned home yesterday and I am ready to have a home cooked meal . My husband loves to grill and your wasakaka sauce looks fantastic . I love to try out different variations of a lemon lime parsley sauce. It always adds so much flavor and freshness .
Welcome home Gerlinde! I know what you mean…as much as we like to travel and eat in good restaurants there is nothing like your first meal when you arrive back home. I agree with you, these simple herb sauces do add lots of flavor.
Thanks for the recipe and the back story. You are right – wasakaka is very similar to chimichurri – but the word is a lot more fun to say. I was planning on making chimichurri this weekend, but wasakaka it is.
Hi Darryl, I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and recipe. You are right, wasakaka is a fun word as is chimichurri…isn’t it funny that they are similar sauces as well.
I never knew the name for this dish–and am happy to learn something new. Fun post and lovely treatment of a classic.
Thank you Vicki, I’m glad that you enjoyed the post and recipe. 🙂
I sometime still have problems with menus here!! This sounds delicious. Have a good weekend Diane
Hi Diane, I hope you have been having a lovely weekend as well. Yes, menus can be a challenge sometimes. I think I do best with a French one since we have traveled there a lot but I always carry a small menu translator which can be helpful. I also ask restaurants if they have an English menu and a lot of them do, thank goodness. 🙂
That sounds and looks scrumptious. Just bought some rainbow trouts, so I wonder if the sauce would also go well with fish…
Hi Angie, I love trout and I’m sure this sauce would be terrific on the fish as I had something similar on one of our trips to Germany.
Since I don’t eat meat and hubby is allergic to shell fish, we have to be careful when we order. So far we have done OK here in Spain. Most of the menus are in English as well as Spanish or the waiters know a little English. The translations can be quite amusing at times. I think the wasakaka sauce would be great on veges or grilled fish. Thanks!
Hi Darlene, You are so right about the translations…they can be quite comical at times. I agree with you about the sauce being good on many different dishes, even as a dipping sauce for some crusty bread. We’ve been pleasantly surprised to find English menus more often in our travels, even in small towns that don’t seem to get that many tourists.
This dish looks so tasty and well rounded with all the colors and flavors. 🙂
Thank you for your nice compliment, Ronit, I’m glad you like the looks of this meal.
Veal brains are supposed to be good, or so I’ve heard. I wouldn’t know, and doubt if I ever will. 🙂 Anyway, terrific looking dish — simple, easy, flavorful. My kind of food! Thanks so much.
Hi John, I’ll never know if veal brains are good or not…somethings will never pass these lips. 😀 I’m glad you like the recipe, thank you.
Looks so delicious, Karen. I’m sure we had something very similar when we were in Punta Cana. 🙂
Thank you for your compliment, Sylvia. I bet you did have something similar…green herb sauces like this are very popular in many countries.
This sauce sounds delicious…I love chimichurri. I am curios as to what Russian potato salad is, almost afraid to ask what is in it?
Enjoy the weekend, Karen.
Hi Marigene, If you like chimichurri then I’m sure you will like wasakaka…now that is a mouthful, isn’t it. 🙂 There is really nothing exotic about a Dominican Russian salad. There are several versions but it is usually a potato and vegetable salad made with diced boiled potatoes, carrots, dill pickles,onions, green peas, and hard boiled eggs in a mayo and vinegar based dressing. A lot of times beets are added to it which gives it a pink color.
Hi Karen:)
I too was thinking about you the other day. I popped on by but didn’t want to bother you:)
I actually enjoy not knowing what I’m ordering in a restaurant so when the menu is in a different language, I just go for it!!! No disappointments yet:) (I’ve had sheep’s brains and I didn’t like them at all. However, not at a restaurant, lol:)
I love all the alternatives to your recipe. Lately I’ve been picking up the rotisserie chickens right at the grocery. Since I’m a huge fan of Chimichurri sauce, I’m sure I would love Wasakaka. I’ve even used chimichurri as a marinade and will probably do the same with this.
Thanks so much for sharing, Karen…
Hi Louise, Sorry that I haven’t been around everyones blogs lately but my husband had some health issues plus we’ve had back to back out of town friends staying with us. Aren’t you the brave one for ordering something that you don’t have any idea what it is. I’ll take your word about sheep brains, whether home cooked or in a restaurant, not my cup of tea. 😀 I say that a rotisserie chicken is a cooks best friend and the sauce will be perfect on it.
This looks delicious. I love chimichurri with grilled meats so this is bound to be a hit with me.
Thank you Karen, I believe you will like the wasakaka as it is very similar to chimichurri.
I bet it’s super tasty..my Littles would keep repeating its name I am certain..:)
Memories.. DR..and Santo Domingo..
Hi Monique, Your comment gave me a chuckle. You are right, I can just see your “littles” giggling at the name wasakaka. It is a funny name for a very tasty sauce. 😀
Mmm, Mm.
It sounds like you like the recipe Mary, thanks.
Wow Karen, this looks so easy and delicious! I had never heard of it but it’s a fun dish to say outloud. Veal brains? LOL. That was very nice of the chef to warn you. 😀
Hi Kathryn, this really is an day meal. Yes, the chef was very thoughtful and I was so lucky. 😀
This looks and sounds delicious! I love a good green sauce of any kind – pesto, chimichurri – whatever and this is no exception!
Thank you Kelli, I’m glad you like the recipe. You are right, green sauces of all kinds are great and add lots of flavor to dishes.
A few weeks ago, a friend invited a number of girlfriends for a simple luncheon. She served soup and sandwiches. As a spread for the sandwiches, she had this paste/sauce made of parsley, garlic and olive oil, very similar to what I see here. It was marvelous on a French baguette and meats. The ladies were chatting non-stop (you know how that goes) and I was not able to ask her what she had in it. I’m sure this wasakaka impressed your taste buds as that similar paste did mine. 🙂
Hi Fae, It does sound like you had a similar sauce, I’m sure your luncheon was very enjoyable. A green sauce would definitely add a lot of flavor to a sandwich.
Karen, The recipe sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Shelba
Sent from my iPad
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Thank you for your compliment, Shelba…I’m happy to know that you like the recipe.
Sounds delicious, Karen, thank you for sharing your traveller’s tales and a great recipe xx
Hi Liz, I’m happy to know that you enjoyed my little tale and the recipe. Thank you for your lovely compliment.
What a fun name! Make chimichurri and its ilk often but it will be fun to serve to friends next time around under a different name ! Yes, good idea to ask whether one wants white or dark meat . . . always dark for me! But what is wrong with interestingly prepared veal brains except that something called ‘cholesterol’ may make one choose it less often than before !!! OK, I prefer sweetbreads myself but they are getting so hard to buy in Australia . . .
Hi Eha, Yes I think both wasakaka and chimichurri are fun names. I do think it was very kind of the chef to come out and ask if I wanted veal brains. He explained that while many of his French customers think of cervelle de veau as a special dish, he didn’t think that the American girl sitting at a table in his rural restaurant in France realized what she had ordered from his waiter. He was right, I saw the word veau on the menu and figured it was veal with a nice sauce. While I have tried many unusual dishes over the years in my travels around the world, brains is one I’ll leave for someone else to enjoy. 😀
Veal brains! Oh no! 🙂 I’ve never heard of Wasakaka sauce but this sounds delightful! How nice to have something a little different. It’s almost grilling season and I have ready access to a steady supply of fresh parsley!
Exactly what I thought Debra, oh no! I’m glad you like the recipe, wasakaka is a nice was to use fresh parsley. Thank you for your nice compliment.
It is good to try new local dishes when travelling, otherwise there is very little point in going anywhere. We normally do OK and are, for the most part, very happy with our choses, but also have a couple of funny stories. Many years ago in northern Spain my husband ordered Cabrazo, thinking it would be goat’s meat, but it turned out to be fish! We had a good laugh about that and still laugh now. Also in Arromanches, Normandy, I ordered Tranches de Porc, thinking it would be cutlets, but it was just slices of pure porc’s fat: I could not eat it!
I totally agree with you Fatima, trying new foods in our travels is definitely part of the adventure. It is nice that we’ve been lucky with most of what we have ordered. 🙂
Wasakaka…that’s a funny name 😊 But if one think about chimichurri o chimichanga, those are pretty strange too, it’s just that we are used to them now. Well, I’ll do my best to get used to this new name and recipe from now on because it seems fantastic for our bbq during this spring and summer time.
Thanks for sharing Karen!
Take care
G
Hi Giovanna, It is so nice to hear from you. Wasakaka, chimichurri, chimichanga, are indeed all funny sounding names and just as you said it is because they may not be familiar to us…but the taste, they are all delicious. I’m glad you like the recipe, thank you.
I’m a big fan of rotisserie chicken so I understand your many visits to the restaurant. Your version looks very good and I know I would love the sauce.
We are too Larry, not only are they are quick way to get a meal on the table, they are delicious. Thank you for your nice compliment, I’m glad you like the recipe.
This looks so yummy – and fresh – and delicious!! And I had no idea you had lived in the Dominican Republic – what an adventure!! ; o ) Gotta go pin this!!
Thank you Cecile, I’m glad you like the recipe and appreciate the pin. Yes, my husband had a project in Santo Domingo that kept us there for six months…it was a wonderful experience for both of us.
It’s hardly surprising you were slightly worried about wasakaka as it doesn’t exactly sound Spanish. My worst ordeal was ordering Tête de veau à la vinaigrette in Paris! Awful. Anyway, as parsley season is here I might have to try this. Especially as I’m keen on chimichurri.
How could the most beloved party dish in all of Northern Europe be ‘awful’ 🙂 ? Brawn or head cheese being its other names it is surely the most beautiful and tasty buffet inclusion everyone in all of Scandinavia, Germany, all of Eastern Europe etc in addition to France would cherish! I cannot imagine myself or any of my friends putting this anywhere but the first place on a menu and it is included in all royal ones! Please try again!!! Next you may say you do not eat kidneys, liver, sweetbreads or blood sausages/patties either ?
Hi Johnny, It is so nice to hear from you…you’ve been missed! Yes, I really had no idea what to expect…wasakaka is a strange name. I do think that you would enjoy this recipe with tender fresh parsley that is now available in the markets.
Eha, Even though you and Johnny may disagree about Tête de veau à la vinaigrette, I always enjoy when everyone shares their food experiences. We all have different tastes and preferences when it comes to food. In my opinion, that is what makes the food world so interesting.
Hi Karen, chimichurri is such a perfect accompaniment to chicken, I know I would love this dish. When traveling local mom and pop places are my favorite places to eat, sounds like you found a winner.
Hi Cheri, We did find a winner and walked to that little restaurant often. I’m glad you like the dish, thank you for your compliment.
That is such a funny word! I’m no expert on Latin American words, but it really sounds made up! But it looks and sounds wonderful!!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Mimi, I don’t know the origin of the name but agree it is funny. You can find pollo con wasakaka all over the Dominican Republic, it’s very popular. I’m glad you like the dish, thank you for your nice compliment.
A simple sauce with few ingredients, colorful and is delicious, my kind of sauce. I was surprised to see Russian potato salad? What’s the connection?
Hi Norma, I’m glad you like the sauce, it is good. The Russian potato salad is probably the most popular salad in the Dominican Republic and it is usually served at all celebrations. I do know that it is a Russian dish but I have no idea of how it made its way to the island.
Veal brains – that was a near miss! I remember eating in an Austrian restaurant, and our non-English speaking waitress performing a pantomime to tell us there was venison on the menu!
I was lucky that the chef came out, wasn’t I Beth. I’ve had a few instances in Austria as well…a waiter was trying to tell me about mountain goat being a special of the evening and I thought he was trying to tell me it was lamb. I liked the goat but it was tougher than lamb but that is understandable since they climb those high mountains. 😀
I love citrus anything my friend. I can literally just taste the flavors in my mouth! Thank you so much for sharing this! ♥
I agree with you Didi, I’m crazy about citrus. The lime in this sauce gives it a nice sweet tartness. I’m glad you like the recipe, thank you.
This sounds delicious, a great combination of flavours and really colourful too.
Hi Caroline, I appreciate your visit and the nice compliment. I’m happy to know that you like the recipe, thank you.
All great flavors with chicken, and I love the simplicity of it as spring approaches here in the Rockies. Sounds fresh and delicious. 🙂
Thank you Judy, for your nice compliment. Some of the best meals are the simplest…the green sauce really adds a nice flavor to the grilled chicken.
That would be a winner in our house .. Sounds and looks delish 😃
I’m glad you like the chicken recipe, Julie…it is simple and tasty. Thank you for your compliment.
I do like new recipes for chicken and will try this one. The Wasakaka sounds easy to make and makes an nice accompaniment to the chicken.
Hi Donna, I hope you like the dish and you are right, the wasakaka sauce is very easy to make and adds lots of flavor.
I seriously started craving grilled chicken! Your description of the setting and food made the recipe come alive. A wonderful grilling idea, we are on the cusp of sunny days!
I appreciate your nice compliment Deb, I’m glad that you enjoyed the post. Hopefully you will be out grilling soon. 🙂
I feel your pain in deciphering menus and trying to communicate my needs every day. It is exhausting sometimes but we certainly find and discover some delicious new treats. I have not tried chimichurri sauce on chicken but with grilling season well on its way this is going to be a handy recipe. I hope you are doing well.
Hi Bam, I was in Hong Kong years ago and know exactly what you mean. I’m happy to know that you like the recipe and appreciate your compliment and wish. Yes, I’m well but life has been hectic lately with back to back house guests over the last two months. 🙂
Great to learn of this sauce! I’d love to visit the Dominican Republic, but I’ll be happy to make this at home until I can plan a trip.
Hi Lisa, We loved our time in the DR, living in Santo Domingo was a wonderful experience. Now that we are living in Florida again, perhaps we will return for a short visit. I’m glad that you like the sauce recipe, it adds lots of flavor to simple grilled food. Thank you!
Looks very tasty, Karen. I always seem to arrive here at meal times. 🙂 I’ve got mince in the oven and Yorkshire Puddings tonight. Off to the Algarve tomorrow and a bit of a rest from cooking. 🙂
Thank you for your nice compliment, Jo. Your dinner sounds great too. Have a safe trip and enjoy!
Thank you for introducing us to this mouthwatering Dominican dish. I had no idea wasakaka sauce was similar to chimichurri. Living and learning!
You are very welcome, Denise. Isn’t it nice that our blog world introduces us to new ideas and information. I’m glad that you enjoyed the post, thank you.
Dear Karen, when travelling it is indeed always a challenge to try and understand the different kinds of dishes on the menu but at the same time, it is always a bit of an adventure too – and your recipe today sounds fabulous, almost like the one I like to serve with my grilled chicken with lemons and lots of herbs from the garden and good olive oil…
Thank you Andrea, I’m glad you like the recipe. I totally agree with you about eating being part of the adventure while traveling. I do have to say that my biggest challenges have been with the menus in your wonderful country of Germany. Since we have traveled there so many time, I’m getting better at figuring out what somethings on the menu are but boy am I happy when I can get a translated menu. 😀
This wasakaka sauce sounds so delicious! I have guests for one week tomorrow. It will be great to make this terrific sauce for them. Thanks for sharing:)
Thank you Zaza, I’m happy to know that you like the sauce and want to share it with your guests. We’ve had lots of out of town guests for the last couple of months and it is fun cooking for them. I hope everyone will enjoy the sauce.
This chicken looks delicious, and yes, the sauce is the perfect combination…thanks for this awesome recipe Karen.
Have a wonderful week 🙂
I’m glad that you like the recipe, Juliana. This chicken really does taste delicious with the sauce. Thank you, I hope you have a nice week as well.
This wasakaka sounds like a great sauce. However I just love saying the word! Kind of just rolls off your tongue!
Hi Abbe, I know what you mean about saying the word wasakaka and it is a good sauce. 🙂
Wow! This chicken sounds wonderful. I love the sauce, it sounds perfect for the chicken.
Thank you Dawn,the wasakaka sauce does go well with the chicken.
This souns really good. I’m eager to try it.
Thank you Jeff, I do hope you enjoy the wasakaka sauce…it goes well with so many foods.
I’m always looking for easy to pair sauces that can complement a simple dish and this is one I want to remember. I would totally see this placed in the middle of a table during a barbecue. I would probably go for your less watery version as I like it when it’s a little thicker.
Hi Didi, The wasakaka would be terrific as a side to serve at a barbecue. Enjoy!
What a fun story behind this one, Karen! I’ve totally been in the same position not knowing exactly what I’m ordering. Good think you lucked out on this one! 🙂
Hi David, I’m glad you enjoyed the story about pollo con wasakaka…I did luck out with that order. Thank you for your visit and nice comment.
LOL, I know exactly what you mean. I’ve been in that position before and it is scary. Using a foreign dictionary you think it would be easy but you never know what you’ll get! This dish look delicious and I would feel so relieved to have this put in front of me. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Emily, You are right, even if you travel with a dictionary ordering food can be difficult at times. I’m glad you like the recipe…thank you.
I was wondering the same thing! I think I’d be an instant fan of wasakaka—especially if it was served with your chicken 🙂
Hi Liz, Just going by the name you would not have any idea what wasakaka was. 😀 The sauce definitely adds lots of flavor to the chicken.
Beautiful! Love the flavors in this dish.
Thank you Julie, I’m glad you like the pollo con wasakaka recipe.
What a beautiful dish, my husband would go ga ga for it! I especially love that green sauce, that’s something I can fall in love with!
Thank you for your nice compliment, Pam. The green sauce adds lots of flavor to many foods.
mmm. . . This looks incredible. The chicken with the lime, parsley, and spice sauce sounds wonderful.
Hi Sheryl, I’m glad you like the recipe, it is a simple but flavorful dish. Thank you for your nice compliment.
I often order something on a menu I don’t understand, just to learn a new word or two. However, I would not have been happy with veal brains!
Hi Tandy, It is fun to discover new foods but I’m with you about veal brains. 😀
This looks and sounds wonderful!
Thank you for your nice compliment, Debbie.
Good for you, Karen, for recreating a recipe you enjoyed! Love the name and it looks delicious!
Hi Barbara, The wasakaka is a nice sauce to have in your repertoire…thank you.
This sounds like such a great dish–I love the flavors in that green sauce! I’m a big fan of salsa verde, so I know I’d love it!
Thank you Nancy, If you like salsa verde, I’m sure you would enjoy wasakaka sauce.
The restaurant you describe is exactly the sort of places I seek out when I travel. I’ll have to give wasakaka a try too. GREG
Hi Greg, This was a very popular restaurant with the locals and after our first visit we knew why. The chicken with wasakaka sauce was delicious.
How delicious, Karen! I’ve had chimichurri, but not wasakaka – this looks like a wonderful pairing.
Thank you Ksenia, If you like chimichurri then I think you would like this recipe.
ha, what a fun name!! Looks delicious!
Jenna
HI Jenna, It is a fun name and the chicken turns out great with the sauce. Thank you for your compliment.
I’ve never heard of this dish but it sounds great and now I have a recipe for it thanks to you Karen! 😀
Hi Lorraine, For being so popular in the Dominican Republic, I don’t think it is well know out of the country. I’m glad you like the recipe, thank you.
I love the flavor of chimichurri sauce, so I’m certain I would savor wasakaka too! Tasty addition to grilled chicken!
Hi Sandra, The sauce is similar to chimichurri and does add a lot of flavor to chicken.
Oh what a wonderful dish you’ve presented here….Loved the Dominican and this dish so is reminiscent of our vacation there a few years ago.
Thank you for your nice compliment, Loretta. I’m glad that the post brought back nice memories of your vacation.
I really like the parsley and oregano. I am looking forward to making it. The colours are bright and vibrant.
Hi Eva, I’m glad you like the wasakaka recipe and appreciate your nice compliment.
That restaurant’s rotisserie chicken sounds absolutely delicious – I love the idea that patrons were offered a choice of white or dark chicken. The sauce seems easy to make so I will use your recipe. And it’s healthy too – an added bonus. 😉
Hi B, I don’t know why more chicken restaurants don’t give us a choice. The sauce is a good addition and after tasting it, I knew why the restaurant was so popular with the locals.
This sounds delicious. I love chimichuri, I bet wasakaka would be very tasty.
Thank you Jason, If you like chimichurri sauce then I’m sure you would enjoy the wasakaka sauce as well.
Parsley with a bit of lime and oregano? Sounds great! I keep on wanting to pronounce the sauce “Wasaka sauce” (sounds Japanese), but I’ll have to add the extra syllable!
Hi Fran, Yes…without that extra syllable it does sound Japanese. 🙂 I’m glad you like the sauce, thank you.
This looks deeeelicious, I thought Wasakaka was some sort of food in Japan!! I have no ideas why I linked it to the Japanese cuisine :))))
Hi Amira, You are the second person to think this was a Japanese dish. 😀
I’m such a sucker for home-made dishes like this one… Totally awesome! Love the oregano addition!
Thank you Marcela, for your nice compliment. I’m happy that you like the recipe. The fresh oregano does make it a little different from other green sauces.
That looks and sounds delicious, Karen. I love anything with citrus flavors and the green sauce definitely reminds me of chimichurri, although I’ve never tried it with oregano. Those black beans caught my eye too, the red and green make it look spicy!
Thank you Jan, for your nice compliment. The oregano does change the flavors up…I think that is the big difference between it and chimichurri. I’m glad you like the looks of the black beans, my husband enjoys them a lot.
I can see why you ordered this several times. What a great looking dish! One can never go wrong with a chimichurri sauce and chicken.
You are right MJ, a fresh herb sauce like this does give extra flavor to chicken. Thank you for your nice compliment.
Hi Karen, I love that I can always take away something easy to try on my family! The lime and parsley and oregano (with garlic of course) sounds delicious to use for a marinade. I can’t wait to try it! 🙂
I appreciate your kind words, Dana…thank you. I do feel that my recipes are easy and I’m glad you like the wasakaka sauce.
Good Morning Karen,
This looks and sounds wonderful! I have plenty of fresh herbs to use and the sauce looks great!
Jemma
Thank you for your nice compliment, Jemma. Since you have lots of nice herbs this is a perfect sauce for you to try.
Incredible!
I started blogging this month, and it is a pleasure that I came across your blog.
It has inspired me to start my next article.
Thank you:)
Thank you for stopping by for a visit and your lovely compliment. It is much appreciated.
I was just reading some of the comments above and noticed that your chef made the special effort to ask you if you knew what you had ordered when ordering the veal brains…I’ve had it before but not for many, many years. My mom used to pan fry them and for some reason, they always reminded me of soft-cooked scrambled eggs, or perhaps she had paired it with scrambled eggs. I know it was a delicacy — I doubt I could stomach it today.
The wasakaka looks wonderful with the chicken. I love how simple ingredients are elevated when combined.
Hi Eva, Yes, I thought it was very thoughtful of the chef to come out from his kitchen to ask me if I realized what I had ordered. Your description of the consistency of the cooked brains is what I’ve heard before…not something I think I would like. Now wasakaka on the other hand is something I think most everyone would like. 🙂
Even if I had no idea what it meant i’d order this dish straight away! It has such a joyful sounding name! And from what I see it mus taste fantastic. My parsley is growing like crazy and this sauce looks so good, I must try it one day too. I wish we had nice sunny weather… it’s the coldest spring I remember in Switzerland… I’m joking we have a second autumn now 😉 Thank you for sharing with us some of the Dominican cuisine probably most of us know nothing about.
(By the way, I had lots of similar adventures in Tokyo and even now, though I read Japanese a bit, I still have big surprises…luckily, until now there hasn’t been anything I would hate about Japanese cuisine, so I’m confident even when not sure what I order).
Hi Sissi, If you’ve got lots of parsley, then the wasakaka sauce would be a good way to use some of it. You are right, I don’t think too many people are familiar with Dominica cooking. What I liked about ordering food in Japan when I was there years ago was the fake plates of food that helped you know what you were getting. 🙂
Your description of what went through your mind when you read the name of this dish on the menu made me smile 🙂 The sauce sounds so full of fresh and bright flavors I know I’d love it! Congratulations for a great rendition of a dish you enjoyed.
Thank you for your nice compliment Susan, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. You described the sauce perfectly…it adds so much to the taste of the chicken.
What a marvelous sauce, and I personally like it because it is so light and versatile.
Thank you for sharing and also for dropping by. I love to cook, so I will be following you and your adventures too!
J.
I appreciate your lovely compliment, Jemma and I’m happy to hear that you will be following along on my adventures. I’ll be heading to the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival in a couple of weeks, hopefully the weather will be good so that I can share photos from the event with everyone.
The name wasakaka sounds interesting and I’m so glad you gave it a try – now I’m learning something new from you! It looks delicious and so good with either chicken or steaks!
Thank you for your nice compliment Jasline, One of the nice things about blogging is all the new things we learn about. I’m glad you like the wasakaka sauce, it is a tasty addition for chicken, steaks and fish.
All the ingredients are something I like so I’m sure it is delicious!
Hi Elizabeth, The name may be strange but the ingredients are all ones most people like. The sauce goes well with many foods, I’m glad you like the recipe.
looks great love Dominican food
Looks so comforting and delicious!! And that sauce?! I Need 😀
Hi Kiran, This is another comment of yours that had ended up in my spam file. Thank you for your nice compliment. I’m sure you would enjoy the sauce.
Thank you for the compliment Rebecca. I’m glad to know that you enjoy Dominican food, we certainly did have some good meals when we lived there.
Great post! As previous comments have said, the green sauce is similar to Argentine Chimichurri – except that it is to steak in Argentina as ketchup is to French fries here. My daughter lived there for a year and every now and then I try to duplicate it! Your chicken looks delicious, definitely looking forward to trying it!
Dear Karen, we seem to do similar things 🙂 Awesome Blog!!! I am happy that i found your website and will follow from now. 🙂 Best wishes ,Michael