Name: Spanish Steak or Spanish Chicken
Ingredients: 2 1/2 lbs steak, tenderized, cut into single serving sizes or 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into single serving sizes; 2 (15 ounces) cans tomatoes, crushed (1 Mexican Style like Rotele and 1 Regular Tomatoes); 1 (15 ounces) can tomato sauce; 1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped; 1/2 cup onions, Chopped; 1-2 jalapeno, seeded, chopped (if desired)

Why it works: Tomato and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,923 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Spanish Steak or Spanish Chicken

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs steak, tenderized, cut into single serving sizes or 4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into single serving sizes
2 (15 ounces) cans tomatoes, crushed (1 Mexican Style like Rotele and 1 Regular Tomatoes)
1 (15 ounces) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
1/2 cup onions, Chopped
1-2 jalapeno, seeded, chopped (if desired)

Directions

Spray a deep skillet with cooking spray.
Brown the meat with salt, pepper, and seasoning salt to taste.
Add the rest.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

520Calories

61 gProtein

20 gFat

22 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 6 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Beef	100g cooked	250
Chicken	100g cooked	165
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Bell Pepper	1 medium (119g)	31
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,923 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together20,633 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Chicken + tomatotop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together6,031 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Chicken + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,814 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
Tomato + jalapenotop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together1,291 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Steak or chicken breasts: Provides the main protein; browning the surface adds savory flavor and color.
Crushed tomatoes: Adds moisture and acidity that form the sauce base and help tenderize the meat as it cooks.
Tomato sauce: Thickens the liquid and adds body and tomato flavor to the sauce.
Bell peppers: Contribute fresh, slightly sweet, vegetal flavor and some texture to the sauce.
Onions: Add aroma and sweetness as they soften in the sauce.

The step that matters

Browning the meat. Meat that is crowded or wet in the pan releases moisture and steams instead of browning. Browning in batches over steady heat builds the deep, savory flavors that the sauce later carries.

Swap the jalapeno

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, tomato, sauce, pepper, onion):

Garlicfits better
Cuminfits better
Thymefits better
Jalapenothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, tomato, sauce, pepper, onion. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Spanish Steak or Spanish Chicken