Here is a recipe for “low and slow” New Mexican chicken that uses chicken thighs cooked in a richly flavorful chili sauce. It was influenced by Mexican carne adovada. The chicken is simply browned on one side so that the Maillard reaction can give flavor to the meal. As it simmers, the chicken will finish cooking and develop a rich color. Serve with tacos of soft corn, cheese crumbles, onion, cilantro, and lime wedges. Feel free to eat various toppings if you prefer them!
| Prep Time: | 45 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 45 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
Ingredients
- 4 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 4 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 3 dried pitted dates
- ¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
- salt to taste
- 8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
- ¼ cup sliced red onion (Optional)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (Optional)
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese (Optional)
- 8 lime wedges, for garnish (Optional)
Instructions
- Lightly toast peppers on the bare surface of a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring, until the peppers begin to have a toasted aroma, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
- Add chicken stock, orange juice concentrate, vinegar, dates, and chipotle peppers. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
- Using a stick blender, puree the pepper mixture until smooth.
- Add bay leaves, cumin, and oregano to pepper sauce; leave sauce on low simmer while preparing chicken.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add in chicken pieces all at once; allow to cook undisturbed until browned, about 8 minutes. Add browned chicken to the pepper sauce.
- Cook onion slices in the same skillet until beginning to brown slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
- Add skillet contents to the chicken and pepper sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover partially with a tilted lid to allow some liquid to evaporate. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is fall-apart tender, about 1 hour. Season to taste with salt.
- To serve, spoon into corn tortillas, and serve with sliced red onions, cilantro, cheese, and lime wedges.
- If you use a regular blender, fill the blender halfway full with the hot pepper sauce; cover and hold lid down with a potholder. Pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Repeat with the remaining sauce.
Reviews
This is a new favorite. So delicious and authentic tasting. I did tweak it a little bit based on what we had at home. I used ancho and guajillo chiles. I used 4T tamarind paste and 4 drops of monkfruit extract instead of the vinegar, orange juice and dates. (It makes a similar flavor combo.) And I added more onions, and also mushrooms. Then we chopped up the chicken and used it in burritos with the sauce and veggies. It was amazing! Better than at most restaurants.