Slow Cooked Mexican Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs with bone and skin free range best
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, halved then sliced into ¼-inch thick half-moons
- 1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded then sliced into ¼-inch strips
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Garnishes
- sprouted corn tortillas
- tortilla chips
- shredded cheddar cheese
- avocado
- sour cream
- hot sauce
Instructions
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Trim away excess skin and fat from chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large dutch oven or stovetop-safe slow cooker insert over medium heat on stovetop. Add chicken and lightly brown on both sides – the amount of time isn’t important, but target about 10 minutes. Remove chicken to plate and set aside. (If you have lots of chicken thighs or a small pan, you may need to brown the chicken in batches - just remove browned thighs to a plate and carry on until you have them all browned.)
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Add a fresh tablespoon of olive oil to pan, add onions and red bell pepper strips, cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the browned chicken and any accumulated juices to the veggies. Add seasonings and chicken broth. Transfer insert to slow cooker, cover and cook on low heat setting for 4 hours. (If using a dutch oven, lid on and simmer gently on stovetop, 30 – 40 minutes.)When chicken is cooked and falling off the bone, transfer chicken pieces to a cutting board using a slotted spoon. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
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Return the dutch oven or slow cooker insert to the stovetop, and boil the remaining liquid to reduce slightly and concentrate the flavors.Remove and discard the skin and bone from each piece of chicken. Chop or shred the meat, return it to the sauce, and you’re ready to serve.
Recipe Notes / Tips
- If your slow cooker has a ceramic insert that is not stovetop-safe (traditional crock pots were often made this way), brown the chicken and cook the veggies in a separate pan then transfer to your crock pot/slow cooker. (The heat of the stove top will crack inserts that were not made for stove top cooking.)
- Try it with this salad: arugula and radicchio dressed with lemon vinaigrette (basic formula here, just leave out the shallot and vinegar, use all lemon juice and olive oil), grapefruit segments, avocado, and toasted pumpkin seeds.
