Laura’s Easy Mexican Chicken (Gluten Free)
An easy, toss together meal with ingredients that will generally be found in the pantry and refrigerator. So satisfying, whether served in bowls, burritos, or tacos. Perfect for leftovers too!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large chicken breasts
- 3/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 large celery stalks chopped small
- 1 small carrot finely minced
- 4 large cloves of garlic minced or crushed
- 1 – 7 oz can diced green chilis gf brand
- 1/2 jar, 15.7 oz. green salsa (I use medium Herdez Roasted Salsa Verde)
- 1/8 cup red salsa fresh or jarred (optional)
- 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin gf brand
- 3/4 teaspoon coriander gf brand or a few sprigs of cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano gf brand
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Gather your ingredients.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive in In a Dutch oven or large cast iron skillet. Salt and pepper the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Saute the chicken breast over medium heat, until browned on each side. Remove chicken from the pan to a bowl.
- In the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, saute the onion until translucent, with remaining salt. Add the celery and carrot and cook until the onion is slightly golden brown and the celery is almost soft. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds to one minute. Transfer the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, to a small bowl.
- Add the chicken and any juice back into the Dutch oven (or skillet). Add the cooked onion mix back to the Dutch oven (or skillet). Add one can of green chilis and the red salsa or fresh tomatoes, cumin, coriander, and oregano on top.
- After adding remaining ingredients back in, give a stir, and simmer for a minute, before covering (you can use foil if you don’t have a cover for your cast iron).
- Move to the oven or see note below for stovetop cooking. Cook for 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours, or until meat strings apart when pulled with two forks.
- Crack the lid or uncover the foil part way after about 1 hour, so that some of the liquid can evaporate. Remove from oven when meat comes apart easily. Break apart the chicken breast with two forks until it’s in small pieces.
- Note: You can also choose to cook this stovetop if you prefer. For stovetop method, simmer over very low heat, with the lid on but cracked slightly until the meat pulls apart, about 1-1/4 hours. Add more water as needed.
Notes
This is a delicious, easy, stewed Mexican chicken. Great for leftovers also, as the flavors even come together better by the following day.