Chicken Green Chile Tacos

Ingredients

• 2 green chiles (Preferably Hatch or Anaheim; substitute 1 poblano pepper and 1 wax pepper if unavailable.)
• 2 medium tomatillos (Husks removed and split in half.)
• 1 small yellow onion (Peeled and split in half.)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (Divided.)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (Roughly chopped; divide between the salsa and onion-cilantro mixture.)
• kosher salt (To taste.)
• freshly ground black pepper (To taste, if desired.)
• 4 limes (Use about 2 limes for 2 tablespoons juice; the remainder is for serving.)
• 2 lb chicken thighs (Bone in and skin on.)
• 1 cup water (For deglazing and braising.)
• 1 small white onion (Minced, for serving.)
• 16 warm corn tortillas (Use 16 to 24 tortillas.)
• pickled red onions (1 batch, for serving.)
• 0.5 cup queso cotija or Jack cheese (Grated, for serving.)
• 1 avocado (Sliced, for serving.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the broiler to high and position the rack 5 to 6 inches below the heating element.

2. 2

   Place the green chiles, tomatillos, yellow onion, and garlic in a medium bowl. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil.

3. 3

   Arrange the vegetables on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until completely tender and charred on all sides, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes total.

4. 4

   When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel the chiles and remove their stems and seeds.

5. 5

   Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add half of the chopped cilantro and process on high speed until smooth.

6. 6

   Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice, squeezed from about 2 of the limes. Season the green salsa to taste with kosher salt, then set it aside.

7. 7

   While the vegetables broil, heat the remaining vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering.

8. 8

   Place the chicken thighs in the Dutch oven skin-side down. Cook without moving until the first side is well browned, about 6 minutes.

9. 9

   Flip the chicken and brown the second side for about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

10. 10

    Pour off the excess fat from the Dutch oven. Add 1 cup water and deglaze the pot, scraping the browned bits from the bottom.

11. 11

    Transfer the green vegetable purée to the Dutch oven and stir it with the water to combine.

12. 12

    Nestle the browned chicken thighs into the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce it to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is completely tender, about 30 minutes.

13. 13

    Remove the chicken from the sauce and place it on a plate to cool.

14. 14

    When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.

15. 15

    Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and bring it back to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is thick and saucy, then season with salt and pepper if desired.

16. 16

    Combine the minced white onion with the remaining chopped cilantro in a bowl.

17. 17

    Serve the chicken in warm corn tortillas with the onion-cilantro mixture, pickled red onions, grated cheese, and sliced avocado.

Notes

The source lists 4 to 6 servings while the structured yield is 6; this extraction uses 6 servings. Cooling time is approximately 5 minutes. The amount of pickled red onions is given only as 1 batch, without a recipe or weight.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Mexican
• tacos
• braised
• spicy
• gluten-free
• family-style