This Spicy Mexican Chicken makes a delicious base for tacos, quesadillas, burritos and much more!
I love Mexican food! Well, I really just love food, however Mexican is definitely one of my favorites. Chips and guacamole with a nice pomegranate margarita taste so good…..not really good for my waistline though! And have I mentioned that in addition to my “eat more veggies” mission, I’m also on a mission to lose weight and get more fit? Not always the easiest thing when food is a big focus in your life. So, when I make Mexican at home, I try to be at least a little bit healthy, and this spicy Mexican chicken is a great base for many things. I often make at the beginning of the week to have on hand for quick dinners or lunches. I throw it into quesadillas, burritos, my version of a Burrito Bowl and even salads.
Just like when you are cooking with wine, use a beer that you would drink. I prefer an Amber Ale, usually Fat Tire, as that’s what I typically have on hand.
I love this recipe because it’s a one-pot deal; once the chicken is cooked you just get rid of the liquid and put the shredded chicken back in the pot to mix. Limited cleanup…who doesn’t like that?! You can use fresh cilantro in place of dried, however, I find it gets a little soggy if you are keeping this to use later, which is why I put the dried version in the recipe. This is definitely a great base for many easy weeknight meals!
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Spicy Mexican Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
This Spicy Mexican Chicken makes a delicious base for tacos, quesadillas, burritos and much more!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 smashed garlic cloves
- ½ of a yellow onion, vertically sliced
- 12 ounces beer
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- juice of one small lime
- 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place chicken through sea salt in a medium dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to simmer. Cook 20 minutes, until chicken is tender. Remove from pan and let cool slightly. Discard remaining broth etc from boiling.
- Use two forks to shred the chicken and return to pan. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and keep warm if using immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for later use.
You had me at “hips and guacamole with a nice pomegranate margarita” but this exMEmmaican chicken really does look fab. I could see it used in enchilladas, tacos, qusadillas, fajittas…the possibilities are endless 🙂
★★★★★
I have a ton of Mexican recipes that use pre-cooked chicken, but I’ve never tried making that chicken with beer. This is such a good idea. I bet the chicken comes out so moist and delicious. Pinning!
★★★★★
This is a great idea! There’s so much you can do with it!
What a great flavor combination! This would be great for so many meals. 🙂