Braised Ranchero Chicken Recipes

BRAISED PAPRIKA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine kosher salt, paprika, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pat chicken dry and rub the mixture all over. Place a 3-to 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When it smokes, add chicken, skin side down, and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and repeat on second side.
• Transfer chicken to a plate and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Return to stove on medium heat, add onions, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until golden and softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add potatoes and broth and scrape the pan to incorporate any browned bits. Add chicken, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and cover.
• Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Add chicken, turn to moisten in sauce, and serve.

BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients and heat the oven to 300 F.
• Dry the chicken well with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until it's crispy and the fat has rendered out. Remove and set aside.
• Add 1 breast (skin-side down), 1 thigh (skin-side down), 1 drumstick, and 1 wing. Brown the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes, then remove to a platter and repeat with the other 4 pieces. Finally, brown the backbone, skin-side down, and remove.
• Add the onion, leek , and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and boil, scraping any roasted bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato paste.
• Return the chicken and bacon to the pot. Add the chicken stock or water. Season with salt (if needed). Add the rosemary and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for one hour, or until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 165 F . Remove the lid and let the chicken cool in the pot for 15 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN RANCHERO

Steps:

• Saute chicken over medium heat,in olive oil about 5 minutes.
• Add onions and continue cooking until chicken is done and onions are soft (about 10 more minutes).
• Add garlic, green chiles and broth.
• Bring to boiling.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
• Stir in salsa.
• Bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Gently fold in cubed cheddar cheese.
• Serve immediately over beds of rice.

BRAISED RANCHERO CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the ranchero sauce: On a gas range or under a broiler, roast the green, red and poblano peppers until well charred. Let cool. Stem and seed the charred peppers. Coarsely chop and set aside.
• In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, finely grind the whole guajillo and pasilla chiles and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, covered, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the guajillo and pasilla chiles, cumin, chili powder, oregano, thyme, black pepper, salt and garlic. Stir and cook until the spices become fragrant and are fully coated in oil, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, green chiles and sugar. Stir and continue to cook until the sauce starts to simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the vegetables soften and the flavors come together, 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
• For the ranchero chicken: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a small Dutch oven or medium sized roasting pan combine the chicken, stock, salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and lime juice with 2 cups of the ranchero sauce. (Reserve remaining ranchero sauce for another use.) Stir and top with the lid or seal well with aluminum foil and braise in the oven, 2 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle the chicken.
• Shred the chicken with two forks or your hands. Strain the braising liquid and add the strained solids back in with the shredded chicken. Reserve enough liquid to moisten the mixture. Return to the pan and keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
• For the tostada shells: Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a small frying pan, heat 1/2-inch oil until hot. Add 1 tortilla and cook, flipping once a minute, until crispy and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the paper towels and repeat with remaining tortillas.
• Serve the chicken on the tostada shells and top with avocado and queso fresco.