from my kitchen to yours.

Latin Chicken

This is one of my favorite dishes to make in my crockpot. Well, if I’m being honest, it’s one of the only things I use my crockpot for. I’ll get better at using this slow cooker one day, but for now I thought I’d share some delicious love.  This recipe makes enough for 6 people, so feel free to adjust it to meet your liking. Personally, I make about as much, just with less chicken, and munch on it for a few days. You can always freeze some and break it out later.

What you’ll need:

A crockpot – preferably one that’s at least 6 quarts.

3 pounds of bone-in skinless chicken thighs (Dark meat will enrich the flavor and the meat will end up more tender if you use a thigh cut. Personally, I use 2 -3 large chicken breasts).

2 teaspoons of ground cumin

1 teaspoon mild curry (my own addition – it adds some spice)

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (my own addition)

1 cup chicken broth

1 can Rotel (I grabbed the Mexican type with peppers, lime and cilantro. Rotel is great because you can make it as spicy as you’d like)

3 cloves garlic, crushed (Let’s be real – can you have too much garlic? Add to your taste)

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drain (I make my own beans – it’s cheaper and healthier)

2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and chunked (Generally, two large potatoes are plenty)

1 jarred roasted red pepper, cut into strips (about 1 cup)

1 lime

1/3 c loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped (I just toss in some dry cilantro and it works great, too).

What you’ll do:

Combine ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, ½ teaspoon curry and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.  Sprinkle the chicken with the spice mix, rub, and then brown in a non-stick skillet until well browned on both sides. It takes about 10 minutes – don’t overdo it though – because then the chicken will be tough! Browning the outside of the chicken seals in some moisture and keeps the meat tender in the slow cooker.

Remove the skillet from heat. In a small saucepan, or the same skillet you used for the chicken, combine the rest of the spices, the chicken broth, garlic and Rotel tomatoes.

In your crockpot, throw in the beans and the sweet potatoes. Place the chicken on top and pour the broth mixture over the chicken. Top with roasted red pepper. You can even squeeze ½-1 lime over the mixture to add in a citrus kick. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

Top with cilantro and serve.

This dish is full of protein, beta carotene, and fiber. It’s super flavorful, and after 15 minutes of prep work you can have your dinner cook while you go about your day. It’s great to serve with some tortilla chips and homemade guac, too! You could even skip the chicken and go vegetarian by adding some garbanzo beans and more tomatoes/peppers.

Happy Wednesday.

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