Mexican Shredded Chicken

Shredded chicken breast tossed in a killer Mexican sauce, loaded with smokey chipotle flavours. It’s easy, takes 5 minutes to prepare and you can make it in the slow cooker, pressure cooker or on the stove (directions provided for all). Use it for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, soup, on rice, quesadillas, sliders – the possibilities are endless!

I know there are a gazillion Mexican chicken recipes out there in this big-wide-cyber-world. I’m throwing my hat into the ring because I think this is a little different to most.

The thing that {I think!} distinguishes this chicken recipe from many others is the sauce. The smoky, mildly spicy red sauce that is the end result of a handful of ingredients that are thrown into the slow cooker. See? Look. Dinner in three easy steps:

1. Chuck ingredients in slow cooker (or pressure cooker or saucepan);
2. Shred chicken, whizz liquid to transform into thick sauce;
3. Serve and look like a champ. (I like this step the best).

A key ingredient in this recipe is Chipotles in Adobo Sauce. To me, this is to Mexican cooking what soy sauce is to Asian cooking. Well, not soy sauce. More like oyster sauce or hoisin sauce. Because Adobo Sauce has a lot more complex flavours than soy sauce.

It comes in a can and is dried chipotles in a thick smokey, tangy, spicy, slightly sweet red sauce. It’s not expensive, about $3 – and freezes great! I put it in small ziplock bags and break bits off as required. Brush onto meat and grill it, add it into sauces – it’s like a secret weapon for a quick blast of Mexican flavour.

Though common throughout the US, it’s not yet mainstream in Australia (i.e. not at Coles, Woolworths), but I’m 20000% confident it will be in the near future as more and more people are discovering it’s magic power. I’ve listed places I know that sell it in the recipe (in Australia).

This is what it looks like.

Aside from the gorgeous, rich red sauce, you may have noticed that the shredded chicken has beautiful crispy brown bits. Let me be clear – this does not and cannot happen from cooking in the sauce! I do an extra, optional step of browning the chicken.

I really think this extra step is worth it because the browned parts are the best bits!! The caramelisation adds flavour and texture, plus it makes the massive pile of chicken even more enticing, don’t you think??

Actually, because I usually make this ahead, frying up the shredded chicken is not really an extra step because it’s how I reheat it. 🙂

This Mexican Shredded Chicken is ridiculously versatile, just like my Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas, one of the most popular recipes here on RecipeTin Eats (with good reason! 😉 ). Here are a few ideas:

• Tacos – with all your favourite trimmings. This might be my favourite way…Here’s my Guacamole recipe and Pico de Gallo, in case you want them. 🙂
• Enchiladas, Burritos, Sliders, Quesadillas, Taco Stack, Taco Soup, Enchilada Soup
• With Mexican Green Cilantro / Coriander Rice, or make a Mexican Red Rice

You have the option to serve this with the chicken tossed in the sauce, or to serve the sauce on the side, like in the photo below. I don’t have a preference for either, it really depends on the occasion, who I’m feeding (clearly not vegetarians), and how long I think the chicken will be sitting around for. If I think the chicken is going to be out for a while, I usually toss it in the sauce because it keeps the chicken nice and moist (chicken breast has a tendency to dry out quickly when it cools) without losing too much crispiness.

I really think I should sign off here. This post is getting long. Have you ever met anyone before who can write over 1,000 words about a Mexican chicken? No? Well, now you have. 🙂 – Nagi x

P.S. Oh, just in case you need another eyeful of the chicken tossed in the sauce, here you go. Wipe your chin and get into your kitchen!

4.92 from 25 votes

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Mexican Shredded Chicken

Prep

10 mins

Cook

4 hrs

Total

4 hrs 10 mins

 

5 minutes prep is all that's required for this shredded chicken tossed in a smokey, mildly spicy red sauce that's loaded with flavour. Make this in your slow cooker, pressure cooker or on the stove - directions provided for all!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 5 - 6

Calories: 297 kcal

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Chicken & Sauce

• 1.5 lb / 750g chicken breast , skinless boneless (~3 halves)
• 1/2 cup Chipotles in Adobo Sauce (4 chillies + sauce) (Note 1)
• 14 oz / 400g can crushed tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 1 tsp EACH dried oregano , cumin powder and onion powder (or garlic powder)
• 2 tsp sugar (any)
• 3/4 tsp salt (Note 2)
• Pepper

To Finish

• 3 tbsp olive oil (Note 3)
• 2 tbsp lime juice

Instructions

Cook Chicken

1. Slow Cooker: Place Chicken & Sauce ingredients in the slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on low. The chicken is ready when it can be shredded easily with 2 forks but it should NOT be mushy (i.e. overcooked).
2. Pressure cooker: 35 minutes on high.
3. Stove: Place Chicken & Sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and add 1 cup water. Simmer covered on medium low for 40 - 50 minutes, turning chicken occasionally, until chicken can be shredded with 2 forks.

Sauce

1. Remove chicken and shred. Set aside.
2. Add lime juice (to taste) and 1 tbsp olive oil to the sauce. Use a stick blender (or transfer to blender) to puree the sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. You should have about 2 cups of sauce.

Brown Chicken

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add 1/3 to 1/2 the chicken and fry until dark golden brown on one side, flip and cook the other side very briefly (don't brown), then remove. Use 1 tbsp oil for each batch you fry.

To Serve

1. Toss chicken in the sauce OR serve it on the side.
2. Use for tacos (guacamole and Pico de Gallo, enchiladas, burritos, on green Mexican rice, quesadillas, sliders, on tostadas.

Notes

1. Chipotles in Adobo Sauce is to Mexican cooking what soy sauce is to Asian cooking. It is dried chipotle chillies in a flavoured red sauce that is quite spicy. You can find Chipotles in Adobo in the canned goods aisle in most supermarkets in the US (its widely available there). In Australia, it is sold at Harris Farms, Thomas Dux, The Essential Ingredient in Rozelle (Sydney), Fiji Market in Newtown (Sydney), some Asian groceries and online from Firework Foods. I'm sure it's available at other speciality stores too, they are just the ones I know.

Do a taste test to check for spiciness because brands can differ, though the brands I use in Australia are fairly similar. The ones I use are spicy but not "blow your head off" spicy. If yours is "blow your head off" spicy, you may want to use less. But note that the spiciness loses it's edge overnight!

Leftovers freeze perfectly - I pop it in small ziplock bags, flatten it out and it's easy to break a bit off to use as needed.

If you really can't find Chipotles in Adobo Sauce but are still keen to try this dish, use 1 1/2 tbsp chipotle powder + 2 tsp SMOKED paprika powder + 1/4 cup sriracha (YES, really, it's pretty close to Adobo Sauce when combined with chipotle and paprika) in place of the Chipotles in Adobo Sauce.

2. I use table salt. If you use kosher or sea salt flakes, use an extra 1/2 tsp.

3. Use 1 tbsp for each batch of chicken pan fried.

4. The chicken drops a lot of juice while cooking so there will be plenty of liquid in the slow cooker / pressure cooker. For the stove top, extra water is added so it ends up with the same amount of sauce at the end.

5. TO STORE: This makes lots because it keeps well and it's a bit hard to make the Sauce with less chicken. It keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator. To freeze, I shred the chicken and freeze it separate from the sauce before pan frying. Defrost, then pan fry the chicken per the recipe, reheat sauce separately.

6. This makes enough for around 15 to 20 tacos, serving around 5 to 6 people (3 tacos per person).

7. Nutrition per serving, chicken and sauce only (not tortilla wrap and toppings), assuming 6 servings.

Oh – and just in case you’re after PORK rather than chicken, here is a little peek at my PORK CARNITAS. Oi. So good. Check out those crunchy brown bits sparkling with the gorgeous flavoured juices!