Dutch Oven Mexican Chicken
Dutch Oven Mexican Chicken is an easy and convenient way to make a large batch of seasoned Mexican shredded chicken for your weekly meal prep!
Tender chicken, braised in a deliciously seasoned liquid on low heat, with just the right amount of flavor and heat! Use the savory chicken for all types of Mexican or Tex-Mex cuisine!
- This Mexican chicken recipe works great with white or dark chicken! You can use white breasts, dark thighs or a combination!
- Delicious flavor – the fresh lime juice, chili powder and Adobo sauce offer a Mexican restaurant-quality flavor and texture
Ingredients
See the full recipe and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
Two pounds of chicken (breasts, thighs or a combination of white and dark meat), chicken broth or chicken stock, ground cumin, chile powder, garlic powder, Adobo sauce, fresh lime juice, yellow or white onion, mexican oregano (or regular oregano), jalapeno (optional), fresh cilantro, salt and ground black pepper.
If you don’t have fresh lime juice, you can substitute with a little lime concentrate, orange juice or put a few orange halves in the braising liquid.
If you use chicken thighs with the skin on, you can either remove it before you put it in the pot or pull it away after the chicken has cooked. The skin gives a good, rich flavor but it’s harder to remove after the chicken is cooked…
How to make Dutch Oven Mexican Chicken
The seasonings and slow-cook braising method are what give this chicken recipe so much flavor! A great start for making the best tacos around!
- Lightly salt and pepper the chicken; If you use thighs with the skin on, you can either remove it before you put it in the large dutch oven or pull it away after it has cooked. The skin gives a good, rich flavor but it’s hard to remove after the it’s cooked…
- Add the ground spices, broth, sliced onion and Adobo sauce to the dutch oven. Note, the sauce is in the can of Chipotle peppers…if you don’t like much spice, do not include the peppers -just use the sauce.
- Place the chicken in the Dutch oven, making sure there’s plenty of liquid. Top with sliced onion and sliced jalapeno (optional), cover and cook on low for about an hour.
- Once the poultry has reached at least an internal temperature of 165°F, use tongs or a slotted spoon and remove it from the Dutch oven. Shred and return it back to the stockpot to mix in with all the juices for 30 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- You’ll find this in canned Chipotle peppers at your grocery store, either on the International aisle or the Mexican food aisle. The sauce has a bit of warm heat to it-not super spicy, but definitely a little warmth.
- The Chipotle peppers are hotter than the Adobo sauce, so…if you like spicy hot, add a small can of Chipotle peppers and the sauce.
- If you a prefer mild heat, use only a tablespoon of the sauce and don’t add the peppers
Menu Ideas for Mexican Chicken
There are so many different ways to use this delicious seasoned chicken!
- Tacos: add a big scoop of the seasoned chicken to flour tortilla or corn tortillas, top with sour cream, jalapenos, guacamole and Cotija cheese!
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Tostadas: Top a crispy corn fried tortilla along with some guacamole and salsa!
- Rice bowls: Make Easy Authentic Mexican Rice and add it, along with some avocado, chopped red onion and sour cream or Refried Beans.
- Enchiladas: place a dollop of the carnita meat and a little cheese in a softened corn tortilla; top with red enchilada sauce and bake covered!
- Pork carnitas: substitute pork for chicken in this particular recipe and follow the instructions in the recipe card below!
- This seasoned chicken works perfectly in my Sour Cream Enchilada Casserole recipe
Storage and reheating
Store the shredded chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months. To reheat, allow to come to room temperature and reheat in a saucepan on low heat. You may have to add a cup of liquid (water or chicken stock) upon reheating.
The best part of this Dutch Oven Mexican Chicken is the ease and convenience! This is also the perfect dish if you’re having a party and want to set up a Mexican food buffet!
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Dutch Oven Mexican Chicken
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken white and/or dark
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chile powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Adobo sauce (See recipe notes)
- ½ cup fresh lime juice (See recipe notes)
- ½ large onion sliced
- 1 jalapeno (optional) cut into strips
- cilantro as garnish (optional)
- salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper; set aside2 lbs chicken
- Add all ingredients into Dutch oven; stir3 cups chicken broth, 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 2 tablespoons chile powder, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 2 tablespoons Adobo sauce, ½ cup fresh lime juice
- Place chicken in braising liquid
- Top with sliced onion and jalapeno (optional)½ large onion, 1 jalapeno (optional)
- Cook on medium-low heat, covered, for about an hour, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F
- Remove chicken from Dutch oven; shred; return it to the Dutch oven and allow to cook on low for 30 minutes; use a slotted spoon to remove shredded chicken from the pot
- Season to taste with salt and peppersalt and pepper
Notes
- Dark or white meat works great in this recipe. Use boneless, skinless thighs or breasts, or use a combination of the two.
- Remove any skin before you cook the chicken (it’s easier to remove before )
- Adobo sauce is a brownish-red sauce, usually found in canned Chipotle peppers. Look for canned “Chipotle peppers” on the international or Mexican aisle of your grocer.
- It has a little heat to it, so if you do not like spicy, you can choose not to include the peppers in the recipe
- If you like heat, add the whole can of Chipotle peppers and sauce!
I have made this with beef carnitas and it is amazing!
Thank you!
I just made this in the slow cooker using carnita beef meat! I it it on warmed soft tortilla with avocado, cheese,and cilantro. I’ll make grilled peppers to go with it tomorrow!! It’s perfect!!!
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Made this Adobe Chicken and it was so easy and delicious! Made different things with it, too!! Love it!
Sounds good but I’m confused. Why do you divide the spices then not tell why?
Because I’m an idiot:) Thank you for catching that…I originally seasoned the chicken with half of each spice, but when I remade the recipe, I didn’t…I just put it all in the slow cooker at once, which was easier…Thank you bringing this to my attention, Brenda! I changed the recipe card!
Thank you so much for posting this. I think this really puts things into a different light. I mean, I have read about this stuff before but the way you write just makes it clearer, if that makes sense
Thank you very much, Brian! Happy Holidays!