I’m obsessed with these easy, Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas made casserole-style, with black beans, tortillas, my homemade enchilada sauce, and cheese. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole Chicken enchiladas are one of my favorite things to make an…
I’m obsessed with these easy, Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas made casserole-style, with black beans, tortillas, my homemade enchilada sauce, and cheese. Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole Chicken enchiladas are one of my favorite things to make and eat, so naturally, this slow-cooker version hit it out of the park! I adapted it from this chicken
Kick up your Taco Tuesday recipe game with these fiery and deeply flavorful Chipotle Chicken Tacos! This easy recipe is fast, filling, and perfect for meal prep. It’s also a breeze to scale up, and you can even make it a little heartier by serving it with sides of Tomato Rice and Quick Seasoned Black Beans. Plus, it’s only a little over a dollar per serving. I’m telling you, this one is clutch!
What Are Chipotle Chicken Tacos?
The base of this easy taco recipe is pulled chicken that’s been cooked in a fiery chipotle adobo sauce. A chipotle is a jalapeno pepper that’s smoked and dried. It has deep, earthy flavors and a bit of kick. When you buy chipotles in adobo, the adobo refers to the vinegary sauce the chiles are rehydrated in.
While you can eat Chipotle Chicken Tacos as is, I pair them with Pineapple Salsa, which cuts beautifully through the fattiness of the chicken. Keep in mind that you can use this chicken for more than just tacos! Mix pulled Chipotle Chicken into soups, rice, salads, and wraps. Use it as a topping for Nachos or Pizzas. There’s so much you can do with it.
Ingredients For Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Here’s what you’ll need to make Chipotle Chicken Tacos:
Chicken Thighs: Thighs are the cut of chicken we’re working with because they’re flavorful, fatty, and forgiving. Chicken breasts are more expensive, but they will still work here. I like to add a tablespoon of butter to the mix if I’m working with white meat to help keep it from drying out.
Garlic and Onion: Aromatics help scent and flavor our chicken. Substitute the garlic with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and the onion with 1 tablespoon of onion powder or 3 tablespoons of onion flakes.
Bay Leaf: Adds depth to our braising broth, but feel free to skip it if you don’t have any.
Chipotles in Adobo: Add a spicy kick and deep smoky flavors to the sauce. If you want something with less kick, sub with our Enchilada Sauce recipe.
Corn tortillas: Are the base of our taco and hold everything together. Feel free to sub with flour tortillas or even pitas!
Pineapple Salsa: This tangy, fresh, and slightly sweet salsa pairs beautifully with the smoky and spicy flavors of the saucy chipotle chicken, as well as adding color and texture to the taco.
How To Serve Chipotle Chicken Tacos
This recipe is one of my favorites for a family-style taco night. I load the table with a platter of warm tortillas, a big bowl of pulled chipotle chicken and smaller plates loaded with garnishes like fresh cilantro, radish slices, Sour Cream, Guacamole, and Pineapple Salsa! You can also serve Pico De Gallo or Cowboy Caviar. Make this an even heftier meal with Tomato Rice and Quick Seasoned Black Beans.
How To Store Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Store pulled chicken in an airtight container for up to three days. You can freeze the chicken in an airtight container with a sheet of parchment or plastic directly on the surface of the chicken for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in a microwave or a pan set over medium heat until steaming.
Add the chicken thighs, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 of the onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt to a pan, then add water to cover (about 4 cups). Place the pan over medium heat. Cover it, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is at an internal temperature of 160°F and fork tender.
Remove the chicken thighs from the broth. Reserve the broth. Shred the chicken with two forks.
Add oil to a saucepan on medium heat. Dice the remaining ½ onion and add it to the pan. Mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the onions steam and the garlic is fragrant.
Once the onions and garlic are fragrant, chop the chipotles in their sauce and add them to the pan. Stir well to incorporate. Then add the pulled chicken and 1/4 cup of the reserved broth. Combine thoroughly and taste. For more heat, mix in more adobo sauce. For saucy pulled chicken, add a touch more of the broth and stir. Once the sauce has thickened to a velvety consistency, take the chicken off the heat.
To make the pineapple salsa, finely chop the pineapple, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Combine the chopped pineapple, onion, juice of one lime, cilantro, and salt to taste.
Assemble the tacos. Add 1/4 cup of pulled chicken to a corn tortilla and top with pineapple salsa. Serve these babies up and enjoy a weeknight win!
How to Make Chipotle Chicken Tacos – Step by Step Photos
Add 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 of a yellow onion, 1 bay leaf, 4 peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon salt to a pan and add water to cover (about 4 cups). Place the pan over medium heat. Cover it, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is at an internal temperature of 160°F and fork tender.
Remove the chicken thighs from the broth. Reserve the broth. Shred the chicken with two forks.
Add oil to a saucepan on medium heat. Dice the remaining half onion and add it to the pan. Mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the onions steam and the garlic is fragrant.
Once the onions and garlic are fragrant, chop 2 ounces of chipotles in their sauce and add them to the pan. Stir well to incorporate.
Then add the pulled chicken and 1/4 cup of the reserved broth to the skillet. Combine thoroughly and taste. For more heat, mix in more adobo sauce. For saucy pulled chicken, add a touch more of the broth and stir.
Once the sauce has thickened to a velvety consistency, take the chicken off the heat.
Tender chicken thighs simmered in a rich gravy and topped with fluffy dumplings makes these chicken and dumplings the perfect comfort food for cold nights.
I’m thoroughly obsessed with this chicken and dumplings recipe. This is some serious comfort food and I’m all about comfort food. 😅 We’re talking tender chicken thighs cooked in a rich gravy with a medley of colorful vegetables and then topped with tender, fluffy, and flavorful dumplings. This recipe is so cozy that eating a bowl of these chicken and dumplings feels like being wrapped up in a big warm hug. And the best part? They’re made 100% from scratch. 🙌 Ugh, brb, I need to go make another batch because my mouth is WATERING.
What Are Chicken and Dumplings?
Chicken and dumplings can mean different things depending on where you live, but they’re always super cozy, filling, and comforting. While they usually always have tender chicken smothered in a savory gravy as their base, the dumplings can either be a thick noodle, or a pillowy biscuit steamed on top of the gravy. I love both versions, but today we’re making the pillowy cloud dumplings!
Ingredients for Chicken and Dumplings
Here’s what you’ll need to make these delicious chicken and dumplings:
Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they’re almost impossible to overcook and they always stay moist and tender, making this recipe foolproof. You can use chicken breast if you prefer, just be careful not to overcook the chicken.
Vegetables: A mix of onion, garlic, carrot, and celery provides the flavor base for the gravy, as well as adds a ton of color and texture to the dish.
Butter and Flour: A butter and flour roux is used to thicken the gravy and add a ton of rich flavor to the gravy.
Herbs: Parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, and pepper create a classic chicken soup flavor profile that is extra warm and cozy.
Chicken Broth and Milk: The gravy is made with a combination of broth and milk for tons of flavor and a creamy finish.
Dumplings: The dumplings are made with a simple mix of flour, milk, melted butter, herbs, baking powder, salt, and sugar. They come together in minutes with very little mixing required!
How to Store the Leftovers
Leftover chicken and dumplings are SO delicious, so make sure to save some for lunch the next day! Simply divide the leftovers into single-serving containers and refrigerate. The gravy will get quite thick when refrigerated, but they’re still delicious! Chicken and dumplings will stay good in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
You can also freeze the chicken and dumplings. Once chilled in the refrigerator, transfer the chicken and dumplings to the freezer and store for 2-3 months. To reheat the frozen chicken and dumplings either thaw in the refrigerator overnight before microwaving until hot, or use the defrost function on the microwave.
Tips for Fluffy Dumplings
Make sure the dumpling batter is moist enough. It should be a soft, sticky, scoopable dough. If it’s too dry, the dumplings won’t be able to puff up as much.
Make sure the gravy is simmering before adding the dumplings. The dumplings need the steam action from the simmering gravy to cook and fluff up.
Keep the lid on the pot the entire time the dumplings are cooking (this holds in the steam and ensures they cook from all sides.
Don’t make the dumplings too big. They’ll double in size as they cook and larger dumplings will take much longer to cook.
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs and brown on each side. The chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point, just make sure they get very brown on the outside. Transfer the partially cooked chicken to a clean bowl.
After removing the chicken from the skillet, add the diced onion and minced garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onions have softened. Stir to dissolve the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet as the onions cook.
Add the diced carrot and celery to the skillet with the onion and garlic and continue to sauté for about five minutes more.
Add the butter and flour to the skillet and stir until the butter has melted and created a paste with the flour that coats the vegetables. Continue to cook and stir this mixture for about two minutes.
Add the parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, pepper, chicken broth, and milk to the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to stir and cook until the mixture comes up to a simmer and thickens into a gravy.
Dice the chicken and add it back to the skillet with the vegetables and gravy. Cover with a lid and let the chicken simmer in the gravy over medium heat while you prepare the dumplings.
Dumplings
To prepare the dumplings, combine the flour, parsley, sugar, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, and pepper in a bowl.
Pour the milk and melted butter into the flour mixture, then stir until a soft, scoopable batter is formed. Do not over stir.
Remove the lid from the chicken and gravy and drop the dumpling batter onto the surface of the gravy in 2 tablespoon dollops. You should get about 12 dumplings.
Make sure the gravy is still simmering, then place the lid back on the skillet and allow the dumplings to simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure they're simmering the entire time. After 15 minutes the dumplings should have doubled in size and will be fluffy and cooked in the center. Serve hot and enjoy!
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large deep skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add four boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the pan and allow them to brown very well on each side. The chicken doesn’t need to cook through at this point, just make sure it gets very brown. Remove the browned chicken to a clean cutting board and set aside.
Add two minced cloves of garlic and one diced yellow onion to the skillet and sauté over medium heat until the onions are softened. Add two diced carrots and two diced celery stalks and continue to sauté over medium for 2-3 minutes more.
Add four tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup of all-purpose flour to the skillet. Continue to stir and cook over medium heat. The butter will melt and combine with the flour to create a sort of paste that coats the vegetables. Continue to cook this mixture for about two minutes more.
Add 1 tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp dried rosemary, ½ tsp dried sage, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 2 cups chicken broth, and 1 cup milk to the skillet. Whisk the ingredients together, making sure to dissolve any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow this mixture to come back up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken into a gravy.
Once the mixture has thickened to a gravy, dice the chicken thighs and stir them back into the skillet. Cover with a lid and allow the chicken to simmer in the gravy while you prepare the dumplings.
To make the dumplings, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ tsp salt, 1.5 tsp baking powder, ⅛ tsp garlic powder, ⅛ tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried parsley, and ½ tsp sugar in a bowl. Melt 2 Tbsp butter and combine it with ½ cup milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture.
Stir the wet and dry ingredients together until it forms a soft, sticky dough. It should be soft enough that you can easily scoop it with a spoon.
Make sure the gravy is fully simmering, then drop the dumpling dough into the gravy in 2 Tbsp portions. The dumplings will expand quite a bit as they steam, so don’t worry that they don’t fully cover the surface.
Place the lid on the skillet and allow the dumplings to steam in the simmering gravy for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Make sure the gravy is simmering the whole time. After 15 minutes they should be about double in size. Cut one open to make sure it’s fluffy all the way through.
Serve the chicken and dumplings hot and enjoy! (shown garnished with parsley for color)
