Name: Mexican Braised Chicken in Red Chile Sauce
Ingredients: This recipe is broken into a few components: the chicken, the red chile sauce, and the fresh garnishes that finish the dish.; For the Chicken; 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks — Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces hold up beautifully to braising, staying juicy and tender while the bones add extra richness to the sauce.; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil — A neutral oil with a high smoke point is ideal for properly browning the chicken before braising.; Salt and black pepper to taste — Simple seasoning is all the chicken needs before browning, since the rich chile sauce provides the bulk of the dish’s flavor.; For the Red Chile Sauce; 4 Roma tomatoes — Roma tomatoes add body, natural sweetness, and a touch of acidity to balance the rich, earthy chiles.; 4 dried guajillo chiles, seeded — These bring moderate heat along with a bright, fruity, tangy flavor that forms the backbone of the sauce.; 2 dried ancho chiles, seeded — Ancho chiles add rich, mild sweetness and a subtle smokiness that rounds out the sauce.; 1 small white onion, sliced — Onion adds savory depth and natural sweetness once blended into the sauce.; 4 garlic cloves — Garlic infuses the sauce with essential savory, aromatic flavor.; 1 jalapeño, sliced — Fresh jalapeño adds an additional layer of fresh, green heat that complements the dried chiles.; 1 poblano pepper, diced — Poblano pepper adds a mild, earthy flavor and a bit of texture to the finished sauce.; 2 cups chicken broth — Chicken broth thins the sauce to the right consistency while adding savory depth.; 1 teaspoon ground cumin — Cumin brings a warm, earthy, slightly smoky flavor that’s essential to many Mexican sauces.; 1 teaspoon dried oregano — Mexican oregano, if you can find it, offers a slightly citrusy, earthy flavor that’s distinct from Mediterranean oregano, though either works well here.; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika — Smoked paprika reinforces the smoky notes from the toasted dried chiles, adding extra depth to the sauce.; 2 bay leaves — Bay leaves contribute a subtle herbal aroma that infuses into the sauce as it simmers.; For the Garnish; Chopped fresh cilantro — Fresh cilantro adds a bright, herbaceous finish that balances the rich, smoky sauce.; Lime wedges — A squeeze of fresh lime juice brightens every bite and cuts through the richness of the dish.; Warm corn tortillas — Warm tortillas are the perfect vehicle for scooping up the tender chicken and rich sauce.

Ingredients

This recipe is broken into a few components: the chicken, the red chile sauce, and the fresh garnishes that finish the dish.

For the Chicken

3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks — Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces hold up beautifully to braising, staying juicy and tender while the bones add extra richness to the sauce.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil — A neutral oil with a high smoke point is ideal for properly browning the chicken before braising.

Salt and black pepper to taste — Simple seasoning is all the chicken needs before browning, since the rich chile sauce provides the bulk of the dish’s flavor.

For the Red Chile Sauce

4 Roma tomatoes — Roma tomatoes add body, natural sweetness, and a touch of acidity to balance the rich, earthy chiles.

4 dried guajillo chiles, seeded — These bring moderate heat along with a bright, fruity, tangy flavor that forms the backbone of the sauce.

2 dried ancho chiles, seeded — Ancho chiles add rich, mild sweetness and a subtle smokiness that rounds out the sauce.

1 small white onion, sliced — Onion adds savory depth and natural sweetness once blended into the sauce.

4 garlic cloves — Garlic infuses the sauce with essential savory, aromatic flavor.

1 jalapeño, sliced — Fresh jalapeño adds an additional layer of fresh, green heat that complements the dried chiles.

1 poblano pepper, diced — Poblano pepper adds a mild, earthy flavor and a bit of texture to the finished sauce.

2 cups chicken broth — Chicken broth thins the sauce to the right consistency while adding savory depth.

1 teaspoon ground cumin — Cumin brings a warm, earthy, slightly smoky flavor that’s essential to many Mexican sauces.

1 teaspoon dried oregano — Mexican oregano, if you can find it, offers a slightly citrusy, earthy flavor that’s distinct from Mediterranean oregano, though either works well here.

1 teaspoon smoked paprika — Smoked paprika reinforces the smoky notes from the toasted dried chiles, adding extra depth to the sauce.

2 bay leaves — Bay leaves contribute a subtle herbal aroma that infuses into the sauce as it simmers.

For the Garnish

Chopped fresh cilantro — Fresh cilantro adds a bright, herbaceous finish that balances the rich, smoky sauce.

Lime wedges — A squeeze of fresh lime juice brightens every bite and cuts through the richness of the dish.

Warm corn tortillas — Warm tortillas are the perfect vehicle for scooping up the tender chicken and rich sauce.

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Instructions

This recipe involves a few distinct stages, browning the chicken, preparing the chiles, blending the sauce, and braising everything together, but each step is straightforward. Here’s exactly how to make it from start to finish.

Step 1: Season the Chicken

Pat the chicken thighs and drumsticks dry, then season them generously on all sides with salt and black pepper. Drying the chicken first helps it brown more effectively in the next step.

Step 2: Brown the Chicken

Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pot. Brown the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deeply golden. This browning step is essential for building flavor, so don’t rush it. Once browned, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Step 3: Toast the Dried Chiles

In the same pot, toast the seeded guajillo and ancho chiles for about 30 seconds per side over medium heat. Toasting the chiles briefly wakes up their essential oils and deepens their flavor, adding an extra layer of smokiness to the finished sauce. Be careful not to over-toast them, as burnt chiles can turn bitter.

Step 4: Soak the Chiles

Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for about 10 minutes, until softened and pliable. This softening step makes the chiles much easier to blend into a smooth sauce.

Step 5: Blend the Sauce

Add the softened chiles to a blender along with the Roma tomatoes, sliced onion, garlic cloves, jalapeño, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and 1 cup of the chicken broth. Blend until completely smooth. This forms the flavorful base of your red chile sauce.

Step 6: Strain the Sauce

Pour the blended sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into the same pot you used to brown the chicken, pressing down with a spoon or spatula to extract as much liquid as possible while leaving behind any tough chile skins or seeds. Straining the sauce results in a smoother, silkier final texture.

Step 7: Cook the Sauce

Cook the strained sauce over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. This brief simmer helps concentrate the flavors and allows the raw ingredients to meld together into a cohesive sauce.

Step 8: Add the Remaining Ingredients

Add the diced poblano pepper, the remaining chicken broth, and the bay leaves to the pot, stirring to combine.

Step 9: Return the Chicken to the Pot

Nestle the browned chicken pieces back into the pot, spooning the red chile sauce generously over each piece to ensure they’re well coated.

Step 10: Simmer

Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Let the chicken simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it’s fully cooked through and tender enough to easily pull from the bone.

Step 11: Finish and Serve

Remove the bay leaves from the pot before serving. Garnish the dish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve hot with lime wedges, alongside rice, beans, or warm corn tortillas.