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Braised Chicken Thighs With Tomatillos
![Braised Chicken Thighs With Tomatillos](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/10/31/dining/31Roman1/31Roman1-articleLarge-v2.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon canola oil
- 1½ to 2pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or legs
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2garlic cloves, smashed
- 1red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1pound tomatillos, husks removed, chopped
- 1jalapeño, thinly sliced, seeds removed if you like
- 4cups chicken stock
- 1(15-ounce) can hominy, chickpeas or other beans, rinsed and drained (or use 2 cups cooked rice)
- 4radishes, thinly sliced
- 2tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus 1 lime, halved, for serving
- 1½cups cilantro, tender leaves and stems
- Corn tortillas, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
- Step 2
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to pot, skin side down and cook, without disturbing, until skin has rendered most of the fat and is a nice golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. (You want it to be very deeply golden brown so that it stays nice and brown as it braises.)
- Step 3
Using tongs, flip the chicken and continue to cook until nicely browned on the other side, another 5 or so minutes.
- Step 4
Transfer chicken to a plate or cutting board, leaving all the fat and golden bits behind. Add smashed garlic and half of the sliced onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatillos and half of the jalapeño and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken back in, skin side up (they will not submerge all the way; that’s fine). Simmer, uncovered, until tomatillos have completely broken down and the sauce has thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Step 5
Add hominy and continue to cook until flavors have melded and the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (it should be looser than tomato sauce, thicker than soup), another 15 to 20 minutes.
- Step 6
Meanwhile, combine radish, remaining onion, remaining jalapeño and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
- Step 7
Serve each piece of chicken with sauce spooned around. Top with radish mixture, some cilantro and tortillas alongside for sopping up all the goods.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Could canned tomatillos be used where fresh not available? Would it change the taste substantially?
Simple and scrumptious. I didn't have to sub anything thanks to the fresh tomatillos from the local produce stand. I know it's supposed to serve four, but these two hungry guys in their 60's ate the whole thing.
This will take more than an hour. IMHO.
Really delicious, I would use a cup less broth to get a thicker sauce, and I might even remove the chicken after they cooked with the tomatillos and the jalapeños for the requisite 30 minutes and use my blender stick to blend it all up before returning the chicken along with the hominy
Yes! Plus if anyone wants fresh jalapeno mild not hot look for straight stems. Not curled. From across the TJ border in San Diego. Way I was taught about flavor not heat.
I grow tomatillos every summer and freeze some of the huge excess that fills my fridge by fall. I simply pull off the husks, rinse them, and freeze them whole (raw) in bags. They seed themselves each year, so they're absolutely free after the first year. In fact, they've become a weed. Even my little chihuahua has become adept at and fond of eating them right off the plant. I cut way down on the stock to make the dish less like soup and more like a stew.
Loved it. But I had a better idea. Before I served it, I pulled the chicken out of the pot, and took the meat off the bone (it fell off easily), chopped it roughly and put it back. Easier to eat. I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow.
I found this rather bland after following the recipe through Step 4. So I added 1 teaspoon each ground cumin & coriander and some fresh chopped cilantro. I took the meat off the bones and reserved it; threw the bones into the sauce and simmered the lot for 10 minutes. I added the meat back in for the final 20 minutes of cooking. Delicious!
Our whole family loved this - Mexican-inspired comfort food. Def use the hominy if you can. I subbed boneless/skinless thighs (it’s what was on-hand), cooked for 4 mins less in the searing stage, and the meat was tender & amazing (& easier for the kids). Will make again (and again). Would be great for breakfast w/tortillas & eggs!
When the recipe indicates for four I know it's for two. Let's enjoy!
I loved the authentic flavors in this dish! But it’s a lot of work for what turns out to be two and a half servings. No leftovers! Next time I will double the amount of chicken. There is plenty of sauce to go around. It was a bit too liquid, actually. I had to remove the chicken and boil down the sauce to get the right consistency. I appreciate getting this much flavor from a dish without cheese, cream, etc.
Tried this tonight, as written. One of the best recipes we have tried from NYT Cooking. The hominy seemed to thicken up the sauce perfectly, and the add - ins were excellent. Ate part of it on little corn tortillas, and tackled the rest with fork and spoon. With shopping and chopping, takes way more than an hour, but worth every minute. A very special recipe...will make again soon.
LOVED THIS! Browned the thighs in a dutch oven & the skins were beautifully crisp.But once they hit the broth they got a bit rubbery-Ended up removing them but it didn't detract from the amazingly subtle, delicious flavors of this soup.I used the hominy-perfect addition & not too starchy. The crunchy radish along with chilies & red onion tossed with plenty of LIME made this dish complete! Added thin sliced avocado & lettuce to 'mimick' posole. DIVINE!!
Radishes definitely. They add a nice crunchy, slightly peppery zing. I've put julienned radishes on tacos and burritos for years. They're great. Don't knock 'em 'till you try 'em.
Easy to assemble, pretty and particularly delicious on a chilly fall day... the crunchy and tart fresh vege combo, contrasts perfectly with the sauce, which in my case turned out more like soup, but no matter. I used legs, and a good hour of simmering was required for the meat to become tender. By that time, the skin had lost its visual appeal, so I removed it. I will be making this one again for sure.
I used the last of my tomatillos from my garden for this and it was absolutely delicious.
Smells wonderful as it cooks, and chicken is very tender at the end.
Tomatillos for the win!!! Why am I not cooking with these bad boys all the time?
Brilliant recipe. Not as arduous to prepare as others experienced…I followed it as written except, as mentioned elsewhere, I took the meat off the bones before serving. Flavors are fantastic…one jalapeño split across the dish itself and the radish mixture adds a nice slight kick but nothing more. Speaking of the radish mixture, I made it early on and let it sit…fabulous.
Seasoned the chicken with cumin as well and then again on the onions right before adding the tomatillos. The 4 cups of broth pretty much submerged the chicken thighs, so the skin was no longer crispy - when I make again, will use less broth my this was delicious. I wanted it to be a thinner consistency and simmered the chicken thighs for 30 mins. Served with white rice on the side and adjusted the salad - just radishes, cilantro, lime, coarse salt. Perfect.
This was fantastic. I served it with rice, which soaked up the amazing sauce and stretched the meal a bit. A keeper!
Absolutely awesome. We tend to like big flavor, so I doubled the garlic, added corriander, cumin, adobe, and half a lime. made a paste using a Mortar and Pestle and added in step 4. I quick pickeled shallots and used in step 6 instead of radish. Overall came out very deep and rich in flavor that was very well balanced. Will add to the rotation for sure.
This was so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Followed the suggestions from other users and reduced the chicken stock to 3 cups, shredded the chicken before serving and served with rice. Will definitely make this many many many times in the future.
Made this this week, and it was fantastic. Two "changes." First, I hate the texture of braised chicken skin. So I removed the skin and made cracklings that I used as a garnish when I served dinner. Second as a couple of folks suggested, I took the thighs out of the braise, removed the meat from the bones and added it back before serving. A less messy meal.
Delish! I don’t make a lot of things more than once, but this will go on repeat. Did it more like a soup: 3 cups broth, pureed the tomatillo/onion/broth, shredded the chicken (1.25 lbs), added hominy AND served over rice, made a cabbage/jalapeño quick pickle instead of onion. Ate with beans on the side. Oh, and 1 large can tomatillos instead of fresh. Perfection.
I didn’t have enough tomatillos, so I did 8oz of tomatillos & 8oz of hot green chillies
I really wanted to make this, but didn't have tomatillos, fresh or canned. But I had some green salsa, so added 1/2 jar. I didn't include the chilis and added rice and black beans to the stew. Overall, a delicious, complete meal that everyone loved.
Total time was more like 1.5 for me. This was tasty, but I would make tweaks if making it again - up the garlic and hot pepper, add more lime.
sprinkled in cumin and coriander with the tomatillo addition. used 3.5 cups chicken broth, p liquidy but still good. too much raw onion- try pickling next time? find a better mopping up carb than tortilla
Delicious. Used polenta instead of hominy. Remember to stir frequently after adding the polenta. Used extra lime juice.
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