Pollo Poblano

- 3 mins read

This is one of our favorite Mexican restaurant dishes but it’s fast and easy enough to skip the Taqueria some nights and make at home. Making use of pantry staples and genius techniques, this meal can be on the table in less than an hour. Your kids may miss the cheese dip, but you won’t miss the difference in price tag!

Pollo Poblano with Rice and Beans

Ingredients

Chicken Breast

  • 3 Chicken Breasts, trimmed, filleted and pounded flat
  • 1T Kosher Salt
  • 1T Granulated Garlic (not powdered)
  • 1T Granulated Onion (not powdered)
  • 1/2T Black Pepper
  • 2 Lg Poblano Peppers, halved, cored, sliced into thin strips
  • 2 10oz cans Mushrooms, sliced, drained Or fresh mushrooms
  • 1 Lg Onion, sliced thin

Rice

  • 2C Basmati Rice, washed
  • 1 14oz Can Rotel
  • 3T Knorr Caldo de Tomate (Mexican Chicken Broth)
  • 3.5C Water
  • 2T Neutral Oil or Animal Fat (we’re using bacon!)

Miscellaneous

  • 5 Strips of Bacon, halved
  • 2C Chihuahua cheese, shredded
  • 1 28oz can Refried Beans (or make your own!)

Steps

  1. In a large skillet, fry bacon strips over medium heat in a quarter cup of water with no lid.
  2. Flip bacon often, until water is evaporated.
  3. When bacon is desired floppiness, remove from pan.

Note: For this dish, we like a crispy dark bacon!

  1. Set pan aside, keeping bacon fat and pan for the chicken below.

Rice

  1. Place 2T of Bacon fat or neutral oil into your rice cooker or a pot with a tight fitting lid.
  2. Over a medium heat, saute the rice in the oil until all pieces are shiny and some pieces are golden brown and a nutty aroma is apparent.
  3. Carefully add the entire can of Rotel, the water, and the Knorr Caldo de Tomate powder.
  4. If using a pressure pot, stir, add the lid, and cook under pressure up to 15 minutes or following rice cooker directions.
  5. If using a standard pot, bring water to a boil, cover with a tight fitting lid, and reduce heat to the lowest setting.

Note: Do not touch for 20 minutes. If you open the pot, the steam will be lost and the rice will not be the correct texture.

  1. Fluff the rice, set aside to keep warm.

Beans

  1. Open the can and place contents in a small sauce pan.
  2. Add a Tbsp or 2 of water and dehydrated onions if desired.
  3. Heat through, stirring more often until beans begin to liquefy, then stirring infrequently.

Chicken

  1. Place the chicken on a cutting board and drive the knife into the natural seam splitting the breast. Continue to fan out the breast with small cuts until breast is roughly 8" in length. Pound flat if necessary.
  2. Cut a shallow hatch pattern into the chicken on both sides being careful not to cut through the chicken.
  3. Coat with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion.
  4. Place the bacon pan and reserved fat over a medium heat.
  5. Place the chicken breast in the pan seasoning side down.
  6. Cook 2 minutes on each side until chicken is 160F internal and a golden crust develops.
  7. Remove from pan, reserving fat.

Vegetables

  1. In the chicken pan, crank heat to high, and introduce the drained mushrooms, the onions, and poblano pepper strips. Fry 5 minutes.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and introduce 1/2C warm water. Fry until onions and peppers are desired softness.
  3. Continue to add water 1T or 2T at a time to help heat things through, and dissolve sugars drying to the pan.
  4. Chop up the bacon in to a small dice. And introduce into the pan.
  5. Turn off the heat.

To Plate

  1. Working quickly, on a large plate, place a significant portion of hot beans, topped with chihuahua cheese.
  2. Place a scoop of rice and garnish with lime or lettuce, tomato, and sour cream or Mexican Crema.
  3. Place the chicken breast covered in vegetables on the plate. Top with chihuahua cheese.
  4. Enjoy!