This Ancho Chicken is a slightly spicy version of tender chicken breast, tasting like a delicious spicy barbecue. It’s perfectly complemented by a sweet fresh corn salsa.
Add your own favorite toppings to make tacos, burritos, tostadas or enchiladas. It’s so easy to make this Mexican food inspired dish that you’ll want to make it every week.
- What is Ancho Chile?
- Can I make my own Ancho Chile Powder?
- Your Favorite Toppings
- Fresh Corn Salsa
- Recipe
Ingredients
The most important part of this ancho chicken is the array of spices. Making the spice blend is the first step.
What is Ancho Chile?
Ancho chiles start off their lives as poblano peppers. Poblanos are fairly mild and I use them frequently. Because they grow so well in this Arkansas heat, I usually substitute poblano for bell peppers in many recipes.
You can see how much I like it by browsing some of my favorite recipes. I love this incredible Cheesy Chicken Chili. For a soup starter, try this Zucchini and Roasted Poblano Soup.
Unlike fresh poblanos, ancho chiles are the dried and smoked version. They have a rich smoky sweetness that works especially well when mixed with other peppers. For this recipe, I’ve included chipotle for some extra heat.
Can I Make My Own Ancho Chile Powder?
I’ve made my own chile powder. It’s really easy. You can start with dried chiles. Always wash them and let them dry first. You don’t know where those chiles have been!
We have two identical coffee grinders; one is for coffee beans and the other is dedicated to grinding peppers and other dried ingredients.
Ben from Fox Valley Foodie has a post on making your own dried ancho chiles then grinding them.
What Is Chipotle Chile?
Here’s another fun fact. Chipotle is the dried, smoked version of jalapeño!
Chipotle not only adds another level of delicious smoky flavor, but it has a lingering heat. Unless you get too much, it’s not going to burn your tastebuds. It’s meant to warm up the dish without overpowering it. It’s what turns the barbecue sauce taste to a spicy barbecue taste.
Why Sear The Chicken?
I like to sear the chicken in order to keep as much of the spice blend on the chicken as possible. The pan searing traps the delicious seasoning on the chicken.
Once you make the spice paste, you can add the chicken and paste to a bag. Roll everything around in the bag to completely cover. Marinate for about an hour.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken?
Since this recipe requires that you rub in a spice blend, I don’t recommend that you use frozen chicken. The spices won’t adhere well.
If you have don’t have thawed chicken, place the frozen chicken in a bag then place in a large bowl of cool water. It will thaw fairly quickly. Mine only took 30 minutes.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs?
Yes, you can use chicken thighs. Follow the same instructions with the spice paste and marinating.
As with the chicken breast, you don’t want it to get dried out so be sure to use a meat thermometer to keep an eye on it.
Your Favorite Toppings
Burrito and taco bowls have become really popular in the last few years. It’s a way to avoid the high carb tortillas. Use whatever toppings you usually love on a traditional burrito.
I like to include rice and beans. Sometimes I’ll add tomatoes and lettuce. Radishes and red cabbage add a punch of color. Always crema and queso fresco.
Fresh Corn Salsa
One fun thing I threw together especially for this recipe is a corn salsa. Use fresh corn and cut it from the cob. It helps to hold the cob over a bowl or deep pan while cutting so your corn doesn’t fly everywhere.
Saute the cut corn in a little oil with tomato, jalapeno and onion. This turned out to be a delicious addition.
It was sweet and crunchy; a perfect complement to the sweet and spicy barbecue style flavor of the chicken.
If you don’t have corn on the cob, use about 1 ½ cups of frozen corn, thawed.
Recipe
Ancho Chicken with Fresh Corn Salsa
Equipment
- Heavy Skillet with Cover
- Medium Saucepan
- Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
Ancho Chicken
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon Knorr Tomato Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ancho Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Chipotle Powder or omit, if you want less spicy
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 ¼ pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast full breast pieces, or tenderloin strips
Fresh Corn Salsa (optional)
- 2 Corn on Cob fresh, husks and silks removed, kernels cut from cob
- 1 medium Tomato seeds removed, chopped
- 1 medium Jalapeno seeds and membranes removed, diced
- ¼ large Onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Ancho Chicken
- In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and all spices. Add olive oil and carefully mix and press, to form a paste.
- Place the chicken in a bag, then pour in the spice paste. Massage the bag to cover all pieces of chicken with the paste. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least one hour.
- Place marinated chicken in hot heavy skillet, making certain there is no overlapping. Sear for about 5-7 minutes for breasts or 3-4 minutes for strips. Check to make sure you can see that the surface has darkened a little. Flip each piece with tongs.
- Reduce heat to medium and cover with lid. Cook until chicken reaches 165℉. Check often. The time will depend on the size of the pieces of chicken; about 5-7 minutes for breasts or 3-4 minutes for strips. Remove the chicken as soon it reaches the correct temperature. You don't want it to dry out.
Fresh Corn Salsa (optional)
- Place olive oil in skillet. Add corn, tomato, jalapeno, onion and salt to skillet. Stir well and cook at medium high for about 5 to 8 minutes, until onion and jalapeno are fragrant.
Notes
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result. 2019-2026 Kim Guzman and Christian Guzman. All rights reserved. 24Bite®
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Such a delicious recipe and so easy to make too. My family loved it and I ill be making it again for sure!
I’m saving this recipe for summer. I bet this chicken tastes great on the grill. With salsa, of course. 😉
It’s great for the grill! Just make sure to keep a meat thermometer handy. It cooks really quickly. Thank you for writing!
Wow! Another chicken dish that looks amazingly delicious and yummy! The presentation makes it so enticing and tempting! I totally love this!
I am so excited to try this recipe!! Pinned to make later, thanks so much for sharing! Instant Pot recipes are my go-to over the summer 🙂
It looks like so an easy, tasty, and flavorful recipe. I can’t wait to make this at home.