Heat, smoky, and with simply the correct amount of warmth, Southwest Hen is lightning fast to make. I like this hen as a result of it’s tremendous straightforward to throw collectively, and my household loves it as a result of it goes properly with so lots of our favourite meals.
I fell in love with these bite-sized items of hen years in the past, and this Southwest model has turn into a household favourite. It matches proper alongside my different boldly seasoned chicken bites. I could make them a number of occasions every week and nonetheless by no means have a chew leftover.
Southwest Hen
This hen is one in all my go-to meals to throw collectively for busy weeknights. My boys wrap these tasty morsels of hen up in tortillas or pile them excessive over rice, and I toss mine with a salad. When everybody will get to eat what they need, dinner is a assured success.
I like that I can cook dinner the meat proper on the finish of my dinner prep and serve it piping sizzling with every part else. It’s nice for these nights once I don’t need to overthink making a tasty dinner.
Components and Substitutions
The Meat – I like boneless skinless hen thighs as a result of the meat is extra flavorful and forgiving. Hen breasts may also work.
Oil – I take advantage of mild flavored olive oil on this recipe. Refined coconut oil will work as properly.
Daring Spices – The first seasonings that I take advantage of for this hen are chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and purple pepper flakes. This provides it a daring, barely spicy taste.
Savory Notes – I add a splash of teaspoon of oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder to steadiness the flavors on this dish.
Salt and Pepper – I at all times use kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper in my cooking.
Spice Mix – The entire above spices could be substituted with 2 tablespoons of my homemade taco seasoning. That’s, if you’re like me and preserve a jar of it within the cabinet for making hen like this.
Tips on how to Make Southwest Hen
Reducing the Hen: I chop the hen into roughly 1-inch items.
Oiling the Hen: I place the chopped hen in a medium-sized bowl and drizzle it with a tablespoon of oil, then toss them with a spatula to coat with oil.
Seasoning the Hen: I sprinkle the spices over the bowl with the hen, then toss the hen once more with a spatula so they’re evenly coated.
Resting the Hen: I let the hen sit for not less than 10 minutes.
Prepping the Pan: When I’m able to cook dinner the seasoned meat, I add 2 tablespoons of oil to a big skillet over excessive warmth.
Cooking the Hen: As soon as the pan is sizzling, I add the hen to the pan and start cooking it.
Tossing the Hen: After a minute or two, as soon as the hen begins to brown, I take advantage of tongs to stir the hen and flip every bit over.
Ending the Cook dinner: I let the items of hen proceed cooking for one more 1-2 minutes, till cooked by way of.
Serving the Hen: The hen is able to eat as quickly because it finishes cooking.
Skilled Tip
Do you need to know the largest mistake I used to make when cooking meat? I used to be by no means affected person sufficient. It took me a very long time to lastly study to not rush the pan. Now, I give the skillet time to totally warmth up earlier than including the hen. The meat ought to greet the pan with loads of sizzle! Then, I give it sufficient time to sear correctly and caramelize earlier than I toss it.
Minimize Evenly, Cook dinner Evenly – I can’t overstress the significance of reducing the hen into items which can be the identical dimension. This lets the hen end on the identical time, as a substitute of ending with a panful of undercooked and overcooked hen.
Don’t Overcrowd the Pan – I solely ever cook dinner a single layer of those Southwest hen bites at a time. And, I depart room for airflow. If the meat is swimming in liquid, it won’t get these great crispy edges that give it a lot texture and taste.
Take away From the Warmth – As quickly because the hen is completed, I take away the juicy items from the pan. When you allow them to sit on the new pan, they may proceed cooking and dry out.
Serving Strategies
I nearly at all times serve this hen at my desk with a aspect of my spanish rice or chipotle lime rice. Rice soaks up the spices superbly and turns the meal into one thing that feels full while not having a lot else on the plate.
For a extra hands-on meal, I like tucking this hen into whole wheat tortillas and letting everybody construct their very own Southwest hen wraps or tacos. It’s particularly nice if I’m feeding a gaggle with completely different topping preferences.
Make Forward & Storage
Make Forward: I discover that this recipe provides the most effective outcomes once I cook dinner the hen proper earlier than serving it. However, I do typically prep the meat with the oil and seasonings as much as 24 hours forward of time. Then, I retailer it in a bag within the fridge to let the hen marinate.
Tips on how to Retailer: I let the meat cool, then retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge. It ought to be good for as much as 3 days.
Tips on how to Reheat: I reheat it, loosely coated within the microwave with a splash of water or hen broth for 15-30 second intervals.
Extra Hen Recipes
Incessantly Requested Questions
I discover that the warmth is sort of delicate. If I’m serving somebody who is worried about how spicy it’s, then I’ll scale back or eradicate the purple pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.
Completely! I like that with do-it-yourself cooking, I can regulate the spice degree to go well with my private desire. If I need to dial up the warmth, I double the purple pepper flakes and add extra cayenne pepper. However, you may also add sizzling sauces and different condiments to lift the warmth.
In no way. I personally don’t use hen breasts, as a result of hen thighs keep juicier and my household prefers them. Nonetheless, hen breasts will work on this recipe. Simply scale back the cooking time barely and take care to not overcook and dry the meat out.
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Cube the hen into small items, roughly ¾″-1″ in dimension. Put aside in a medium dimension bowl. In a small dish or measuring cup, mix all the spices. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and all the spices to the bowl with the hen. Toss properly to mix. Let relaxation for not less than 10 minutes.
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Warmth 2 tablespoons of oil in a really massive skillet over excessive warmth. When the oil is sizzling, add the hen. Saute, turning or stirring always, till the hen is browned on the skin and cooked by way of. This may take only a few minutes. Take care to not overcook the hen.
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Take away the hen items from the pan when they’re completed cooking. As a result of the items are small, they may dry out if left within the sizzling pan.
Energy: 384 kcal | Carbohydrates: 4 g | Protein: 45 g | Fats: 21 g | Saturated Fats: 4 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 4 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 11 g | Trans Fats: 0.04 g | Ldl cholesterol: 215 mg | Sodium: 854 mg | Potassium: 684 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 0.4 g | Vitamin A: 1569 IU | Vitamin C: 0.2 mg | Calcium: 53 mg | Iron: 4 mg
Diet info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
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