Chicken Ranchero Recipes

RANCH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender.
• Add chicken and brown with onions, stirring so as not to burn. Add dressing and water; reduce heat to low and cook over low heat for about 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.

BAKED RANCH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheet with vegetable oil.
• Put bread crumbs and ranch dressing into separate bowls.
• Dip chicken into ranch dressing and press into bread crumbs to coat. Gently toss between your hands so any bread crumbs that haven't stuck can fall away. Arrange onto prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

BRAISED RANCHERO CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the ranchero sauce: On a gas range or under a broiler, roast the green, red and poblano peppers until well charred. Let cool. Stem and seed the charred peppers. Coarsely chop and set aside.
• In a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle, finely grind the whole guajillo and pasilla chiles and set aside.
• In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, covered, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the guajillo and pasilla chiles, cumin, chili powder, oregano, thyme, black pepper, salt and garlic. Stir and cook until the spices become fragrant and are fully coated in oil, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, green chiles and sugar. Stir and continue to cook until the sauce starts to simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the vegetables soften and the flavors come together, 30 to 40 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
• For the ranchero chicken: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a small Dutch oven or medium sized roasting pan combine the chicken, stock, salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and lime juice with 2 cups of the ranchero sauce. (Reserve remaining ranchero sauce for another use.) Stir and top with the lid or seal well with aluminum foil and braise in the oven, 2 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle the chicken.
• Shred the chicken with two forks or your hands. Strain the braising liquid and add the strained solids back in with the shredded chicken. Reserve enough liquid to moisten the mixture. Return to the pan and keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
• For the tostada shells: Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a small frying pan, heat 1/2-inch oil until hot. Add 1 tortilla and cook, flipping once a minute, until crispy and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the paper towels and repeat with remaining tortillas.
• Serve the chicken on the tostada shells and top with avocado and queso fresco.

CHICKEN RANCHERO

Steps:

• Saute chicken over medium heat,in olive oil about 5 minutes.
• Add onions and continue cooking until chicken is done and onions are soft (about 10 more minutes).
• Add garlic, green chiles and broth.
• Bring to boiling.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
• Stir in salsa.
• Bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat.
• Gently fold in cubed cheddar cheese.
• Serve immediately over beds of rice.

CHICKEN RANCHERO TACOS

Steps:

• Season chicken thighs with the garlic salt and pepper, and cook on the grill until cooked through (about 5-7 minutes per side on medium heat with the lid closed. However, all grills are different, so check frequently). Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then dice into bite-sized chunks.
• Put the can of beans into a pot and cook until heated through. Drain and rinse beans; set aside.
• Heat a large griddle over medium heat. Place tortillas on the griddle (making sure not to overlap), and sprinkle with cheese, a spoonful of pinto beans, and some of the chicken pieces. When the tortilla is warmed through and the cheese has melted, remove from the griddle and top with an avocado slice, some cabbage salsa and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately.