The Lunch Lady
Guajillo-braised chicken tacos
Tender shredded chicken in a toasted guajillo sauce, with Dutch oven and slow cooker options. Keep the chicken in its braising juices for tacos that stay juicy.
Published
- Servings
- 6 to 8
- Total time
- About 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Dutch oven timing. The slow cooker takes 4 to 6 hours. Resting the shredded chicken overnight is optional.
Let the guajillo shine
Guajillo is the whole reason to make these tacos. It gives the chicken that deep red color and a rich chile flavor without turning dinner into a heat challenge.
For Tuesday's lunch, I tried warming the whole dried guajillos in the oven before taking the stems off and blending them into the sauce. First time I'd done them that way. You only want to wake them up a little. Don't let them turn black and bitter.
The sauce goes over the chicken, and then it cooks gently until you can pull it apart with a fork. A Dutch oven works well at home. A slow cooker does too. This home version uses the seasoning base from our guajillo barbacoa tacos, adjusted for chicken.
Keep the chicken in its juices
My favorite move is to pull the chicken, mix it back into the sauce and refrigerate it overnight. Then bring it up gently the next day. That's how we served it at school. The flavor settles in, and the meat stays surrounded by its own juices.
You can absolutely eat it the day you make it. Just don't drain off that sauce or boil the shredded chicken dry. Warm tortillas, juicy chicken, whatever toppings you like. And a Mexican hot chocolate cookie afterward.
Home recipe
Guajillo-braised chicken tacos
The Lunch Lady · Jared Veldheer
- Servings
- 6 to 8
- Prep time
- About 25 minutes
- Cook time
- About 1 1/2 to 2 hours for thighs in a Dutch oven; 4 to 6 hours on low in a slow cooker
- Total time
- About 2 to 2 1/2 hours
Dutch oven timing. The slow cooker takes 4 to 6 hours. Resting the shredded chicken overnight is optional.
Equipment: Rimmed sheet pan, blender, snug 4- to 5-quart Dutch oven with lid or 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, thermometer, two forks
Make it with what you have
Choose your chicken
Use 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken for any option. Thighs are my first choice for a long braise. Breasts and tenders cook sooner, so use their own timing and check the thickest piece with a thermometer.
All options are included when you print.
Chicken option: Thighs
- Leave boneless, skinless thighs whole. In the covered 325°F Dutch oven, check at 75 minutes and expect about 90 to 120 minutes. In the slow cooker, expect about 240 to 360 minutes on low.
- Cook to at least 165°F and until a fork separates the meat easily. If the thighs resist shredding, give them a little longer in the sauce.
Chicken option: Breasts
- Use boneless, skinless breasts of similar size. Cut very thick breasts into two large pieces so they cook evenly.
- In the covered 325°F Dutch oven, begin checking at 35 minutes; many pieces need about 45 to 70 minutes. In the slow cooker, begin checking around 150 minutes and expect about 180 to 240 minutes on low. Thickness and the cooker matter more than the clock.
- Remove when the thickest piece reaches 165°F. Rest briefly, shred across the grain and mix with the sauce. Do not keep lean breast meat cooking for the full thigh time.
Chicken option: Tenders
- Remove the tough tendon from boneless, skinless tenders and keep the pieces whole.
- In the covered 325°F Dutch oven, begin checking at 20 minutes and expect about 25 to 40 minutes. In the slow cooker, begin checking at 90 minutes and expect about 120 to 180 minutes on low. Stop when the thickest tender reaches 165°F.
- Pull into short pieces and fold into the sauce. Tenders are lean and need the shortest cooking time.
Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go.
Chicken and guajillo sauce
For serving
Instructions
Warm the chiles and blend
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Spread the dry guajillos on a sheet pan. Warm for about 3 to 5 minutes, checking early, just until fragrant and a little more flexible. Remove them before they darken or smoke.
- When cool enough to handle, pull off the stems, split the chiles and shake out the loose seeds. Put the chiles in the blender with the broth, onion, garlic, vinegar, oregano, cumin, thyme, cloves, pepper and salt. Keep the whole bay leaf aside.
- Blend until completely smooth. If the skins stay leathery, let the chiles sit in the broth for about 10 minutes, then blend again. Add only enough extra broth to keep the blender moving. Strain if your blender leaves tough pieces of skin.
Dutch oven method
- Keep the oven at 325°F. Put the chicken in a snug Dutch oven, pour over the sauce and turn the pieces to coat. Add the whole bay leaf. The sauce should reach roughly halfway up the chicken; add a small splash of broth if needed.
- Bring to a gentle simmer on the stove. Cover tightly and place in the oven. For thighs, start checking after about 75 minutes; allow roughly 90 to 120 minutes until the meat separates easily with a fork and reaches at least 165°F. See Chicken choices for leaner cuts.
- Check the sauce once during cooking. If it is catching or becoming pasty, add a splash of broth. Keep the pot covered and the simmer gentle.
- Continue with Shred and finish below.
Slow cooker method
- Use 1 cup broth in the blended sauce. Put the thawed chicken in the slow cooker, coat with the sauce and add the bay leaf. Cover.
- Cook thighs on low for about 4 to 6 hours, until fork-tender and at least 165°F. Start checking at 4 hours. Use the shorter cut-specific ranges below for breasts or tenders.
- Lift the cooked chicken into a bowl. If the sauce is watery, transfer it to a saucepan and simmer uncovered until it lightly coats a spoon. Return it to the chicken for the finishing steps.
Shred and finish
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Lift the chicken out of the sauce. If using the Dutch oven and the sauce needs reducing, simmer the sauce alone for a few minutes.
- Pull the chicken apart with two forks and fold it back into the sauce. Keep enough liquid to coat every strand.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice. Taste, then add salt, lime or a small splash of cider vinegar as needed. Warm gently together for about 5 minutes.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet. Fill with the chicken and serve with your chosen toppings.
Recipe notes
- My overnight option: put the shredded chicken and its sauce into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours of cooking. The next day, reheat gently in a covered pan to 165°F, adding a splash of broth if needed. Finish with fresh lime. The overnight rest is optional.
- Guajillos vary in size and heat. Start with the measured weight when possible. Toasting should smell fragrant, never scorched.
- For a shortcut, use about 4 ounces of prepared guajillo paste in place of the dried chiles. Skip the warming step and start with less salt, then taste the cooked sauce before adding more.