mexican

This Creamy Mexican Chicken recipe combines tender chicken with rich flavours from chipotle, tomatoes, and almonds. The dish is finished with a zesty guacamole and fresh coriander, making it perfect for a hearty family meal that’s loaded with flavour and nourishment whilst being easy to prepare.

I love to cook – it’s almost a kind of creative release when I step into the kitchen. I rarely plan too far beyond a core ingredient (generally protein) and never really know what’s going to happen until I check out what veggies and flavour boosters are in the fridge.

This is basically how I bring recipes together to share with you. I put together a combination of flavours in a first run and if I think it is up to a ‘Well Nourished’ standard, I scribble it on a piece of paper and come back to it another day for a formal trial run (and hope I can find that piece of paper – I really need a better system).

My aim with every recipe is obviously to make it as delicious and nourishing as possible (and also simple to make). In my household, it doesn’t matter how ‘healthy’ a meal is, if it doesn’t taste good, then no ones happy (kids because they don’t like it, hubby and I because they are complaining, food’s going to waste and we don’t want it for the lunch the next day because we aren’t really enjoying it also)!!

But I digress – back to this recipe for Creamy Mexican Chicken which simply ticks all the boxes. Delicious, nutritious, tasty as anything and SO quick and easy to make. There are no complaints when this is on the menu!

Health benefits

This gluten-free dish offers protein from chicken and black beans, which also add fibre for a filling and balanced meal. Almonds provide healthy fats and vitamin E, while chipotle adds a smoky spice rich in antioxidants. With the avocado in guacamole, you’ll also get a boost of healthy monounsaturated fats.

Ingredients

To make this creamy Mexican chicken, you’ll need boneless chicken thighs, garlic, canned tomatoes, chipotle in adobo sauce, raw almonds, celery, chicken broth or stock, black beans, fresh coriander (fresh cilantro), avocados, lime juice, and seasoning. These ingredients come together to create a smoky, creamy, and satisfying meal.

How to make creamy Mexican chicken

In a blender, combine the garlic, tomatoes, chipotle, almonds, celery, stock, and salt to create a smooth sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and black beans in a large pot, then simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. For guacamole, mash the avocado with lime juice and season to taste. When the chicken is tender, stir in the fresh coriander, and serve with guacamole on the side.

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve this dish with a slaw, rice, or as a filling for tacos, corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it freezes well too. Reheat gently over low heat to preserve the creaminess of the sauce.

Vary this creamy Mexican chicken to suit your needs

For a vegan version, substitute the chicken with tempeh and use vegetable stock. Make it nut-free by swapping almonds for sunflower seeds. If you’re cooking gluten-free, check that your chipotle is certified gluten-free. For a slow-cooked option, bake in a cast iron pan at 150°C for 90 minutes for a melt-in-your-mouth result. This can certainly cooked in a slow cooker. However, as the speed and temperature varies between the many brands of slow cookers, base the amount of liquid you add and the cook time on a similar style of recipe in the guide book for your specific slow cooker. The general rule of thumb is to halve the liquid and double the cook time, but understanding your own slow cooker is the best guide.

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements (including vegan).

For more delicious, easy to make healthy meal recipes, click HERE.

Print Recipe

4.95 from 20 votes

Creamy Mexican Chicken

Seriously simple to make, but SO delicious to eat. This Creamy Mexican Chicken is just divine and gluten, grain and dairy-free.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless and skinless chicken thighs -roughly diced (or drumsticks)
• 2 clove/s garlic -finely chopped
• 400 g diced tinned tomatoes
• 1-2 chipotle in adobe sauce *see note below
• 70 g raw almonds (½ cup)
• 3 stick/s celery -roughly chopped
• 120 ml chicken broth or stock (½ cup)
• 1 tsp sea salt - or to taste
• 400 g can black beans -drained and rinsed (or 1 cup cooked black beans)
• 1 bunch/s fresh coriander leaves -finely chopped

Quick guacamole

• 2 avocado/s -peeled and flesh removed
• 1 lime/s (small) - juice
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper -to taste

Instructions

• * Note - Chipotle in Adobe sauce are available in most big supermarkets or gourmet delis. They are the flavour hero of this dish and give it a little heat and a beautiful smokey flavour (obviously the more you add the spicier it becomes - 1 chili pepper is still mild, 2 chili peppers add a tiny amount of heat). Once you've opened the can, store leftovers in an airtight glass jar in the fridge. They last forever this way and trust me, you will make this meal again! If you happen to have the paste (so no visible chili peppers), then 1tsp is about the same as 1 chipotle chilli.
• If you don't have chipotle you can sub with a heaped teaspoon of cumin and smokey paprika. This option will have no heat at all. If you only use just one chipotle, perhaps add ½ teaspoon of cumin and smokey paprika too.
• Place the garlic, tomatoes, chipotle, almonds, celery, stock and sea salt in a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth. If using a Thermomix, 1 minute, speed 7.
• Put your chicken thighs into a large pot with the black beans and sauce, cover and simmer over a low to moderate heat for approx. 30 minutes. If using a Thermomix, add the chicken and black beans to the sauce and cook 30 minutes, temp 90, reverse lowest speed.
• To make the guacamole, mash the avocado and mix with the lime juice and seasoning.
• Once the chicken is cooked, mix through the coriander and serve with the guacamole (and any of the suggestions below).

Serve

• with a slaw or simple salad (here I've served it with shredded cabbage, mint, shallots and grated carrot tossed in the juice of one lime) 
• with rice or quinoa (a good choice for corn-free)
• as a sauce for nachos in tacos or tortilla wraps if your not dairy-free, my family love a dollop of sour cream too 

Make-ahead

• Re-heat in a pot over a low heat until just hot.

Store

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Can also be frozen.

Grab Bag Formula Method

• If you've done the **Grab Bag Formula Short Course, this is the method to convert this recipe...
• Place the garlic, tomatoes, chipotle, almonds, celery, stock and sea salt in a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth.
• Into your Grab Bag, place the chicken thighs, sauce and black beans. Carefully seal your Grab Bag. I close most of the seal then press out as much air as I can then complete the seal. Place the Grab Bag in the freezer.
• To cook, remove the Grab Bag from the freezer, place on a baking tray and thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Tip the contents of the Grab Bag into a large oven proof dish (with a tight fitting lid) or Dutch oven. It may still be a bit frozen; that’s okay. Place the lid on the pot, set your oven to 150°C/300°F (fan-forced) and cook for 2 hours.
• ** The Grab Bag Formula Short Course is available to purchase for just AU$46 HERE.

  OR

  If you are a full-access Well Nourished Family member, the course is included in your membership and you can access in the members portal - HERE.

Notes

Vegan

Replace the chicken with slices of tempeh and the broth with vegetable stock. 

Nut-free

Replace the almonds with toasted sunflower seeds.

Slow cooked

I have also slow cooked this in a cast iron pan in the oven 150℃ for 90 minutes.

Garlic-free

Replace the garlic with a tsp of cumin powder.

Legume-free

Simply omit the beans.

Gluten-free

Just make sure the Chipotles are gluten-free (generally they are but please check if you are coeliac).

 

Hope you enjoy it and I'd love to hear how you enjoy it? Post a comment below.