Ancho Chicken Breasts

Ancho Chicken Breasts

Ancho Chicken is a chicken recipe Rick has made since 1995, soon after he started traveling to New Mexico and discovered Southwest and New Mexican Cooking. Southwest cooking remains his favorite cuisine. This is a simple recipe and one of our personal favorites.

The Ancho Chile marinade imparts a great Chile Pepper flavor without being too hot.  Ancho peppers are one of the main chiles used in Southwest and Mexican cooking since they combine well with other spices, allowing all the other flavors to come through.  If you want a hotter chile flavor, add a teaspoon of New Mexico Hot Red Chile Powder or New Mexico Hot Green Chile Powder.

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
3-4 Tablespoons Ancho Chile Marinade
½ Cup Olive Oil
4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken breasts

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in a small bowl. Place the chicken breasts in a glass dish or marinating container and cover with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Cook the breasts over a medium-hot grill for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until done. Marinated chicken breasts cook in less time, but you still should check the internal temperature to make sure it’s 165 F. Watch close so they don’t burn.

You can also bake them at 425 F for 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165 F.

Serve with a traditional side of rice and pinto or black beans, and you have a fiesta ready for your guests.

We also have a Pintos with Poblano Chile Recipe, which is great with this and another Southwest recipe. Actually, we make it to go with burgers and just about any grilled dish.