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Chicken Birria (Birria de Pollo)

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PREP TIME
30 min
COOKING TIME
40 min
TOTAL TIME
80 min
SERVINGS
6 servings
Dinner
Chicken Birria (Birria de Pollo)
Ingredients
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 dried de árbol chile, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 1 medium white onion, quartered, divided
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup crispy tortilla strips
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste
  • 6 lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
1
Gather all necessary ingredients beforehand.
2
Add chicken broth to a medium-sized saucepan and place it over the stovetop, turning the heat up to its highest setting. Bring the broth to a boil and then remove it from the heat source. Subsequently, add dried chiles to the saucepan and let them sit for 10 minutes until they become soft.
3
While waiting for the chiles to soften, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cooking vessel or Dutch oven over the stovetop, operating at its highest medium setting. Add 3 of the onion quarters and garlic to the pan. Continue cooking, flipping occasionally, until they are nicely charred, approximately 6 minutes.
4
Take the pan off the heat source and transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a blender. Add chicken broth, chiles, tomatoes, vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, cumin, oregano, pepper, and cloves to the blender. Securely close the lid on the blender and remove its central piece to allow steam to escape, while covering it with a clean towel. Process the mixture until everything is well combined, taking about 1 to 2 minutes.
5
Pour the blended chile mixture into a fine mesh strainer and transfer it to a large bowl.
6
Season the remaining chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Add another tablespoon of oil to the large pot and heat it over medium-high settings again. Add the chicken to the pot and cook, flipping once, until it is golden brown on both sides, approximately 3 minutes per side.
7
Pour the blended chile mixture over the cooked chicken and place a bay leaf on top. Cover the pot with a lid and cook over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, taking about 25 minutes.
8
While waiting for the chicken to cook, chop the remaining onion quarter and set it aside.
9
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the chile mixture and shred it. Divide the shredded chicken evenly among 6 bowls, ladling the soup over each serving of chicken in the bowls. Top with the reserved chopped onion, tortilla strips if desired, cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.