Southwest Hen

Heat, smoky, and with simply the correct amount of warmth, Southwest Hen is lightning fast to make. I like this rooster as a result of it’s tremendous simple to throw collectively, and my household loves it as a result of it goes nicely with so lots of our favourite meals.

A horizontally aligned photo of a plate full of crispy, juicy southwest chicken bites.

I fell in love with these bite-sized items of rooster years in the past, and this Southwest model has grow to be a household favourite. It suits proper alongside my different boldly seasoned chicken bites. I could make them a number of occasions every week and nonetheless by no means have a chew leftover.

This rooster is one in all my go-to meals to throw collectively for busy weeknights. My boys wrap these tasty morsels of rooster up in tortillas or pile them excessive over rice, and I toss mine with a salad. When everybody will get to eat what they need, dinner is a assured success.

I like that I can cook dinner the meat proper on the finish of my dinner prep and serve it piping sizzling with all the things else. It’s nice for these nights once I don’t wish to overthink making a tasty dinner.

A vertically aligned, close up shot of cooked chicken on a blue and white plate.

Elements and Substitutions

The Meat – I like boneless skinless rooster thighs as a result of the meat is extra flavorful and forgiving. Hen breasts will even work.

Oil – I exploit gentle flavored olive oil on this recipe. Refined coconut oil will work as nicely.

Daring Spices – The first seasonings that I exploit for this rooster are chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and crimson pepper flakes. This provides it a daring, barely spicy taste.

Savory Notes – I add a splash of teaspoon of oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder to steadiness the flavors on this dish.

Salt and Pepper – I at all times use kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper in my cooking.

Spice Mix – All the above spices will be substituted with 2 tablespoons of my homemade taco seasoning. That’s, in case you are like me and maintain a jar of it within the cabinet for making rooster like this.

A vertically aligned shot of cooked pieces of chicken on a blue and white plate on a wooden tabletop.

Make Southwest Hen

Chopping the Hen: I chop the rooster into roughly 1-inch items.

Oiling the Hen: I place the chopped rooster in a medium-sized bowl and drizzle it with a tablespoon of oil, then toss them with a spatula to coat with oil.

Seasoning the Hen: I sprinkle the spices over the bowl with the rooster, then toss the rooster once more with a spatula so they’re evenly coated.

Resting the Hen: I let the rooster sit for not less than 10 minutes.

A close up shot of southwest chicken bites in the pan.

Prepping the Pan: When I’m able to cook dinner the seasoned meat, I add 2 tablespoons of oil to a big skillet over excessive warmth.

Cooking the Hen: As soon as the pan is sizzling, I add the rooster to the pan and start cooking it.

Tossing the Hen: After a minute or two, as soon as the rooster begins to brown, I exploit tongs to stir the rooster and flip every bit over.

Ending the Cook dinner: I let the items of rooster proceed cooking for one more 1-2 minutes, till cooked by.

Serving the Hen: The rooster is able to eat as quickly because it finishes cooking.

Skilled Tip

Do you wish to know the most important mistake I used to make when cooking meat? I used to be by no means affected person sufficient. It took me a very long time to lastly study to not rush the pan. Now, I give the skillet time to completely warmth up earlier than including the rooster. The meat ought to greet the pan with loads of sizzle! Then, I give it sufficient time to sear correctly and caramelize earlier than I toss it.

Lower Evenly, Cook dinner Evenly – I can not overstress the significance of slicing the rooster into items which can be the identical dimension. This lets the rooster end on the similar time, as a substitute of ending with a panful of undercooked and overcooked rooster.

Don’t Overcrowd the Pan – I solely ever cook dinner a single layer of those Southwest rooster bites at a time. And, I depart room for airflow. If the meat is swimming in liquid, it won’t get these great crispy edges that give it a lot texture and taste.

Take away From the Warmth – As quickly because the rooster is completed, I take away the juicy items from the pan. If you happen to allow them to sit on the recent pan, they may proceed cooking and dry out.

Serving Options

I nearly at all times serve this rooster at my desk with a aspect of my spanish rice or chipotle lime rice. Rice soaks up the spices fantastically and turns the meal into one thing that feels full with no need a lot else on the plate.

For a extra hands-on meal, I like tucking this rooster into whole wheat tortillas and letting everybody construct their very own Southwest rooster wraps or tacos. It’s particularly nice if I’m feeding a gaggle with completely different topping preferences.

A vertically aligned photo of crispy chicken on a plate with a grey tea towel visible in the background.

Make Forward & Storage

Make Forward: I discover that this recipe provides the perfect outcomes once I cook dinner the rooster proper earlier than serving it. However, I do generally prep the meat with the oil and seasonings as much as 24 hours forward of time. Then, I retailer it in a bag within the fridge to let the rooster marinate.

Retailer: I let the meat cool, then retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge. It ought to be good for as much as 3 days.

Reheat: I reheat it, loosely coated within the microwave with a splash of water or rooster broth for 15-30 second intervals.

Extra Hen Recipes

Continuously Requested Questions

Can I make this rooster much less spicy?

I discover that the warmth is kind of delicate. If I’m serving somebody who is anxious about how spicy it’s, then I’ll scale back or remove the crimson pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.

Can I make it spicier?

Completely! I like that with selfmade cooking, I can modify the spice stage to swimsuit my private choice. If I wish to dial up the warmth, I double the crimson pepper flakes and add extra cayenne pepper. However, you can even add sizzling sauces and different condiments to boost the warmth.

Do I’ve to make use of rooster thighs?

In no way. I personally don’t use rooster breasts, as a result of rooster thighs keep juicier and my household prefers them. Nevertheless, rooster breasts will work on this recipe. Simply scale back the cooking time barely and take care to not overcook and dry the meat out.

Cube the rooster into small items, roughly ¾″-1″ in dimension. Put aside in a medium dimension bowl. In a small dish or measuring cup, mix the entire spices. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and the entire spices to the bowl with the rooster. Toss nicely to mix. Let relaxation for not less than 10 minutes.
Warmth 2 tablespoons of oil in a really giant skillet over excessive warmth. When the oil is sizzling, add the rooster. Saute, turning or stirring continually, till the rooster is browned on the surface and cooked by. This can take just some minutes. Take care to not overcook the rooster.
Take away the rooster items from the pan when they’re completed cooking. As a result of the items are small, they may dry out if left within the sizzling pan.

All the above spices will be substituted with 2 tablespoons of this Homemade Taco Seasoning in case you have it available. If you happen to’re substituting with a store-bought taco seasoning, it’s possible you’ll wish to go a bit bit lighter with it, as most store-bought seasoning blends are likely to include extra salt.