This is one of those recipes where the smell of adobo sauce slowly begins to expand through the kitchen, making your mouth water as the hours go by. This is a SLOW cook recipe, either in a traditional slow cooker, or in your oven using a dutch oven. I have done it both ways and actually prefer the dutch oven method. Cooking meats slowly gives them that tender, flavor-infused, easily-shredded quality. This is a recipe that takes 5-10 minutes to put together, and then you can do work, get on a conference call, play with your children, do the laundry, or head out for a hike (if you are using the oven, I do not advise you leave the house with your oven on!).

Adobo is a Spanish technique of immersing raw foods in a spiced sauce. Canned chipotle in adobo sauce is a staple of my pantry, always good to have on hand to add flavor to soups, chiles, and tacos. I often will make a double batch, using half chicken thighs, half chicken breasts. The meat can then be used for multiple meals: with tortillas for tacos as I have done here, paired with rice and vegetables, or even used as a salad topper for lunches!

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN ADOBO TACOS

YIELD: 4 servings ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 2-8 hours

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato salsa
2 T canned chipotles in adobo, chopped
1 T chili powder
salt and pepper
tortilla or hard taco shells of your choice
Toppings (optional): cilantro, sour cream, cheese, lime wedges, avocado, sprouts

METHODS:

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.
For oven process: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 5 quart dutch oven with a tight fitting lid, and place all ingredients in the dutch oven. Add 2 cups of water and cook in oven for 2 hours.
When cooking is done, remove chicken and shred with two forks, moisten with cooking juices.
Serve on soft or hard taco shells, with cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges, avocado for topping.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories 201 / Carbs 22g / Fat 4g / Sat Fat 1g / Protein 19g / Sodium 394mg / Sugar 4g.

SLOW FOOD: CHICKEN ADOBO TACOS