Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans

(272)
Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
8 hrs 15 mins
Servings:
4

For a hearty dinner of fix-and-forget chicken stew, use a high-quality salsa to save time without skimping on flavor; choose a jar with a short ingredient list. This chicken recipe appears in our cookbook "Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker" (Clarkson Potter).

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed

  • 1 jar (11 ounces) mild or medium salsa (1 ½ cups)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

  • 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 1 red onion, chopped

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped

  • Sour cream, finely chopped jalapeno, hot sauce, and tortilla strips or chips, for serving

Directions

  1. Place beans in a large bowl; cover with water by several inches. Refrigerate, covered, overnight; drain. (To quick soak, cover beans in a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 1 hour; drain.)

  2. Preheat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

  3. Place beans, salsa, chiles, flour, and 1 cup water in the slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours (or on high for 4 hours).

  4. Transfer chicken from slow cooker to a large plate. Using two forks, shred chicken into large pieces; return to stew. Serve with sour cream, jalapeno, hot sauce, and tortilla strips.

    tex mex beans
    Stephen Kent Johnson
Originally appeared: Everyday Food, November 2007

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