Creamy poblano chicken (pollo con rajas)
Charred, smoky poblano strips, sweet corn and chicken in a creamy melted-cheese sauce, tucked into warm corn tortillas.
- 55 min total
- 40 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $2.97 a serving
- 610 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 3 poblano peppers
- 1¼ lb chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
From your pantry
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 610 calories, 47 g protein, 54 g carbs and 25 g fat, and costs about $2.97 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No limes? Lemons work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the poblanos in a large dry over high heat 8 to 10 minutes, turning with tongs, until blackened in patches all over.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
High heatTimer: 9 min
Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate for 10 minutes, then rub off the loose skin, pull out the stems and seeds, and cut them into strips.
Timer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: The steam loosens the skin. Don’t worry about every last bit; a little char is good.the chicken with the cumin and ½ teaspoon of salt, and wash your hands and board.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Heat the oil in the over medium-high and cook the chicken and onion 6 to 7 minutes, until the thickest strip of chicken reads 165°F.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium-high heatTimer: 6 min 30 sec
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Add the garlic, poblano strips and corn and cook 2 minutes, until the corn is hot.
Medium heatTimer: 2 min
Turn the heat to low and in the sour cream, milk, cheese and the rest of the salt until the cheese into a creamy sauce.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Low heat
Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave them 45 seconds, until warm.
Timer: 45 sec
Spoon the chicken into the tortillas and serve with lime wedges.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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