Poblano Chicken Stew with Polenta
Our Poblano Chicken Stew with Polenta pairs spices and herbs from Mexican cuisine with creamy polenta from Northern Italy to create a hearty dish that preps in just 10 minutes and cooks in 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
The dish starts with roasted poblano peppers, mild chiles that are commonly used in Mexican cuisine. By roasting the peppers, we took some of the edge off their heat and punched up their rich, smoky flavor. The chipotle chiles — which, fun fact, are actually smoke-dried jalapeños stewed in adobo sauce — add another layer of depth and complexity without making the dish overly fiery. Then we added rotisserie chicken, oregano, tomatoes, onion and garlic, and served it over polenta, a creamy cornmeal porridge. It’s the perfect base for this lightly spicy stew.
The dish’s mild heat makes it a great go-to on cold winter nights, when you want something fast, flavorful and comforting. It will warm you up from the inside out, all with a minimal effort when it comes to prep — and maximal return on investment when it comes to compliments from your family.
4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
3 poblano peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
8 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from the chipotles canned in adobo sauce)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 ounces shredded L&B Rotisserie Chicken (about 1 cup)
3 cups whole milk
¾ cup uncooked quick-cooking polenta
Light sour cream, for serving
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions
- Heat a broiler to high.
- Place the poblano peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and rub with 1 ½ teaspoons oil. Broil for 10 minutes or until blackened on all sides, turning occasionally.
- Wrap the peppers in foil and let stand for 10 minutes. Unwrap, remove the skins and seeds, and coarsely chop the peppers. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion, oregano and garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, chile, adobo sauce and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the peppers, lime juice and chicken. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Meanwhile, bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and the polenta. Whisking constantly, cook until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Place ¾ cup polenta in each of 4 shallow bowls. Top each serving with ¾ cup chicken mixture. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro leaves.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.