Today, we’re putting on our coziest sweaters and making a big ol’ pot of Chicken Tomatillo Stew. This restorative Sunday-kind-of-meal features juicy braised chicken swimming in a sauce comprised of roasted tomatillos, jalapeños, onions, and garlic. Served over fluffy rice with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of crumbled fried chicken skin, this dish delivers industrial-strength comfort in a surprisingly light, refreshing way.
Before we start, I want you to know I am inadvertently referencing a Guatemalan dish called Jocón. It is inadvertent because I didn’t know it existed until I started developing today’s Chicken Tomatillo Stew. I came across it in my research, and I’m always happy when I come across a dish I had no idea existed. Even for someone who writes, thinks, and endlessly cooks food, finding new-to-me dishes happens more often than you would think. Yet further proof that food as a subject is endlessly vast and unknowable.
I’m not one to gatekeep food knowledge, so here’s where I learned a bit more about the dish. There is also a recipe, so you can try your hand at it. There are quite a few striking differences between the dish I’m presenting today and the Guatemalan delicacy, but credit where credit is due. Jocón has been around for a heck of a lot longer (it can be traced back to the Mayans) than my little ditty.
Okay, let’s talk stew. I’m going to ask you to do something a little crazy right off the bat. I need you to preheat the oven, grab two large baking sheets, and skin your chicken legs. Yes, all of these directions are related, and yes, it will result in smaltz. Lucky you! If the thought of skinning chicken legs makes you trepidatious, let me reassure you. Skinning chicken legs is surprisingly simple. And while it may sound gross to describe it this way, it’s a lot like taking off a wet sock. Ugh! Sorry! I know this is a food blog; I should at least try to keep things appetizing.
Once the skin is off the legs, arrange the pieces on one of the baking sheets. It’s okay if your skin doesn’t come off in one clean piece. It’s a good thing to aim for, for tidiness’s sake. But if it doesn’t work out that way, don’t sweat it. We’re going to crumble up the skin a little later anyway.
Place the second baking sheet on top of the skin and pop the lot into the oven. Roast for 15 minutes, flip the skin, and roast for 7-8 minutes more. When the skin emerges, it should be crisp and rigid, and you should have a sizeable pool of smaltz waiting for you. Pour said smaltz over a can of drained tomatillos, onion wedges, jalapeños, and cloves of garlic. Give everything a quick toss to coat and place it on the baking sheet you roasted the skin in. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until everything is blistered.
Once everything is charred enough for your liking, blitz your blistered beauties until smooth. Grab a braiser or a heavy-bottom pot and pour in the purée. Nestle the naked chicken legs into the sauce, cover, and cook in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes; flip the chicken and cook for 25 more. When the chicken is fall-apart tender, simply shred the chicken, discard the bones, and return the meat to the sauce.
From here, you can serve the stew in a multitude of ways: in tacos, over mashed potatoes, or over rice, like I did. I love serving this stew over a 50/50 mix of brown and Jasmine rice, and my preferred garnish is a dollop of sour cream, thin slices of jalapeño, lightly pickled shallots, and fresh cilantro. The only garnish that is truly mandatory is that crumbled crispy chicken skin. Truly life-changing, don’t give it a miss.
And that’s everything you need to know about this Chicken Tomatillo Stew. Simple, warming, and endlessly flavourful, this dish was made for cozy season.
Enjoy!
Chicken Tomatillo Stew
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven and line one baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Skin the chicken legs and arrange the skins on the lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with roughly ⅓ of the salt. Place another piece of parchment on top of the skins, and place the remaining baking sheet on top of that.4 whole chicken legs, 1 tsp kosher salt
- Transfer everything to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and the top piece of parchment, and bake for another 7 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through.
- Sprinkle the now-skinned chicken legs all over with the remaining salt. Chill until ready to use.1 tsp kosher salt
- While the skin is roasting, whisk to combine the shallots, vinegar, and half of the lime juice. Set aside to pickle at room temperature.2 shallots, ½ cup rice wine vinegar, 2 limes
- When the skin is crisp, transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel and set them aside to drain. Pour the chicken fat from the baking sheet into a small bowl. Set the fat aside.
- Place the tomatillos, onions, garlic, and jalapeños in a large bowl. Add the reserved chicken fat and toss to coat. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet you used to roast the chicken skin. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until blistered.2 yellow onions, 6 cloves garlic, 3 jalapeños, 1 820ml, 29 fl oz can tomatillos, drained
- When the tomatillo mixture is ready, take it out of the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Transfer the blistered veg to a food processor and add the chicken stock, oregano, and cumin. Blitz until lightly chunky.1 ½ cups chicken stock, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp ground cumin
- Pour the mixture into a braiser or large heavy-bottom pot. Nestle the chicken legs into the sauce and cover. Transfer to the oven and cook for 50-55 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through.
- Transfer the chicken legs to a casserole dish and, using two forks, shred the chicken meat and discard the bones. Return the meat to the sauce and add the remaining lime juice. Stir to combine.2 limes
- Serve the finished stew over rice and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, jalapeño slices, crumbled chicken skin, lightly pickled shallots, and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
