Guajillo Chile Braised Chicken Legs

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Alright new recipe time! Up next is Guajillo Chile Braised Chicken Legs. If you’ve never used braising before when cooking meats, you’re missing out. Braised chicken legs (or other types of meats) are one of the most fool proof ways to cook meat. Braising keeps the meat juicy and tender and the flavors of the sauces cook down to an amazing reduction.

If you’ve already made our Ancho Chile Sauce you can just use that and skip a huge step of this recipe. If not, try this similar style gaujillo chile sauce that is just as good. Guajillo, when paired with pasilla and ancho chiles are the three main spices in mole dishes, actually. Guajillo is named for the region in which the chiles are grown.  Enough backlog, get to cooking!

If you’ve never tried braising meat before this braised chicken legs recipe should have helped you develop some of the necessary skills to do so! Try this style out (searing and then cooking with liquid) with other types of meat as well.

Here’s how to make it:

DESCRIPTION:
Preparation: 10m
Cook Time: 1h
Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 chicken legs (with thighs)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons guajillo chile powder
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped
  • water (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Saute bell peppers, onion, garlic and jalapeno until cooked thoroughly. There are no rigid amounts here because it depends what YOU like. If you like more onion, use more onion. If you like more pepper, use more pepper. Toss in BlendTec or other similar blender with a splash of water for consistency. Add in guajillo chile powder and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse to desired consistency.
  2. Using a cast iron skillet, melt some coconut oil on a reasonably high heat. Take chicken legs and place them skin side down for 3-4 minutes or until skin is crispy and brown.
  3. Pour half of the sauce on the chicken then flip the chicken over and cover with the rest of the sauce. Should be about an inch or so of sauce in the pan. If there’s not that much liquid than add a little bit of water.
  4. Bake the chicken mixture at 350 F for 45 minutes or until the chicken falls off the bone. Watch the sauce and if it starts to burn on the cast iron skillet too much you can always add a bit more water.