Beer-Braised Chicken Nachos

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I’ve been making a lot of carnitas lately, but today I’m switching it up and using chicken thighs, which I believe to be one of the juiciest parts of the chicken. There are several reasons why I love cooking with chicken thighs:

1. I’m Hispanic and so we had a lot of pork growing up. Eating pork is like a way of life. But if you want to opt for chicken, the thighs are like pork’s cousin.
2. It’s EASY. Really easy. Embarrassingly easy.
3. Chicken thighs are flavorful all on their own and therefore, very forgiving when it comes to pairing with spices and marinades.
4. Shredded chicken goes with anything. Taco? Check. Enchiladas? Check. A breakfast hash? Check, check, check.

Now let’s pay special attention to point #2 because this fact is how I came to be making beer-braised chicken. To braise, in case you don’t know, is to slow roast. You can make chicken with a beer braise like this recipe, or with mojo marinade, or really any other way you’d like!

The key is to slow cook the chicken because then you end up with this incredibly tender and deliciously juicy meat that shreds easily, and eats even easier.

How many times do you think I can type the word ‘easy’ or some variation for the purpose of this recipe? Because nachos are also easy. Who doesn’t love the crunch of chips with your favorite toppings? Who wouldn’t prefer for their food to be handheld? There is no need for utensils. Let’s be honest because we’re all friends here. You need handheld food because when it’s Cinco de Mayo and you have a bottle of beer in one hand, you still need to be eating with the other.

And when you take a break from having a beer and some nachos, you take a whack at a Luchador pinata because that’s how one properly celebrates the 5th of May.

The Luchador whacking can’t happen until good food is involved – it’s just a fact. So here’s what you do. About two hours before you plan on eating, get to braising the chicken thighs with some beer, specifically Modelo Especial (check out the store locator to find it near you!) I find that this Pilsner-style Lager pairs best for this purpose because the lighter beer allows the other spices and flavors of the chicken to shine through more.

Modelo Especial is at the top of my list because it has a crisp, refreshing taste that’s incredibly well balanced with its orange blossom honey aroma with a hint of herb. I’m not at all surprised to learn that it’s the “fastest-growing” import beer in America right now. Trust me when I say that this is the beer you’ll need to kick off your Cinco de Mayo celebration in the right way. After all, Modelo Especial has been part of Mexican culture since 1925.

You take the beer, some spice, some herbs and let sit there in the slow cooker smelling all wonderful. While it’s tempting to just hang out in your kitchen and breathe in the scent, it’s best to just let it be. It doesn’t want to be bothered. It’s just wanting to do its job and make you happy at the end of the day.

When the chicken is done, it’s time to assemble the nachos. I can almost hear the crunch. My toppings of choice are black beans, corn, jalapeno, Mexican four cheese, tomato, shallot, avocado, cilantro, and microgreens. Make these nachos robust.

Assemble them in a casserole dish because when you have layers of nachos, it’s best to just scoop them out and serve a large chunk to each person. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Print Recipe

Beer-Braised Chicken Nachos

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 ¼ pounds)
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 12-ounce can Modelo Especial®
• 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles

Nachos

• Tortilla chips
• Mexican four cheese
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and stem removed, diced and/or sliced
• ½ shallot, sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Cilantro
• Microgreens
• Lime juice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper; set aside.
2. Heat up the avocado oil in a pan set over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides. There is no need to cook all the way through as the chicken will finish in the slow cooker.
3. Removed brown chicken from pan and transfer to a bowl. Pour the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat. Transfer chicken to slow cooker; add bay leaf and beer. Cook on high for 2 hours, or until chicken is tender and can be shredded with a fork. Remove from slow cooker, shred, and mix with diced green chiles.
4. To assemble nachos: Preheat oven to 350*F. In a casserole dish or baking sheet, layer in order: tortilla chips, shredded chicken, black beans, corn, cheese. Repeat these layers until you have used up your ingredients, ending with a final topping of cheese. Top with jalapeno and shallot and cook for 25 minutes uncovered. Once cheese is melted, remove nachos from oven and top with tomato, avocado, cilantro, microgreens and lime juice.

This recipe can be used in the Instant Pot by using the saute feature instead of browning in a pan and then switching to the slow cooker feature when ready. Set to high and make sure the steam is set to venting. Slow cook for 2 hours.