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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:
Now let’s pay special attention to point #2 because this fact is how I came to be making beer-braised chicken [4]. 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 [4] (check out the store locator [4] 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!
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[4] beer-braised chicken: http://cbi.as/a1pzi
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