This dish is like the mullet of Mexican food: it tempers the healthful protein of chicken breast with the decadent fattiness of chorizo. Everyone wins! I grilled the chicken, but you could cook it any way that works for you. Most restaurants drown this dish in cheese, but it really only needs a little bit to tie the dish together. Would also be delicious with a fried egg on top.
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| From the left: yellow rice, pico de gallo, chori pollo, avocado, and black refried beans. |
4 chicken breasts
2 links or ~1/2 pound loose chorizo
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
3 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. lard
1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano
1 Tbsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Adobo seasoning
1/2 tsp. cayenne
salt to taste
1/2 c. grated Queso de Oaxaca or Monterrey Jack, if desired
If the chicken pieces are irregularly sized, pound until they are flat and uniform in thickness. Salt the chicken breasts to taste. Combine the oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, adobo, and cayene, then rub the spice mixture onto the breasts. Drizzle with oil and place them in a ziploc to marinate for 1 hour or more.
Heat the lard in a frying pan and add the chorizo (remove it from casings if you have links). Cook thoroughly until starting to crisp. Add the onions and peppers and saute until the peppers are tender.
Grill or pan-fry the chicken breasts. On my propane grill I pre-heated up to 500 and placed them on the grill, then immediately turned the heat down to 50% and closed the lid. I cooked them for about 5 minutes, or until the edges appeared cooked but the center was still a bit raw. I flipped them and only cooked for about 2 minutes more. They came out perfect and juicy.
Chop up the chicken breasts and place on the plate, topping it with the chorizo mixture and a sprinkle of cheese. Buen provecho!