Slow Braised Chicken Tostadas

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 2 ½ - 3 lbs skin on, bone in chicken (can use a mix of white and dark meat)
• 1 ½ cups chopped white onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp Taco & Chili blend
• 1 14 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• salt & pepper

For the Tostadas & Toppings:

• 1 bag of tostadas
• 1 can refried beans (optional but great on a tostada)
• Toppings of your choice (Cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, onions, jalapenos, etc)

Instructions

1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking.
3. Add chicken and cook until chicken starts to brown, about 7-8 minutes. Flip chicken and cook for another 7-8 minutes.
4. Remove chicken and place in a bowl. Set aside.
5. Using the same dutch over, add a little extra olive oil if necessary and heat.
6. Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
7. Add canned tomatoes, Taco & Chili blend and chicken stock, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Mix and bring to a boil.
8. Add chicken and bury under the tomato mix as much as possible and return to a boil.
9. Reduce heat to low and partially cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour, flipping chicken after 30 minutes.
10. After one hour, the chicken should be fall off the bone tender. Remove chicken from pan and let the chicken and sauce cool.
11. Once the sauce is cooled add to a blender and blend until sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Return sauce to a smaller sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Let simmer until the sauce has thickened up a bit (about 30 minutes), stirring every 10 minutes.
12. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones and shred/tear chicken with your hands into smaller pieces.
13. Return chicken to sauce once it has thickened and reheat in the sauce, stirring to coat evenly.
14. In another pan, heat the refried beans until warm.
15. Top tostadas with beans, chicken and your choice of toppings.

Notes

This chicken can also be used in tacos, burritos, rice bowls and sandwiches (great instead of pulled pork)