Martha Stewart Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans is an easy dump-and-go family dinner built on jarred salsa and smoky chipotles in adobo. Pinto beans and chicken thighs braise together for 8 hours into a cozy weeknight comfort food bowl.
Top the shredded chicken stew with sour cream, jalapeno, and tortilla chips for a Tex-Mex taco night spread. Soak the dried beans the night before, because they hold their shape better than canned.
Martha Stewart Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans
Course: DinnerCuisine: American, MexicanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes8
hours420
kcalFall-apart chicken thighs in a thick, smoky broth loaded with tender pinto beans, red onion, and sweet bell pepper.
Ingredients
1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed
1 jar (11 ounces) mild or medium salsa (1 ½ cups)
2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Sour cream, finely chopped jalapeno, hot sauce, and tortilla strips or chips, for serving
Directions
- Soak the beans: Place beans in a large bowl; cover with water by several inches. Refrigerate, covered, overnight; drain. (To quick soak, cover beans in a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 1 hour; drain.)
- Layer in the slow cooker: Preheat a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Place beans, salsa, chiles, flour, and 1 cup water in the slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture.
- Add vegetables and cook: Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken. Cover and cook on high heat for 4 hours or on low heat for 8 hours.
- Shred and serve: Transfer chicken from slow cooker to a large plate. Using two forks, shred chicken into large pieces; return to stew. Serve with sour cream, jalapeno, hot sauce, and tortilla strips.
FAQs
Can I use canned beans instead of dried for this Tex-Mex chicken?
Drain and rinse two 15-ounce cans of pinto beans and add them straight to the slow cooker. You can also swap in black beans or cannellini beans. With canned beans, reduce the cooking time by about 1 hour on high or 2 hours on low, since they are already cooked through.
How do I store leftover slow-cooker Tex-Mex chicken and beans?
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over a gentle simmer, or bake covered at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Stir in a splash of water or chicken broth if the stew has thickened too much overnight.
What if I don’t have a slow cooker for this recipe?
Use a 5-quart Dutch oven in a 350-degree oven instead. Swap dried beans for two 15-ounce cans (drained and rinsed), double the water to 2 cups, and bake covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the chicken shreds with a fork. Everything else stays the same.
How spicy is this Tex-Mex chicken and beans?
With 2 tablespoons of chopped chipotles in adobo, the dish has a medium kick. Cut that to 1 tablespoon if you are sensitive to heat. Choosing a mild jarred salsa brings the whole dish down another notch, and you can always add more fire at the table with hot sauce.
Can I freeze slow-cooker Tex-Mex chicken and beans?
The stew freezes well for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. Let it cool completely before freezing and leave about an inch of headspace, since the liquid expands. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of broth to loosen it.
