Southwest Rooster – Barefeet within the Kitchen

Heat, smoky, and with simply the correct amount of warmth, Southwest Rooster is lightning fast to make. I like this rooster as a result of it’s tremendous straightforward to throw collectively, and my household loves it as a result of it goes effectively with so lots of our favourite meals.

I fell in love with these bite-sized items of rooster years in the past, and this Southwest model has turn out to be a household favourite. It suits proper alongside my different boldly seasoned chicken bites. I could make them a number of instances per week and nonetheless by no means have a chunk leftover.

Southwest Rooster

This rooster is certainly one of my go-to meals to throw collectively for busy weeknights. My boys wrap these tasty morsels of rooster up in tortillas or pile them excessive over rice, and I toss mine with a salad. When everybody will get to eat what they need, dinner is a assured success.

I like that I can cook dinner the meat proper on the finish of my dinner prep and serve it piping scorching with every thing else. It’s nice for these nights after I don’t need to overthink making a tasty dinner.

Components and Substitutions

The Meat – I like boneless skinless rooster thighs as a result of the meat is extra flavorful and forgiving. Rooster breasts can even work. 

Oil – I take advantage of mild flavored olive oil on this recipe. Refined coconut oil will work as effectively.

Daring Spices – The first seasonings that I take advantage of for this rooster are chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and purple pepper flakes. This provides it a daring, barely spicy taste.

Savory Notes – I add a touch of teaspoon of oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder to stability the flavors on this dish. 

Salt and Pepper – I all the time use kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper in my cooking.

Spice Mix – The entire above spices might be substituted with 2 tablespoons of my homemade taco seasoning. That’s, in case you are like me and preserve a jar of it within the cabinet for making rooster like this.

Find out how to Make Southwest Rooster

Chopping the Rooster: I chop the rooster into roughly 1-inch items.

Oiling the Rooster: I place the chopped rooster in a medium-sized bowl and drizzle it with a tablespoon of oil, then toss them with a spatula to coat with oil. 

Seasoning the Rooster: I sprinkle the spices over the bowl with the rooster, then toss the rooster once more with a spatula so they’re evenly coated. 

Resting the Rooster: I let the rooster sit for at the very least 10 minutes. 

Prepping the Pan: When I’m able to cook dinner the seasoned meat, I add 2 tablespoons of oil to a big skillet over excessive warmth.

Cooking the Rooster: As soon as the pan is scorching, I add the rooster to the pan and start cooking it.

Tossing the Rooster: After a minute or two, as soon as the rooster begins to brown, I take advantage of tongs to stir the rooster and flip every bit over.

Ending the Prepare dinner: I let the items of rooster proceed cooking for one more 1-2 minutes, till cooked by.

Serving the Rooster: The rooster is able to eat as quickly because it finishes cooking. 

Serving Recommendations

I virtually all the time serve this rooster at my desk with a facet of my spanish rice or chipotle lime rice. Rice soaks up the spices fantastically and turns the meal into one thing that feels full without having a lot else on the plate.

For a extra hands-on meal, I like tucking this rooster into whole wheat tortillas and letting everybody construct their very own Southwest rooster wraps or tacos. It’s particularly nice if I’m feeding a gaggle with totally different topping preferences.

Make Forward & Storage

Make Forward: I discover that this recipe offers one of the best outcomes after I cook dinner the rooster proper earlier than serving it. However, I do generally prep the meat with the oil and seasonings as much as 24 hours forward of time. Then, I retailer it in a bag within the fridge to let the rooster marinate.

Find out how to Retailer: I let the meat cool, then retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge. It must be good for as much as 3 days.

Find out how to Reheat: I reheat it, loosely lined within the microwave with a splash of water or rooster broth for 15-30 second intervals.

Extra Rooster Recipes

Often Requested Questions