Chicken in Poblano Cream Sauce is an elegant dish that is easy to make. Plus, you can change the ingredients to fit your diet without any sacrifice of flavor.
Roasted Poblano chiles
Roasting poblano chiles is a kitchen skill that everyone should learn, especially if you love the flavors of the American Southwest. If you can roast a marshmallow, you definitely have the skill set for roasting a chile poblano. Perhaps the most challenging aspect will be finding fresh chile poblano in your supermarket. But if you request them, most supermarkets will track down the item you are looking for.
There are canned chile poblanos available and there are also seeds for the chefs with green thumbs. I prefer the fresh variety, but definitely use what you can find.
A whole chicken typically weighs between 3-4 pounds (1.3kg-1.8kg) so you can use a whole cut-up chicken for this recipe. However, you can use only chicken breasts or chicken thighs too, if that is your preference. Make sure to use the bone-in, skin on variety for best flavor. Lower the fat of this dish by removing the skin, but always use bone-in chicken for extra rich flavor.
Rich and Satisfying
Chicken in Poblano Cream Sauce is delicious when served over Mexican Style Rice, Basic White Rice or pasta. You can use the leftovers for a topping for baked potatoes or for a filling for savory crepes. I think you could even make a savory pie filling with Chicken in Poblano Cream Sauce, but I have not tried that yet. I’m getting inspired!
If you find yourself inspired also, add some chopped mushrooms to your Chicken in Poblano Cream Sauce. You can also top this dish with chopped green scallions, or grated parmesan cheese. Occasionally I will add chopped sundried tomatoes and omit the carrots. Fresh corn kernels are a delicious addition too!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as out family does!
Chicken in Poblano Cream Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh poblano chiles (480g)
2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil (30ml)
1 medium onion, chopped
3–4 lbs. chicken pieces (1.3kg-1.8kg)
1lb. carrots, chopped (480g)
2 cups heavy cream (480ml)
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Wash and pat dry the fresh chiles. To roast the poblano chiles, place the fresh chiles directly on a gas burner flame or on a baking pan underneath an electric or gas broiler. Allow the chiles to roast until they are well blackened. Use metal tongs to turn the chiles so that they roast evenly. Once the chiles are well blackened, roll them up in a clean kitchen towel and place the bundle in a paper bag. Allow the chiles to sweat for at least 10 minutes or allow to cool completely. Unwrap the chiles and scrape away the blackened skin. Cut away the top stem and slice open the chile. Rinse away any remaining seeds or blackened skin. Slice into strips and then set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a 10” (25cm) skillet/sauté pan with a lid or Dutch oven. Brown the onions over medium heat until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces to pan along with the carrots and brown for about 20 minutes. Cover if desired while browning.*
Remove the lid of the pan and turn the chicken pieces over. Add the cream, chiles, and garlic. Simmer over low heat covered for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes until the cream sauce is reduced and chicken is cooked through.
*I prefer to brown chicken uncovered for firmer skin texture.
Variation with milk: Use 2 cups (480ml) of whole or 2% milk instead of heavy cream. Do not use skim or non-fat milk. Remove the chicken from the pan after the sauce has reduced for 10 minutes. Mix 2 tsp. (4g) of corn starch with ¼ cup (60ml) of water, combining well. Pour quickly into the simmering sauce, and simmer for 3-4 minutes more. Return chicken to pan and coat with sauce.
Variation with almond milk: Before you cook the chicken, toast ¼ cup (24g) slivered blanched almonds in 1 tbsp. (15ml) of olive or vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes. Use 2 cups (480ml) of unflavored, unsweetened almond milk instead of heavy cream. Once the almonds are light golden in color, remove from the pan and blend together with almond milk and garlic. Proceed with the chicken recipe.
Remove the chicken from the pan after the sauce has reduced for 10 minutes. Mix 2 tsp. (4g) of corn starch with ¼ cup (60ml) of water, combining well. Pour quickly into the simmering sauce, and simmer for 3-4 minutes more. Return chicken to pan and coat with sauce.
Notes
Whole milk version calories 311 fat 10g
Almond milk version calories 310 fat 11g
*Lesson learned- A good & proper way to sweat pobla o chilis
*Used 2%milk
*Used chicken thighs w/skin on… directions did not indicate to remove skins. When chicken was removed for adding milk, I put in the oven and browned using my broiler.
*Used 3/4 lb carrots cut into diagonal circles..1 lb seems like a lot
I prepared this dish using directions w/ingredients above. I think I was expecting more of a Mexican taste. While dish was good, its sweet flavors (to me) leaned toward French cooking. I enjoyed the fact that the meal came together rather quick (after broiling the chicken in the oven). I would say if you like sweet flavors on chicken, this meal is for you. Thank you for providing me a new adventure in cooking!
Thank you so much for the lovely review! MG