Chicken Green Chile Tacos

Ingredients

• 2 green chiles, preferably Hatch or Anaheim
• 2 medium tomatillos, husks removed, split in half
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and split in half
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 limes
• 2 pounds chicken thighs
• 1 small white onion, minced
• 16 to 24 warm corn tortillas
• 1 batch pickled red onions
• 1/2 cup grated queso cotija or jack cheese
• 1 avocado, sliced

Directions

1. Set the broiler to high, then position the rack 5 to 6 inches from the heat. In a medium bowl, coat the peppers, tomatillos, yellow onion, and garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread everything on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, and broil, turning now and then, until the vegetables are soft all the way through and charred around the edges, about 20 minutes total. Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and remove the stems and seeds. Move the roasted vegetables to a food processor or blender, add half of the cilantro, and blend on high speed until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons lime juice from about 2 of the limes, add salt to taste, and set the sauce aside.
2. As the vegetables cook, warm the remaining oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. Lay in the chicken with the skin side down, and let it cook undisturbed until deeply browned, about 6 minutes. Turn the pieces over and brown the other side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour out the extra fat, then add 1 cup water to the Dutch oven and scrape the browned bits from the bottom.
3. Once the vegetable puree is ready, add it to the Dutch oven and mix it into the water. Tuck the chicken pieces into the sauce. Bring everything to a boil, lower the heat to the gentlest simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the chicken is fully tender, about 30 minutes. Lift the chicken out of the sauce and set it on a plate to cool.
4. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and bones, then pull the meat into bite-sized shreds. Add the chicken back to the sauce and bring it to a simmer. Cook until the mixture is thick and saucy, then taste and season with salt and pepper if you’d like.
5. Mix the white onion with the remaining cilantro in a bowl. Serve the chicken with warm tortillas, the onion-cilantro mixture, pickled onions, cheese, and avocado.