I am making this slowcooker spicy chicken recipe today. Is there anything I can do to make it better?

I am not much of a slow cooker person, but I thought this recipe looked pretty simple. Is there anything I can do to make this recipe better? I have heard about toasting/microwaving chiles prior to cooking them, but I don't know much about it. Also, could this be modified to be done in a dutch oven? My crock pot is pretty small. Thank you in advance!

*This recipe is from /u/2cuil4school

SPICY SHREDDED CHIPOTLE CHICKEN

Flavorful, spicy, rich chicken in a deep red sauce. Can be slow-cooked!

(~12 servings, ~140 Cal, >11g Carb, 20g Protein, >1g Fat, >3g Fiber)

Ingredients 2 lb chicken breasts 28 oz tin crushed tomatoes 1 medium Yellow Onion, peeled and roughly chopped 3-4 cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed 2 Anaheim Chilies, stems removed and chopped (remove seeds for less heat) 2 Poblano Chilies, stems removed and chopped (remove seeds for less heat) 1/2 - 1 7 oz can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce (use more or less depending on spice preference) 14 oz Chicken Stock 2 tsp Cumin Powder 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Black Pepper 6-8 sprigs Cilantro, stems and all 1 lime, juiced

Directions

Use a blender to liquefy and combine everything but the chicken and chicken stock (but you can use some of the chicken stock to loosen up the sauce in the blender to keep it moving).

Combine the blended sauce, the chicken stock, and the chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cook on High for 4 hours, or Low for 6. You can probably get away with cooking it a little less for slightly juicier meat, but honestly, the sauce provides plenty of moisture, and I am super paranoid about bacteria.

Alternatively, combine it all in a large stock pot, bring it to a boil over high heat, and then lower heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and pulls apart easily. In either case, drain or remove the chicken breasts, reserving the leftover sauce. Using forks, tongs, your hands, or whatever else you prefer, shred the chicken breasts, relatively finely. (Pro-tip: for even more of a burrito-joint feel, just chop it into small cubes!) Add the reserved sauce back to your preferred level (I like relatively dry chicken for my tacos, so they don't drip too much, so I only add about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of the sauce back to the 2 lbs of chicken meat; you could probably do double that without much trouble, though). Microwaves well to re-warm, or toss it in a skillet for a minute or two.

Submitted December 31, 2016 at 10:16AM by kittyjam http://ift.tt/2hDj1bu