Beer Berry Cobbler Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Cobblery, fluffy, berry-ey, buttery, and lemony. Yes lemony. You’ll love the lemon liveliness of this Beer Berry Bake Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Author: Sulae @ beerandiron.com
Chicken Marbella Recipe – Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Easiest pack-up-and-go recipes. A deep, dark chicken recipe with prunes, capers, and olives in a nice beer marinade.
Tenderize, Beer-Brine, and Cook the Easiest and Best Tasting Chicken Breast
This guide on how to prepare chicken breast will take you from package to plate. There are no rules here and any part of this guide could be used in creating other recipes. Often, we will tenderize, brine, and prepare the chicken for other recipes than those that call for whole chicken breasts.
Sometimes we will cut up the chicken for soups, stews, and even Chicken Satay and kabobs.
My goal with this recipe is to both offer a complete guide as well as be a resource for many other recipes that use chicken breast meat as an ingredient. Each step of this recipe can be considered a stand-alone section.
PART 1 – HOW TO TENDERIZE THE CHICKEN BREAST
You will need three things here (affiliate links):
- Cutting Board: https://amzn.to/3u7rUCp
- Needle Tenderizer: https://amzn.to/3ueg619
- Tenderizing Mallet: https://amzn.to/3vU1HI0
I use red cutting boards for meats. The cutting board will take a lot of abuse during this process. You will want one that SITS FLAT AGAINST THE COUNTERTOP. Some have little legs or elevations to them. The pounding will cause them to bounce.
The needle tenderizer should have a “springboard.” The one in the link above has a round disk that is spring activated. When the needles penetrate the meat, the little springboard “pushes” the meat back as you pull the needle tenderizer back from the meat. Even with the little springboard, the meat will want to stick to the device. Needle tenderizers without that little springboard are frustrating to use. Period.
The tenderizing mallet is used to “flatten” or “spread out” the chicken meat. I don’t use plastic wrap for this process. Many people do and that’s A-OK. This is not a debate-like issue; it’s just a preference.
Why Tenderize?
My grandfather, Pops as we all called him, would ask questions like, “Good morning Sulae! How’d that bed sleep?” Or daddy would get a new car, “Hey! That’s a fancy car! How’s it drive?” And, at dinner and on my sixth serving of bar-b-que ribs, “Hey Sulae! How’s them ribs eatin’?”
We all know the problem with plan old chicken breast: It don’t “eat good”…not at all. But, we also all know that it seems to be the most sought after pieces of the bunch that can be pulled from that bird. For me? I prefer chicken thighs…and as things go…my wife and son don’t care for the dark meat. Chicken breast and chicken thighs are both chicken, but they have different chicken “flavors” and textures. Chicken thighs are just easier to eat…plain and simple. I want my chicken breast to be as easy to eat as chicken thighs.
Tenderizing the chicken breast meat is the solution.
I’ve seen stores sell thin-sliced chicken breast meat and folks thin-slice the chicken at home. Thin-slicing does help create a piece of meat that will more evenly cook…but will still be tough.
Bottom line: Tenderizing the chicken breast before cooking is the way to go. It’s an extra step but really doesn’t take that long. The meal will be more enjoyable and the leftovers won’t be neglected to the point of spoiling and being tossed.
PART 2– HOW TO BEER-BRINE CHICKEN BREAST
Equipment you will need for this part (affiliate links):
- Large Bowl
- Zipper Bags (2.5-Gallon Size: https://amzn.to/498YEtD)
- Measuring Spoon
- Drying Rack (https://amzn.to/3OjNz0W) or Tray (https://amzn.to/3vWR6fy)
- Paper towels
Remember this ratio: 12:1. For every 12-ounces of beer, you will add 1-Tablespoon of salt. Believe it or not…SALT IS MORE IMPORTAINT THAN THE BEER.
I am a registered nurse…imagine that! And, I know that there is a “low sodium” movement. I’m okay with that…only…I don’t really watch my sodium all that much. I watch the 1000 other things that I feel are a real problem. Regardless of whatever we all think about salt, it’s salt that makes a brine a brine. You will need the salt to make the brine “work.”
With that being said, if you are looking to reduce your salt intake, then forego the brining. I suggest you tenderize and then cook your chicken.
YOUR CHICKEN WILL NOT TASTE AS SALTY AS THE BRINE.
I cannot taste “salty” for you. What do I mean? Salt tastes salty…but how salty something is depends in the one tasting the meal. Two people can sit down to have a meal. One may add salt feeling the meal is not salty enough. Another may not enjoy the same meal because he or she feels the meal is too salty.
For me…subjectively…this twelve to one (12:1) beer to salt ratio is perfect. The ONE HOUR limit I put on my time-in-the-brine is perfect as well. I’ll brine my tenderized chicken breast meat for only ONE HOUR and then pat dry the chicken breasts before storing or cooking.
In-The-Brine-Time
Normally, you’d brine a piece of meat for hours or days. This chicken meat has been tenderized and has been “opened up” to receive that brine more readily. If the chicken sits too long in the brine, it usually becomes too salty…for me.
If you are worried about too much salt or over-salting / over-brining the chicken breast for your and your family’s subjective taste preferences, consider a trial run using only two chicken breasts. I know. I know. If it comes out too salty or under-salted, the two chicken breasts may be ruined and wasted. Then again…so goes trying new recipes…I know I’ve been disappointed by the ingredients another person’s recipe called for. And the good news: When I modified that recipe, it worked perfectly. Same goes with this one.
If you are preparing this recipe for the first time: DON’T try it with a bunch of chicken; start with two or four chicken breasts and TRY IT FIRST to make sure you have your in-the-brine-time where you want it.
PART 3 – HOW TO COOK THE CHICKEN BREAST
FYI: You can forego the searing in oil and go straight to the oven as a bake…I’ll explain…
I am a proponent of Maillard Reaction. Cooking is chemistry…plain and simple…our kitchens are our in-house chemistry laboratory (and some of y’all are mad scientists). The Maillard Reaction happens when we sear our meat. A “chemical reaction” occurs “between amino acids and reducing sugars to create melanoidins.” Well, that’s what Wickipedia says anyway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction). I just know that whatever happens during pan searing or pan sautéing results in the food tasting more delicious (it’s why toasted bread tastes better than a plain-from-the-wrapper slice does).
I use oil to pan sear the chicken first. Then, after the chicken is toasted up really well, I finish the chicken in the oven on a grill pan. This allows for the excess broth AND oil to drain away from the chicken…and we don’t use too much oil either…about a tablespoon per chicken breast.
Too Much Oil! In the video, I inadvertently added too much oil for those first two chicken breasts and it seemed like they were being fried more than being pan seared. It’s okay to pour some of the oil off if you’ve added too much.
Too Little Oil! Too little oil causes problems too. The pan will dry out and the chicken will just burn.
This is why we pat dry and sear the chicken in batches.
Cast iron is the cookware of choice to get the Maillard Reaction…heck…it’s just the cookware of choice, right! To get that nice, seared crust, the meat’s immediate surface area must reach about 300°F / 148-150°C. That means the cast iron must be hotter than that to get the meat’s surface that temperature.
Now, meat will not sear if there is moisture at the surface. We need to sear the meat at a very hot temperature to keep the broth from flowing resulting in boiled meat.
Water boils at 212°F / 100°C. If water or the moisture from the chicken is bubbling around the surface of that chicken, then it’ll work like a radiator in the car. It’ll keep the chicken’s surface area at 212°F / 100°C and you’ll not reach the required 300°F / 150°C for the Maillard Reaction to occur.
This is the reason we pat-dry the chicken after brining the chicken and why we “flour” our chicken before we start cooking it. We dust the chicken with flour before we add it to that pan. We want the moisture in the chicken and not at the surface of the chicken (there’s a “but” in there I’ll cover later).
Will the chicken meat absorb some of the oil?
“Heck yeah!” – Napoleon Dynamite
If you are looking for chicken breast without oil, then “heck yeah,” there too! Just forego the pan searing and bake the chicken. Will the baked chicken taste as good as pan seared chicken that has been finished in the oven? The simple answer is, “No.” But, will it taste good? Again…“Heck yeah!”
Sauté / sear your chicken in batches. WHY? There is an eternal battle that has always existed between cast iron and the food. The hot cast iron tries to heat the food and the cooler food tries to cool the cast iron. It’s like warm water from the faucet; there’s no “warm” water coming from the hot water tank…it’s either hot or cold water. The two waters “mix” to create “warm” water. Too many chicken breasts in a single cast iron skillet or pot will cool the pot rather than the pot heating the chicken. The broth will flow and the chicken will boil.
How many chicken breasts can you sauté/sear at a time. Here’s my suggestion:
10.25-inch Skillet: 1-2 chicken breasts
12-inch Skillet: 2-3 chicken breasts
15-inch Skillet: 3-4 chicken breasts
I have a 17-inch skillet. The problem then becomes the size of your burner on the stove. The center of that very large skillet will be the area that’s the hottest. You may could fit 4-5 chicken breasts in that large 17-inch-er, but you’ll not get that sear you’re looking for.
Considering Camp Cast Iron Dutch Ovens:
Take the diameter of your oven and multiply that by two. That number tells you how many charcoal briquettes to place under your Dutch oven. I often will even add more than that number.
10-inch Camp Dutch Oven: 1-2 chicken breasts
12- inch Camp Dutch Oven: 2-3 chicken breasts
14-inch Camp Dutch Oven: 3-4 chicken breasts
16-inch Camp Dutch Oven: 3-5 chicken breasts (maybe)
Ready to Cook
Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Add 1 cup of flour (white, wheat, almond, or your choice) to a large bowl.
Step 2: Add 1 tablespoon of oil for every 1 chicken breast you are going to add to that skillet at that time. Don’t consider all the chicken breasts batches you are planning. Only add 1 tablespoon to the skillet per chicken breast you are planning to sear per batch.
Step 3: Place a grill/griddle pan in the oven with the grill side up. Set the oven to 350°F /175°C.
Step 4: Bring that oil in the skillet to the smoke point. VERY HOT.
Step 5: While the oil is heating up, place the pat-dried chicken breast into the bowl of flour and dust both sides. Give them a dusting…no crusting.
Step 6: Add the appropriate number of chicken breasts to the skillet and let the meat sear on one side. You will start to see the chicken meat develop a “halo” of white-ish, cooked meat around the edges.
Step 7: Flip the chicken breast over and sear the other side.
Step 8: While the chicken is searing on the second side, prep the next batch of chicken breast in the flour.
Step 9: Transfer the seared, yet still under-cooked chicken breast to the grill side of the grill/griddle pan that is in the oven. You’ll hear a bit of a sizzle…Perfect!
Step 10: Start the next batch of chicken breasts and continue searing your largest pieces first with the smaller pieces going in last.
Step 11: After the last piece of chicken is in the oven, cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F / 73-75°C. I use a wired/wireless thermometer. When I pull the chicken out of the oven, I check each piece with an instant-read thermometer. Here are a couple of (affiliate) links to the ones I use:
ThermoPro TP07 Wireless Meat Thermometer: https://amzn.to/3OkKYUA
ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer: https://amzn.to/42iV4Ls
My advice: Watch the prices! I’ve bought the TP07 in November 2023 for $23.99. They are running (01/28/2024) $51.88 (USA). The same brand has a 2-temp and 4-temp options that are cheaper than this one.
EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA!
Sometimes I will make a dish that requires the whole chicken breast meat and add it to the dish before I place it in the oven. The chicken will finish cooking along with the rest of the recipe.
I do hope you learned something today. I have a few other recipes and videos that are related to this one:
https://beerandiron.com/beer-brined-chicken-piccata-beer-and-lemon-sauce/
https://beerandiron.com/basic-beer-brine-template-recipe/
https://beerandiron.com/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken/
https://beerandiron.com/beer-brined-coconut-kale-chicken/
https://beerandiron.com/cantina-jack-chicken-recipe-in-a-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven/
Thanks for visiting Beer and Iron. You all keep on enjoying your frosted glasses of that fermented barley pop and cooking on those cast iron beauties.
We’ll see y’all next time!
Slumgullion Recipe – Pure Comfort Food Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
And easy 6-Ingredient Bread Recipe that will help learn how bread bakes in a camp cast iron Dutch oven. Easy to bake in the home oven as well.
Easy Beer Bread Rolls – Bread Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
And easy 6-Ingredient Bread Recipe that will help learn how bread bakes in a camp cast iron Dutch oven. Easy to bake in the home oven as well.
Cheesy White Chicken Chili Low-and-Slow in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
Low-and-Slow Cheesy White Chicken Chili in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
This recipe is how you show off your cast iron skills at meal preparation for your family. This is a great Sunday-at-home, all-day-cook, low-and-slow, baby-it’s-cold-outside meal that is easy-easy-easy and will taste like you’ve been…well…cooking it all day.
LINKS TO RELATED RECIPES:
https://beerandiron.com/cast-iron-cream-and-beer-cornbread-recipe/
Beer Brined Coffee Crusted Pork Roast
I prepare this recipe when the opportunity presents itself. It’s one of my yardarm to yardarm cooks and what I call the Buddy Cook. Let me explain. I love a good low-and-slow cooked pork or beef roast. If I have a roast that I am going to cook in my oven for 6-7 hours, why not cook another, easy-to-make recipe at the same time? After all, it costs the same to cook food in one 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven as it does if there are TWO pots in that oven.
You could create this same recipe in a crock pot. But, you know what…and I can’t put my finger on it…but it does taste different coming out of that cast iron.
We’re going to chop a few ingredients, open a few cans, layer out ingredients, cover that pot and put it in the oven for the next 6-7 hours. Then, we’ll pull it from the oven, shred out chicken, and let it simmer and thicken a bit before we mix in some cheese and serve.
I usually use that simmering time to take care of the food (usually a roast) that I prepared in my other Dutch oven.
My oven is big enough to hold two 5-quart cast iron Dutch ovens or one 5-quart and a 7-quart cast iron Dutch ovens.
The beer to use is a lager-style brew. A Mexican lager is perfect. I found one from Bombastic Brewing with salt and lime. Bombastic is a local brewer here in Idaho and you may not be able to find this same beer. And, that’s okay. Any good Mexican Lager or even many other beers will work perfectly in this recipe. I’d avoid your IPAs, porters, and stouts. Stick with something crips and clean…any easy-drinker should work well.
The Cast Iron
This chili recipe will work perfectly in a 5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven. And, most home ovens will handle two 5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Ovens at the same time. Many will accommodate a 5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven and a 7-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven at the same time.
Here’s how we Low-and-Slow a roast: https://beerandiron.com/low-and-slow-roast/
Truth be known, I’d likely not cook this recipe by itself and all alone in that oven. I’d cook just perfect in a crock pot (speaking truth). But, there’s no reason to Buddy Cook when cooking in an oven all day long. Unless we’re cooking something in our 9-quart cast iron Dutch oven, I will buddy cook every time.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
Equipment
Cheese Shredder
Colander to drain and rinse the beans
Cutting board for the peppers, onions, and cilantro or the parsley.
Knife
Whisk
Ingredients
Fresh Stuff
2 or 3 Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Small Purple Onion (a yellow or white is A-OK)
2-4 Minced Cloves of Garlic
2 Poblano Chili Pepper (could substitute bell peppers but those Poblano chilis hold up much better during the long cooking time)
Canned Stuff
1 4-ounce cans of Fire-Roasted Diced Green Chilies (or one 7-ounce can; I prefer mild)
1 Cup of Green Salsa Verde
2 Cans (or 3 cups of home prepared) White Beans
Seasonings
1 teaspoon of Cumin
1 teaspoon of Oregano
½ teaspoon of Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon of Onion Powder
To Thicken
⅓ Cup of White Flour (Optional)
Before Serving
1-2 Cups of Shredded White Cheese or Pepper Jack Cheese folded in.
To Garnish
Chopped Cilantro or Parsley
Lime
Avocado
Cornbread
Time To Cook
Preparation
First, preheat your oven to 200°F or about 93°C. Then prepare all of your ingredients.
Step 1: Dice up the one onion and mince up the 2-4 cloves of garlic.
Step 2: Chop or dice up the 2 Poblano Chili Peppers
Step 3: Rinse and drain the white beans. You can use 2 cans of white beans or use 3 cups of home-prepared white beans. I usually make a plain-Jane batch of beans the day before to have on hand for this recipe and for other uses as well.
Step 4: Prepare the cans of green chili peppers. Just open and set aside.
Step 5: Measure out 1 Cup of Green Salsa Verde.
Step 6: Measure out all of the seasonings and blend together well. Don’t worry about the flour at this point. We’ll talk about the flour in a bit.
Layer the Ingredients
Get out your 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven. There’s no searing or sauteing in this recipe. We will set this up in layers.
Step 7: In the bottom of the 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven, place a layer of onions with the garlic.
Step 8: Add a layer of the Poblano Chili Peppers
Step 9: Add a layer of the drained white beans.
Step 10: Evenly as possible (perfection is not essential), spread out the seasonings on top of the beans.
Step 11: Lay the chicken on top of what we’ve layered thus far. Just lay the chicken breast out flat. Don’t press it down and under the ingredients. Add the chicken with a gentle push to set it flat.
Step 12: Pour over 12-ounces of a Mexican Lager to the pot. You may think you don’t have enough liquid in that pot. Trust me on this one; it’ll seem to liquid-ey by the time you pull it form the oven.
Step 13: Add a layer of the canned chili peppers. The chicken is rounded and expect the chili peppers to kinda slide to the sides.
Step 14: Add the cup of Salsa Verde on top of all the ingredients.
Cook the Chili
Step 15: Cover the pot. Place the full Dutch oven into the preheated 200°F or about 93°C for the next 6-7 hours.
Now, we are going to pull the chili from the oven and place it on the stove top to simmer.
Step 16: After 6-7 hours. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place it on the stove top on low heat to continue simmering. It’s going to seem a bit “watery.” Hang on…we’ll tend to that in a bit.
Step 17: Check for saltiness. I usually find that the salt in my canned ingredients provide enough satiness. Nonetheless, this is a good time to check for saltiness and add some if you think it needs it.
Step 18: Pull the chicken from the pot and place it on a cutting board or a larger bowl (expect it to break apart as you are pulling it from the pot). Using two forks, shred the chicken completely. You could chop it, but I like to shred the chicken. Leave a few larger pieces of chicken in there.
Step 19: Before you return the chicken to the pot, ask yourself if the remaining liquid seems a bit too liquid-ey. If so, add ⅓ cup of white flour to thicken things up.
Step 20: Then, return the chicken to the pot. And just let it simmer until dinner time (given your dinner time is within the next 30-45 minutes or so).
Serve the Chili
Prepare the avocados, cheese, and other goodies for dinner as you let the pot simmer and thicken.
Step 21: Fold in 1-2 cups of white shredded cheese into the chili after you take it off the heat and you are ready to start serving. Don’t mix the cheese in; just fold the cheese into the chili.
Time to eat!
Serve this chili with some wedges of avocado and topped with a bit of cilantro or parsley. Squeeze a bit of lime on the top for a bit of a zing to your meal.
I love a nice, big piece of cornbread with my chicken chili.
Summary
If you’ve been following Beer and Iron for any time, you’ll see my pattern of creating recipes with (seemingly) lots of step numbers. I tend to break the simple steps down that most recipe authors include all in one step. There’s nothing wrong with that…it’s just a different way. I like to write recipes out in simple, one-and-a-time, and step-by-step instructions.
And that’s it yall, Low-and-slow Cheesy White Chicken Chili in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe. If you are going to cook a roast low and slow and there’s room for this chicken chili or maybe another roast, you might as well cook them together.
You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time.
Website: https://beerandiron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandiron
Twitter now called “X”: https://twitter.com/IronRecipes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironrecipes/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beerandironrecipes/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcMjHBuZ7C0x2TnssetrG
Low-and-Slow Cheesy White Chicken Chili in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
I prepare this recipe when the opportunity presents itself. It’s one of my yardarm to yardarm cooks and what I call the Buddy Cook. The BUDDY COOK: I love a good low-and-slow cooked pork or beef roast. If I have a roast that I am going to cook in my oven for 6-7 hours, why not cook another, easy-to-make recipe at the same time? After all, it costs the same to cook food in one 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven as it does if there are TWO pots in that oven.You could create this same recipe in a crock pot. But, you know what…and I can’t put my finger on it…but it does taste different coming out of that cast iron. We’re going to chop a few ingredients, open a few cans, layer out ingredients, cover that pot and put it in the oven for the next 6-7 hours. Then, we’ll pull it from the oven, shred out chicken, and let it simmer and thicken a bit before we mix in some cheese and serve.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- First, preheat your oven to 200°F or about 93°C. Then prepare all of your ingredients.
- Dice up the one onion and mince up the 2-4 cloves of garlic.
- Chop or dice up the 2 Poblano Chili Peppers
- Rinse and drain the white beans.
- Prepare the cans of green chili peppers. Just open and set aside.
- Measure out 1 Cup of Green Salsa Verde.
- Measure out all of the seasonings and blend together well.
- Get out your 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven. There’s no searing or sauteing in this recipe. We will set this up in layers.
- In the bottom of the Dutch oven, place a layer of onions with the garlic.
- Add a layer of the Poblano Chili Peppers
- Add a layer of the drained white beans.
- Spread out the seasonings on top of the beans.
- Lay the chicken on top of what we’ve layered thus far. Just lay the chicken breast out flat.
- Pour over 12-ounces of a Mexican Lager to the pot.
- Add a layer of the canned chili peppers.
- Add the cup of Salsa Verde on top of all the ingredients.
- Cover the pot. Place the full Dutch oven into the preheated 200°F or about 93°C for the next 6-7 hours.
- After 6-7 hours in the oven, pull the chili from the oven and place it on the stove top to simmer on low heat.
- Check for saltiness.
- Pull the chicken from the pot and shred the chicken completely. Leave a few larger pieces of chicken in there.
- Before you return the chicken to the pot, add ⅓ cup of white flour to thicken things up (optional)
- Then, return the chicken to the pot. And just let it simmer until dinner time (given your dinner time is within the next 30-45 minutes or so).
- Prepare the avocados, cheese, and other goodies for dinner as you let the pot simmer and thicken.
- Before serving, fold in 1-2 cups of white shredded cheese into the chili after you take it off the heat.
Notes
Serve this chili with some wedges of avocado and topped with a bit of cilantro or parsley. Squeeze a bit of lime on the top for a bit of a zing to your meal.
I love a nice, big piece of cornbread with my chicken chili.
And that’s it yall, Low-and-slow Cheesy White Chicken Chili in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe. If you are going to cook a roast low and slow and there’s room for this chicken chili or maybe another roast, you might as well cook them together.
You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time.
Let’s Make Enchiladas – Cast Iron Recipe
This is a quick and Enchilada Recipe made with Beer and Iron’s Enchilada Sauce and a Low-and-Slow Coffee-Crusted Pork Roast.
Easy Chunk Pumpkin and Beer Chili Recipe in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and corn flake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This is a crowd-pleaser for sure.
Cantina Jack Chicken Recipe in a Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
Cantina Jack Chicken Recipe in a Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and corn flake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This is a crowd-pleaser for sure.
Grab your 12-Inch Deep Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven and ¡vamos a empezar esta fiesta! (let’s get this party started!).
Let me get this out up front. This is really a super easy recipe. Create this recipe once and then you’ll forever and ever create this recipe from memory. It’s just that easy.
This recipe article contains affiliate links.
For this recipe, I am using the deep 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven. We use a second 10-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven as a “warming pot” and to roll the chicken in the cornflakes. I am using a third 8-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven for melting my butter.
You will need your 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven for the recipe but the other two Dutch ovens are optional. Use what you have. No worries.
12-Inch Deep Cast Iron Dutch Oven with the Notch (Camp Chef’s Version: https://amzn.to/3F2ej15
Lodge’s Version: https://amzn.to/3ZJODzH
10-Inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/3PJHQS1
8-Inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/3rAxjkb
Or a Skillet like this: https://amzn.to/3rDKjp7
NOTE: You don’t have to use a Dutch Oven with a Temperature Probe Notch, any Deep 12-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven will Work. If you are using a regular Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven, cut the vegetable ingredient amounts in half. If you are using a 10-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven, cut both the vegetable ingredients and the number of chicken breasts in half.
Supplies You May Need
Tenderizing and Pre-Preparing the Chicken
- Cutting Board
- Needle Tenderizer (https://amzn.to/46E8zX6)
- Tenderizing Mallet
- Larger Zipper Bag (https://amzn.to/3Q8V3FC)
- Paper Towels
- Drying / Cooling Rack (Optional – https://amzn.to/3ZHiyZn)
Prepare the Vegetables
- Colander or Strainer to let the Vegetables Drain
- Bowl to Catch the Liquid from the Vegetables
- Spoon or Rubber Spatula to Stir the Vegetables
- Parchment Paper to Cover the Vegetables (I use Parchment Paper in Other Parts of the Recipe as Well).
Cut the Cheese
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Parchment Paper to Wrap the Cheese
- Bowl or other Container to Store the Cheese
For the Cornflakes
- Gallon-Sized Zipper Bag
- Rolling Pin (Optional)
- A Container that is Large Enough to Hold the Crushed Cornflakes and Room to Allow for Rolling the Chicken in the Crushed Cornflakes
Cooking the Chicken
- The Temperature Probe – Meat Thermometer
- Charcoal Briquette Chimney
- Tongs to Manipulate the Briquettes
- Wind Screen (Optional)
- Cooking Surface (Optional) – I use an Upside Down Garbage Can Lid
Shredding the Cheese
- Cutting Board (I am going to cook this cheese and am going to use the same cutting board)
- Cheese Shredder
- Parchment Paper to Wrap the Shredded Cheese
- Bowl or Container to Store the Shredded Cheese (I just use the same one I used for the Pepper Jack Cheese Logs)
Pepper Rings / Rounds
- Knife
- Cutting Board
Also
- Lid Stand
- Lid Lifter
- Leather Gloves
- Serving spoons
To better understand the ingredients, let’s take a quick look at the way this recipe is “stacked.” First, we are going to tenderize and brine our chicken at home and pack it up for easy-does-it in camp.
In camp, we’re going to prepare everything and get it all set up.
Third, we’re going to pre cook our chicken a bit.
Fourth, we’ll add the vegetables (remember the reference to “base ingredients”) and the cheese.
Fifth, well…there ain’t no fifth. Fifth is: We gonna EAT!
For the Chicken:
6-8 Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts (Tenderized and Brined): https://beerandiron.com/how-to-tenderize-chicken-breasts/
1-2 oz Beer and Iron’s Taco Seasoning (Store-Bought Packets are about 1 oz): https://beerandiron.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
16 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese (or Monterey Jack Cheese for a Mild Version)
½ Gallon Zipper Bag of Cornflakes (Crushed)
8 Tablespoons of Melted Butter
The Vegetables / The Base Ingredients:
32-34 oz Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (Regular if you can not find Fire Roasted)
4-6 oz Sliced Black Olives (Drained)
14-15 oz Diced Green Chilies (Somewhat Drained)
22 oz. Mexican Style Corn (Drained)
30 oz Black Beans (Drained)
Garnish:
1/2 cup green onions; sliced or maybe even some rounds cut from a nice spicy pepper like a jalapeno. I used Jalapeno and Red Fresno Chili Peppers in the video.
Preparation and Steps to this Recipe
You can 100% create this recipe at camp. There’s nothing that says you can’t. Me? I am going to do some pre-prepping at home and then have everything ready for cooking at camp. The recipe will be presented in two parts:
- Home Pre-Preparation Steps
- At Camp Cooking Steps
Home Pre-Preparation
Step 1: Tenderize and Brine 6-8 Chicken Breast Halves. You’ll tenderize these a bit more than normal. They really need to be thinner than you’d normally prepare a chicken breast. Get it down to about ¼ inch. A bit thicker is okay.
How to Tenderize Chicken Breast: https://beerandiron.com/2022/12/how-to-tenderize-chicken-breasts
How to Brine Meat: https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken
NOTE: Only brine tenderized chicken breast meat for about one hour. Then, remove from the brine and pat dry.
Step 2: After pouring out the used brine from the zipper bag, place a few paper towels in the zipper bag and place the chicken back into the zipper bag with the paper towels. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.
Step 3: Gather together the cans of:
- Diced Green Chilies
- Sliced Black Olives
- Mexican Style Corn
- Black Beans
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
You’ll need to make sure you have your can opener and the strainer. A bowl to drain everything in is suggested.
Step 4: Add your cornflakes to a zipper bag and crunch up to a coarse “meal” like consistency. Don’t crush back to a cornmeal and don’t leave them in big flakes. Somewhere in between is perfect. You will store these in the same zipper bag.
Step 5: Gather your cheese, knife to cut the cheese, and the cheese shredder. You can use a bit of parchment or a paper plate to shred the cheese over.
My suggestion is to use the block cheese and prepare the cheese at camp. When we roll the cheese in the chicken, the packaged cheese sticks may make sense but you’ll be doing the V-8 Head Bonk if you do. And, use the block for shredding too. The anti-caking stuff they put on shredded cheese…well…you’ll see what I am talking about when you try the packaged shredded stuff (everyone I teach this recipe to tries the pre-shredded and swears off the stuff after that…at least for this recipe).
Step 6: Bring your butter. We’re going to use this to “moisten” the chicken before we roll the chicken breast in the crushed cornflakes.
I will often bring my 8-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven and put the butter in the pot with about 2-4 briquettes under the little Dutch until the butter is just perfect.
Step 7: Slice the green onions and or your peppers. We’ll use these to garnish our meal when it’s time to eat.
Okay. Check everything.
In an ice chest, we will have our chicken tenderized and brined and stored with the paper towels in the zipper bag and in the ice chest. We have our cheese and our butter in the ice chest too. A small container or zipper bag holds our green onions that have been “doubled bagged.”
In another container, we’ll have our canned Diced Green Chilies, Sliced Black Olives, Mexican Style Corn, Black Beans, and Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. Your homemade taco seasoning or a packet or two of store-bought taco seasoning is there as well.
At Camp – Time to Cook
We’re presenting this recipe in a deep 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven. It’ll be baked in two parts. First, we’ll cook the chicken until it’s almost done. Then, we’ll add the base ingredients and finish the recipe to bring the chicken to 165°F / 75°C.
Here’s the article/video on how to Heat the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://beerandiron.com/2023/04/how-to-heat-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven
Step 1: Set 26-30 charcoal briquettes to fire.
Step 2: Slowly melt 8 tablespoons of butter. We use the 8-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven for this. You can set the butter in a metal container and keep it near the charcoal that is being prepped. Don’t heat the butter to a cooking temperature; you just want it melted to a liquid.
Step 3: On a cutting board or a piece of parchment paper, Lay out one of the tenderized and flattened chicken breasts. Dust one side with some of the taco seasoning almost like a dry rub. Dust with discretion; a little goes a long way.
Step 4: Set the crushed cornflakes out and have them ready to roll the chicken breast in.
Step 5: Baton cut the cheese (in long, stick-like cuts). Add the cut cheese sticks to the chicken and roll the thinned chicken breast over the cheese where the cheese is wrapped in the rolled chicken.
Step 6: Keep your hand on the rolled chicken and then coat the chicken in the butter. Now, roll the chicken in the crushed cornflakes. Secure the chicken with two or three toothpicks (if you forget your toothpicks, consider using some fresh and thin twig pieces from a branch of a tree or bush [make sure that tree or bush ain’t poisonous…seems like a no-brainer but…]).
Chef Tip: Roll one chicken breast up at a time.
Chef Tip: Use the same number of toothpicks for each chicken breast. This way you will remember how many toothpicks to remove later. DON’T FORGET one of those toothpicks in the chicken breast when you serve (in a few steps we will remove them).
Chef Tip: There’ll be some cornflakes left. We save these for the time being to add a few more to the recipe a few steps from now.
Step 7: Place each prepared chicken breast roll in the bottom of the cast iron camp Dutch oven one-at-a-time and until all the pieces are prepared and set with the toothpicks pointing up.
Step 8: Cover the camp Dutch oven. Place 8 hot charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven (as the Heating the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven video shows) and place 16 hot charcoal briquettes on the top. If you have a windshield (see this article and video), then secure the windshield around the Dutch oven.
Heating the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://beerandiron.com/how-to-heat-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven/
Turn the pot and lid 1/3rd turn every 10 minutes.
If you are using a temperature probe, move the briquettes about every 10 minutes or so.
Let the chicken cook until the temperature of the chicken is about 125°F / 50°C to about 145°F / 63°C. Remember, we are going to add more ingredients and let the chicken continue cooking. We will eventually get it to the 165°F / 75°C point.
Chef Tip: How are your charcoal briquettes doing? Do you need to set more to fire to finish baking this dish? We still need to heat the base ingredients, melt the cheese, and finish cooking the chicken.
Step 9: While the chicken is cooking, prepare your base ingredients: Set a colander over a bowl or other receptacle to receive the liquids as we open each can and drain by pouring the contents into the colander:
- Can Diced Green Chilies
- Sliced Black Olives
- Can Black Beans
- Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- Can Mexican Style Corn (I save the corn for last because the liquid is “watery” and helps with the draining)
Just pour them all in the colander and, using the rubber / silicone spatula, move things about and mix well. Most of the liquid should drain away to the bowl below the colander. Set aside for later.
Step 10: Shred the rest of the cheese and keep the cheese in a separate container separate from the base ingredients. Set aside for later.
NOTE: These next steps go rather quickly.
Step 11: Once the chicken has reached about 125°F / 50°C to about 145°F / 63°C, remove the lid and place it on a lid stand (the briquettes can remain where they are). Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside (take care that we don’t lose our cornflake crust).
REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS – the chicken is now firm and will hold its form. Remove each toothpick and make sure you have them all out.
Chef Tip: Sometimes there’ll be an excessive amount of oil (cheese and butter) left in the pot after you remove the chicken. This can be (per your preference) completely or partially wiped out and discarded.
Step 12: Dump all of the base ingredients from the colander into the bottom of the Dutch oven. Then, using the tongs, replace the chicken to the top of the base ingredients (not submerged but resting on top).
Step 13: Here, you can add a few more cornflakes from earlier. Go easy…more is not better.
Step 14: Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the chicken. Return the lid and cover the pot. Do you need a fresh set of hot charcoal briquettes? This is a good time to add a fresh set. You could even add a few extra on the top to toast the cheese.
Step 15: When the chicken has reached 165°F / 75°C, it’s time to eat! Garnish with the green onions. No resting time needed. Just serve and enjoy.
Summary
This recipe goes very well with some cornbread or even some Mexican rice (both cooked in separate Dutch ovens). I love to take the rolled-up chicken and use a white bread roll to make a sandwich. There’s some prep and some steps to accomplish this meal and the end result will be well worth it!
We usually cut these chicken rolls in half and use each chicken roll as 2 servings.
Y’all enjoy this one!
My name is Sulae and I love to share the magic that comes out of my black pots and pans. You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those frosted glasses of fermented barley pop. We’ll see you all next time on BeerAndIron.com.
Website: https://beerandiron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandiron
Twitter now called “X”: https://twitter.com/IronRecipes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironrecipes/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beerandironrecipes/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcMjHBuZ7C0x2TnssetrG
Cantina Jack Chicken Recipe in a Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and cornflake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Home Pre-Preparation
- Tenderize and Brine 6-8 Chicken Breast Halves. You’ll tenderize these a bit more than normal. They really need to be thinner than you’d normally prepare a chicken breast. Get it down to about ¼ inch. A bit thicker is okay.
- Brine the tenderized chicken breast meat for about one hour. Then, remove from the brine and pat dry. (Brine: 24 ounces of beer and 2 Tablespoons Salt)
- After pouring out the used brine from the zipper bag, place a few paper towels in the zipper bag and place the chicken back into the zipper bag with the paper towels. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.
- Add your cornflakes to a gallon zipper bag and crush to a coarse “meal” like consistency. Don’t crush back to a cornmeal and don’t leave them in big flakes. Somewhere in between is perfect. Leave them in the zipper bag (this could be done in camp)
At Camp – Time to Cook
- Set 26-30 charcoal briquettes to fire.
- Slowly melt 8 tablespoons of butter. Just melt to the point you can still touch the butter.
- Lay out one of the tenderized and flattened chicken breasts. Dust one side with some of the taco seasoning.
- Set the crushed cornflakes out and have them ready to roll the chicken breast in.
- Baton cut the cheese (in long, stick-like cuts). Add the cut cheese sticks to the chicken and roll the thinned chicken breast over the cheese where the cheese is wrapped in the rolled chicken.
- Keep your hand on the rolled chicken and then coat the chicken in the butter. Now, roll the chicken in the crushed cornflakes. Secure the chicken with two or three toothpicks
- Place each prepared chicken breast roll in the bottom of the cast iron camp Dutch oven one-at-a-time and until all the pieces are prepared and set with the toothpicks pointing up
- Cover the camp Dutch oven. Place 8 hot charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven and place 16 hot charcoal briquettes on the top.
- Turn the pot and lid 1/3rd turn every 10 minutes. If you are using a temperature probe, move the briquettes about every 10 minutes or so.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare your base ingredients: Set a colander over a bowl or other receptacle to receive the liquids as we open each can of vegetables and drain by pouring the contents into the colander
- Shred the rest of the cheese and keep the cheese in a separate container separate from the base ingredients. Set aside for later.
- Once the chicken has reached about 125°F / 50°C to about 145°F / 63°C, remove the lid and place it on a lid stand (the briquettes can remain where they are). Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside (take care that we don’t lose our cornflake crust).
- Dump all of the base ingredients from the colander into the bottom of the Dutch oven. Then, using the tongs, replace the chicken to the top of the base ingredients (not submerged but resting on top).
- Here, you can add a few more cornflakes from earlier. Go easy…more is not better.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the chicken. Return the lid and cover the pot. Do you need a fresh set of hot charcoal briquettes? This is a good time to add a fresh set. You could even add a few extra on the top to toast the cheese.
- When the chicken has reached 165°F / 75°C, it’s time to eat! Garnish with the green onions. No resting time needed. Just serve and enjoy.
Notes
This recipe goes very well with some cornbread or even some Mexican rice (both cooked in separate Dutch ovens). I love to take the rolled up chicken and use a white bread roll to make a sandwich. There’s some prep and some steps to accomplish and the end result will be well worth it!
We usually cut these chicken rolls in half and use each chicken roll as 2 servings.
Baked Chicken and Beer Rice Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
From Fire-to-Plate, I’ll show you how to create this recipe using either Chicken Breast, Bone-in / Skin-on Chicken Thighs, or Skinless / Boneless Chicken Thighs…in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven!
Recent Comments