Chori Pollo has been a mexican favorite of mine since the first time I had chorizo. I almost always choose chicken over beef or pork, however, the combination of chicken with the spicy sausage is perfection and I can’t pass it up!
This dish combines all of those flavors with one of my other favorite things – SOUP! It’s also made in the Instant Pot – yet, ANOTHER one of my loves. However, you can make it on your stove top or in your crockpot, as well. It’s will just take a little bit more time.
Print Recipe
Instant Pot Chori Pollo Sopa (Chicken & Chorizo Soup)
With your instant pot set to "Saute", cook onions, jalapeños, chorizo, and chicken pieces for 3-5 minutes or until onions have began to soften. TIP: Sautéing your food for a couple minutes in the beginning will help the pot come to pressure quicker.
Add remaining ingredients to your Instant Pot and stir to combine. Hit the "Cancel" button to take it off of "Saute" mode.
Attach the lid and turn your valve to seal. Press the "Soup" button, adjust the time to 15 minutes, and let it cook!
When the timer goes off, turn the valve to vent, and do a QR.
Serve with chopped green onions, sour cream, avocado slices or my Pepperjack Cheese Sauce (dairy free). See recipes notes for a link to the recipe!**
Stovetop Instructions:
In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté onions and jalapeños for 5-8 minutes until the onions have become translucent.
Add sausage and chicken to onions and peppers and cook for 5 minutes.
Add spices, broth, and cauliflower rice to your pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Turn your soup down to low and let simmer until ready to serve.
Crockpot Instructions:
Add all of the ingredients to your crockpot and stir to combine. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
Recipe Notes
*I thaw (or cook for a couple minutes) the frozen cauliflower and then pulse it in my blender for a few seconds to "rice" it. MUCH EASIER than breaking down a fresh head of cauliflower and "ricing" it. You can sub a bag of frozen riced cauliflower. It usually only comes in 12 oz bags; if you prefer not to use a partial second bag, reducing the cauliflower to 12 oz won't hurt the recipe.
In a deep, sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp of ghee/oil and chopped green onions. Saute for 5 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool.
In the same pan, over medium heat, add all of BBQ sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly. Reduce the heat to low and cover while you prepare the meatballs.
In a bowl, mix together the remaining meatball ingredients along with the cooled green onions.
To the BBQ sauce, drop 2 tbsp size balls into the mixture until one layer has formed. It's ok if the meatballs are touching slightly, just DO NOT overcrowd the pan or try to stir them around just yet.
Increase heat to medium, cover, cook for 3-5 minutes.
Remove cover and shake the pan slightly. Gently flip each meatball. If you find that you do not have enough liquid in the pan, feel free to add about 3-4 tbsp of water.
On top of the first layer of meatballs, add another layer of the meat mixture, in 2 tbsp size balls. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes - shaking the pan every few minutes to slightly move the meatballs around. Repeat until you have used up all of the meat.
After 10 minutes, uncover the pan and gently flip the meatballs around, moving the ones from the bottom to the top. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until you're ready to serve!
Serve these on top of cauliflower rice or as bite-sized appetizers!
This is probably one of my favorite casseroles to make. Then again, anything buffalo chicken sounds great to me anytime! The original casserole is filled with TONS of cheese and milk. That was great and all, but it was so heavy. Delicious, but heavy. I knew I had to change the original up!
The eggs add a fluffiness to the casserole and also help to bind everything together, but if you’re sensitive to eggs, they are not entirely necessary. See the recipe note for a substitute. Honestly, besides the different texture from the spaghetti squash, it tastes like the original. It’s still rich, creamy, and cheesy – if you decide to sprinkle some on top!
So, next time you’re craving buffalo chicken wings, but don’t want all of the grease and carbs, give this hearty dish a try! It’ll surprise you!
Your spaghetti squash can easily be cooked in your microwave in about 15 minutes. Simply cut it in half, lengthwise, and put it face down on a microwave-safe dish. It may need more or less time, depending on the size you have. When it's ready, you'll be able to easily shred it with a fork. My preferred cooking method: 8 minutes High Pressure in my Instant Pot!
After cooking your squash, I drain out as much liquid from it as possible. You can use cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
As for your shredded chicken, cook that on your stovetop, in your Instant pot, or use leftover rotisserie chicken. If you're cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, and you've never tried shredding chicken with a handheld or stand mixer, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND TRY IT!
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, yogurt, buffalo sauce (more depending on how much heat you like), eggs, and seasonings.
To the liquid, add squash and chicken and combine.
Pour casserole mixture into a 13X9 baking dish and top with shredded cheese, if desired.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
Allow casserole to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
Top with extra buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, and green onions!
Recipe Notes
*If you are not using eggs, you can substitute 3 tbsp of arrowroot powder to thicken up the sauce. Whisk the powder in with the milk and seasonings.
