Ingredients

• 2 pound chicken breasts and thighs, bone-in, skin-on
• 8 cup chicken broth
• 4 dried ancho chiles, seeded and deveined
• 2 dried guajillo chiles, seeded and deveined
• 1 white onion, halved
• 4 garlic, peeled
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ounce diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 corn tortillas, cut into strips
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
• 1 avocado, diced
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 0.25 cup Mexican crema
• 0.33 cup cotija cheese, crumbled

Steps

1. Combine chicken pieces, halved onion, and 8 cups broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
2. While chicken cooks, heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the ancho and guajillo chiles for about 1 minute per side until fragrant, then soak them in 1 cup hot water for 5 minutes.
3. Remove cooked chicken from the pot with tongs and set aside on a cutting board. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and return to the pot; discard solids.
4. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat with two forks, discarding skin and bones. Set shredded chicken aside.
5. Drain the soaked chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. Place softened chiles, 4 garlic cloves, and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid into a blender.
6. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. For a completely smooth broth, strain the chile mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the pot with the reserved broth.
7. Add the can of diced tomatoes (including liquid), 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the pot. Stir well.
8. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
9. While broth simmers, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a shallow skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, carefully add tortilla strips in batches and fry for 1-2 minutes per batch until golden and crispy.
10. Remove fried tortilla strips with tongs and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
11. Stir the shredded chicken back into the simmering soup and heat through for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed.
12. Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a handful of crispy tortilla strips, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, a drizzle of crema, and a pinch of cotija cheese.
13. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side for squeezing over each bowl.