I’ve stated in the past that I am a picky eater. It took a year of marriage for the Hubbster to get me to try chicken tacos, ultimately convincing me with a Pioneer Woman recipe. I have tweaked it and made it my own for several reasons: 1) raw tomatoes and I are not friends yet 2) they didn’t have corn tortillas in either of my regular grocery stores and 3) Even if they had had corn tortillas, the whole frying them thing is time consuming and messy, and I’m all about being easy. These bad boys only take 20-30 minutes, depending on how fast you are with a knife (or a can opener). As you can see, they look quite delicious, even with my modifications. They really are, I promise. I even ate one too many last night because they were so good. It was sooo worth the tummy ache. Here’s the recipe!
What You’ll Need:
2 large chicken breasts (or 4 small ones)
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
2 large tomatoes (or the equivalent amount of smaller or canned tomatoes)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
6-10 hard corn taco shells
Equipment:
Large saute pan
Spatula/tongs
Can opener
Cutting board & knife
Prep Work (aka most of the work):
1. Dice the tomatoes. Don’t know how? Neither did I. God bless YouTube. It’s actually pretty easy. Or you can just open up a 14-oz can of petite diced tomatoes. Easy peasy.
2. Shred 2-3 pieces of iceberg lettuce. Before I did this last night, I said to the Hubbster “I don’t know how to work the lettuce!” but it’s pretty fool proof. Or just use a bag of shredded lettuce. But I decided to be fancy.
3. Open the can of diced green chiles. Then take a break, because that probably took a lot out of you. Maybe you should have a beer.
4. Mix the chili powder, cumin and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Cumin is probably my new favorite spice. I’m kind of obsessed.
5. Shred some cheese. But only if you feel the need to be extra fancy. We keep a bag of shredded cheddar on hand.
5. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. FYI: If it’s frozen, you should probably defrost it first. I felt the need to mention it because you are probably drunk now after that beer.
Making the Taco Filling:
1. Heat some olive oil up in a large saute pan on medium-high. When it’s nice and hot, throw in the diced chicken, covering the bottom of the pan evenly. Let it brown for a minute, and dust the spice mixture over the top.
2. Flip the chicken over so it browns on all sides.
3. Throw in the chiles and tomatoes. Mix it around, and turn the heat down a smidge.
4. While the chicken/chile/tomato mixture is making a happy smell, put some taco shells on a baking sheet and heat them up in the oven for 5-10 minutes (whatever the directions on the box say). Trust me. They taste so much better after a stint in there.
5. Keep an eye on the chicken/chile/tomato mixture, and stir it occasionally. The tomatoes and chiles should be getting soft, and there should be a nice yummy liquid starting to surround everything. That stuff is gold.
Making the Actual Tacos:
1. Put your filling in a bowl, while trying not to fall over from how tasty it smells. Take the taco shells out of the oven and set out all of your components (filling, shells, cheese, lettuce, sour cream).
2. Fill up your tacos however you like. I don’t put lettuce or sour cream on mine because I am weird, but the Hubbster likes it. But be sure to get the juicy liquid in there. I cannot stress enough how good it is.
3. Chow down!
4. Send me a lovely thank you note for bringing this easy plate of delicious into your life. Alright, you don’t have to do that, but I love mail 🙂
or you could add a package of taco seasoning mix and taco sauce to the chicken without all the hassle of the individual spices; also some shredded cheddar or mexican blend shredded cheese adds a nice touch to the taco
I’ve never made them with the green chilis and tomatoes cooked in but that looks great so Ill have to try it. If you like chicken tacos (one of my favourite meals, just made them Tuesday and I’ve been meaning to post my recipe, maybe this will give me some incentive) you should try throwing them in the crockpot (them being the chickens). I dice up boneless/skinless thighs, as I prefer dark meat and its cheaper but it works with breasts as well, shake garlic powder, paprika and cayenne (just a smidge…or a lot) as well as a wee bit of olive oil and toss it all in the crockpot on high. In about an hour the most heavenly smells known to man will fill your house. In another hour the chicken is safe to eat but it gets better the longer you cook it. Ill often add about half of one of those taco seasoning bags depending on the thickness of the sauce forming and how well I seasoned it. Its a great meal to throw on at lunchtime and then come back to later since it requires almost no actual work after the first ten minutes.
You might consider adding some black beans & cilantro next time. Cumin is a favorite of mine too – but cilantro is at the top of the list. Buy it fresh – it’s near the parsley.
Adorably Caffeinated 
or you could add a package of taco seasoning mix and taco sauce to the chicken without all the hassle of the individual spices; also some shredded cheddar or mexican blend shredded cheese adds a nice touch to the taco
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It’s actually not a hassle for me personally, as I have those things in my pantry anyway 🙂
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I’ve never made them with the green chilis and tomatoes cooked in but that looks great so Ill have to try it. If you like chicken tacos (one of my favourite meals, just made them Tuesday and I’ve been meaning to post my recipe, maybe this will give me some incentive) you should try throwing them in the crockpot (them being the chickens). I dice up boneless/skinless thighs, as I prefer dark meat and its cheaper but it works with breasts as well, shake garlic powder, paprika and cayenne (just a smidge…or a lot) as well as a wee bit of olive oil and toss it all in the crockpot on high. In about an hour the most heavenly smells known to man will fill your house. In another hour the chicken is safe to eat but it gets better the longer you cook it. Ill often add about half of one of those taco seasoning bags depending on the thickness of the sauce forming and how well I seasoned it. Its a great meal to throw on at lunchtime and then come back to later since it requires almost no actual work after the first ten minutes.
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That sounds awesome, I’ll have to try it!!
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You might consider adding some black beans & cilantro next time. Cumin is a favorite of mine too – but cilantro is at the top of the list. Buy it fresh – it’s near the parsley.
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Hmm I’ll try the cilantro but I don’t think I can do the black beans 🙂
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