Top | Main Dishes
Chipotle Chicken Tacos
(recipe, Carrie Floyd)
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Introduction
Years ago I saw a recipe for a quesadilla filling in a Martha Stewart magazine that I’ve since adapted for tacos and tortas. I like to make the filling in large quantities and freeze half for later, making a meal down the road that much quicker to put together. You can vary the amount of chipotles you use, depending on how spicy you like your food.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 Tbsp. canola or olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ¾ tsp. dried oregano, freshly crumbled
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts if you prefer)
- 1 to 2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- Salt
Tacos
- 8 to 12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup grated jack cheese
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, washed, dried, and destemmed
- 1 cup romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and shredded
- Sour cream (optional)
Steps
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Add onion, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Cook until the onion begins to soften and turn brown on the edges.
- Add the stock, the juice from the tomatoes, and the chicken. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool.
- Add chopped tomatoes, chipotle peppers, cinnamon, and star anise to the pot and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is reduced in half and more saucy than brothy.
- When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-size pieces. Return chicken to the pot and simmer until it is heated through. Remove the whole spices (cinnamon stick, star anise) before serving. Add salt to taste.
- To make the tacos, first warm the tortillas. You can fry them in oil if you like, following the package instructions, or heat them on a baking sheet in the oven, or wrap half of them in a paper towel and cook them for 40 seconds in the microwave (the tortillas seem to warm better in smaller quantities, plus your second — and third — tacos will be just as hot as the first if you warm them in batches).
- For each taco, spoon some of the chicken filling into the tortilla and top with grated cheese, cilantro, shredded lettuce, and sour cream, if desired.