Wraps, 'Wiches and Tacos

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

Truthfully, there are only a handful of meals I crave. Thanks to NYT Cooking, these tacos are one of those meals– and I make them often.

If you’ve never had chipotle peppers, they are firey little guys. Smokey and full of flavor. I’m not into crazy spicy foods but these are much more smokey than spicy. They are, in fact, smoked and dried jalapeños. The adobo sauce you’ll find them packed in is a tangy, slightly-sweet sauce. You’ll find the cans at any major grocery store– Stop and Shop, Kroger, Walmart. Browse the International/Mexican aisle. This is what you’re looking for.

The smoky pepper gives these tacos such a bold flavor that even Mr. Flay himself would give his stamp of approval. I’ve got two jars of it in my refrigerator as we speak. I’m always looking for new ways to use it– like in this Instant Pot Chipotle Chili (trust me, you will not regret this).

Truth be told, chicken thighs make for the juiciest taco! You can go with bone or boneless, skin or skinless– you’ll be pulling off the meat with your fingers after cooking. If you’ve got a gas oven, lucky you. Warm up your tortillas directly over a low, open flame for the best flavor and char. If you don’t, no need to panic: heat a small cast iron skillet over medium heat, let it get screaming hot, and warm those puppies up on either side till they’re nice and pliable. For goodness sake, pile on the cilantro with reckless abandon. Mix up a mojito (or this faux-margartia) while you’re at it.

chipotle chicken tacos on tortillas on a light, white surface with toppings of avocado, cilantro, limes, cheese
chipotle chicken tacos on tortillas on a light, white surface with toppings of avocado, cilantro, limes, cheese

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 large bone-in chicken thighs about 1-1/2 lbs
  • 3 scallions left whole
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 3 black peppercorns
  • 1 allspice berry
  • 2 cloves
  • kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 chipotle chilles in adobo chopped
  • 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from the can
  • 8 flour or corn tortillas
  • 1 cup cotija or monterey jack cheese grated
  • 2 avocados sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems chopped
  • 4 small radishes thinly sliced
  • sour cream for serving
  • lime wedges for serving

Instructions
 

  • Put chicken thighs in a dutch oven and cover with 3 cups water. Add scallions, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove chicken and cool. Shred chicken with your fingers, discarding chicken skin and bone. Strain broth and reserve. You should have about 2 cups shredded chicken.
  • Put olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced yellow onion, season with salt and cook until softened and a bit browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute more. Add chopped chipotle chile and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Add shredded chicken, salt lightly and stir to coat. Add ½ cup reserved chicken broth and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, until sauce has thickened somewhat. Keep warm.
  • Heat the tortillas over steam or by your favorite method, keeping them soft and pliable. I like to char tortillas over my gas burner for a few seconds on each side.
  • Build the tacos quickly: Put a spoonful of the saucy chicken in the center of each tortilla. Top with grated cheese, avocado, cilantro, radishes and sour cream. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

Note: use more or less chiles, to taste. The adobo sauce is milder than the chile itself, so if I’m making it for a sensitive crowd I’ll use only adobo sauce and no chopped chiles (maybe just 1!)
Recipe by The New York Times, NYT Cooking.
Keyword chipotle, taco, tacos

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