Ranch Chicken Tacos
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 8 servings
- Total: 25 min
- Active: 20 min
Ingredients
Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Tortillas:
6 small corn tortillas
6 small flour tortillas
Serving suggestions:
Avocado Lime Crema, recipe follows
Basic Brown Beans, recipe follows
Grilled Mini Peppers, recipe follows
Mango de Gallo, recipe follows
Salsa Diablo, recipe follows
Avocado Lime Crema:
2 avocados
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Zest and juice of 2 limes
Basic Brown Beans:
4 cups dried pinto beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons chili powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grilled Mini Peppers:
12 red and yellow mini peppers
Mango de Gallo:
3 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 large red onion, diced
Two 15-ounce cans diced mangoes, drained
2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
Salsa Diablo:
Two 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chiles, such as Rotel
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 habanero chile, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin (with seeds and membrane)
1 canned chipotle in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1 lime
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the chicken: Put the chicken in a resealable bag. In a bowl, mix together the cumin, chili powder, crushed pepper, garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; pour over the chicken. Seal the bag and smush to coat.
- Add the oil to a skillet and heat it up over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, cut into cubes, and then return to the skillet; keep warm over low heat, covered in foil.
- For the tortillas: Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve the chicken with the tortillas as part of a taco bar.
Avocado Lime Crema:
- Add the avocados, cilantro, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper and lime zest and juice to a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve as part of a taco bar.
Basic Brown Beans:
- Add the beans, chili powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper to a large pot. Add cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 6 hours. Serve as part of a taco bar.
Grilled Mini Peppers:
- Heat up a grill pan and slap the peppers on. Cook, turning them occasionally, until blistered on all sides and softened, about 8 minutes total. Remove and set aside. Serve as part of a taco bar.
Mango de Gallo:
- Add the jalapenos, tomatoes, onions, mangoes, cilantro, lime juice and salt to a bowl and stir together. Serve as a taco bar fixing.
Salsa Diablo:
- In a blender or food processor (see Cook's Note), combine the diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, cilantro, onions, garlic, chiles, hot sauce, cumin, salt, sugar and lime juice. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you like; I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip, if you dare. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Cook’s Note
I recommend using a 12-cup food processor, as this recipe makes a large quantity. Alternatively, you can blend or process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.