Tacos are the easiest family meals we can think of. If you are like us, this spring has gotten busy and calendars are full. Families struggle to get all of the school activities done before the end of the year, extra programs dot the calendar and those beautiful spring days call us outside. So, what’s for dinner?
Tacos to the rescue and we have got you covered. First, this great Chipotle Chicken Taco recipe is from our book, The Newlywed Cookbook: Cooking Happily Ever After. The recipe makes a wonderful dinner anytime of the year. The book is a perfect shower present for all of those upcoming weddings—but we also want you to think of it any time you are cooking for two. Newlywed or not, quick meals are always a necessity.
Last fall we wrote an article for The Kansas City Star and featured taco recipes that while easy to prepare, captured authentic flavors. Two of the recipes are cooked in the slow cooker, one features grilled fish and one, super quick recipe begins with a rotisserie chicken. All taste fantastic and solve the dinnertime dilemma. You will also find lots of tips that you can use anytime you make tacos.
So, pour a glass of sangria and enjoy dinner with your family. Tacos are terrific any night of the week.
Chipotle Chicken Tacos
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1½ tablespoons canola oil, olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1½ cups shredded cooked chicken, see tip below
¼ cup picante sauce or salsa
¼ cup shredded leaf lettuce
¼ cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 200° F. Wrap the flour tortillas tightly in aluminum foil and place in the oven to warm.
Whisk together the oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and minced chipotle chile pepper in a small bowl. Pour half of the marinade into a zip-top bag. Set aside the remainder.
Add the sliced onion and the bell pepper strips to the zip-top bag. Seal bag, then massage to distribute marinade evenly throughout.
Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the chicken and the reserved marinade to the vegetables in the skillet; stir and heat through.
Divided the chicken mixture between the warm flour tortillas. Top with picante sauce, lettuce and cheese.
Makes 2 servings.
Tips:
Use rotisserie chicken from the super market. Shred using the tines of a fork.
Other toppings might include sour cream or sliced avocado.
** Recipe Credit: The Newlywed Cookbook: Cooking Happily Ever After, by Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore (St. Martin’s Press, 2014). Photograph credit: David Shaughnessy of Shaughnessy and Associates, Kansas City.
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