Cinco de Mayo Chicken-Chipotle Tacos

Move over creamy chicken-chard-roasted poblano tacos… we have a new favorite in our house! These tacos are amazing. Thanks to the chipotle chiles, the filling tastes like it has been slow-cooked for hours. The finished full-flavored filling is loaded into a warm tortilla and smothered in toppings- incredible. Perfect.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by David Tanis. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of bone-in and substituted scallions for white onion as a garnish. It could easily be modified to use rotisserie chicken meat as well.

Perfect for your Cinco de Mayo feast… or Seis de Mayo if I’m too late. Fabulous any day! 🙂

Yield: 4 servings

Time: about 1 hour

For the Tacos:

• 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 scallions, left whole
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 thyme branch
• 3 black peppercorns
• 1 allspice berry
• 2 cloves
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 or 3 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
• 3 tablespoons adobo sauce, from the can
• ½ cup chicken broth (*use broth from simmered chicken*)
• 8 fresh corn tortillas

For the Garnish:

• 1 small white onion, finely chopped, soaked in ice water for 10 minutes and drained (I substituted unsoaked scallions.)
• thinly sliced serrano chile
• thinly sliced radishes
• sliced avocado
• crumbled queso fresco or mild feta cheese
• crème fraîche or Mexican crema
• cilantro sprigs
• dried oregano
• lime wedges

1. Put chicken thighs in a saucepan 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.
2. Shred chicken with your fingers. Strain broth and reserve. You should have about 2 cups shredded chicken.
3. 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.
4. Add garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute more.
5. Add chopped chipotle chile and adobo sauce and stir to combine.
6. Add shredded chicken, salt lightly and stir to coat.
7. Add chicken broth and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, until sauce has thickened somewhat. Keep warm.
8. Heat the tortillas over steam or by your favorite method, keeping them soft and pliable. (I placed them in a tortilla warmer, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 minute.)
9. Build the tacos quickly: Put a spoonful of the saucy chicken in the center of each tortilla. Top with a teaspoon of chopped white onion or scallion, a few slivers of serrano chile, some radish and avocado slices, a teaspoon of queso fresco or feta and a teaspoon of crème fraîche. Add a few cilantro springs and a small pinch of oregano.
10. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

One Year Ago:

• Shrimp & Avocado Enchiladas in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Two Years Ago:

• Rick Bayless’ Red Mole Enchiladas with Shredded Chicken
• Mexican-Style Chicken over Penne

Three Years Ago:

• Tacos with Tangy Cilantro Chicken

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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