Easy Chicken Tacos

Date Completed: 5/6/2021

Let me make this immediately clear: these are not “easy” tacos. The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook Tex-Mex Favorites chapter labeled them that way. That’s how gullible people end up eating dinner after 8 pm on a weeknight. We did make margaritas to go with them, though, so it all worked out!

I did a lot of chopping prior to getting started with the cooking. Once it was time to actually get going, I melted three tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Then I added four minced garlic cloves and one minced chipotle chile. This already smelled amazing!

Into that fragrant mixture I added the orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley. I was actually supposed to add cilantro, but I really hate cilantro. So parsley! Almost immediately I put in the chicken breasts and covered the pan so that they could cook.

Once the chicken finished cooking, I pulled it out to cool just a bit.

At that point the cooking liquid stays on the heat to reduce down further. You also whisk in a little bit of yellow mustard - how crazy is that? Personally I always think of cumin when I think of taco seasoning. I had never considered seasoning with yellow mustard.

While that sauce is finishing up, you shred the chicken. We used the regular two-fork method this time instead of the electric mixer, and it worked very well! I also threw in a little bit more “cilantro” (cough. parsley. cough).

Lastly, incorporate your shredded chicken back with the sauce. You leave it on the stove for a few minutes to make sure it’s warmed through.

Then: time for taco assembly. We had shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and diced avocado for these. I had warmed some regular store-bought tortillas in the oven while cooking the chicken. The one thing I forgot to grab from the store? Cheese.. bummer!

Taste Report:

These tacos were absolutely fantastic. I didn’t miss the cheese at all. I appreciated that they were not overly saucy. It made them much easier to eat! The sauce packed a ton of flavor without being runny, and I loved that! It tasted sweet and smoky with a bright tanginess from the mustard. With the combination of the avocado and tomato toppings, I couldn’t get enough!

I’ll say that these tacos are completely unique. Unlike any other taco I’ve tasted.

We also made margaritas from freshly squeezed limes and homemade simple syrup. That made a perfect addition to these yummy tacos!

Mess Report:

As I mentioned before, the recipe title of “Easy Chicken Tacos” can only be described as a lie. The chopping alone involved should immediately disqualify this as a weeknight meal contender. This is not how I want my kitchen to look late on a Thursday night.

The way I justify any time-intensive recipe? If it can be frozen and then later transformed into a delicious leftover dish the initial mess hurts less. These certainly excelled in that category! I give you “easy chicken taco” quesadillas. I finally remembered to get some cheese!

I still have another package of the shredded chicken in the freezer to make these quesadillas again. I’ll call three meals a win!

Overall, I did have fun cooking these tacos. I loved their unique flavor, and I love that I can continue to enjoy them in quesadilla form weeks later!