Last night, in an attempt to steer from the same 'ol boring dish for dinner, I had remembered I had this delightful recipe for Crispy Chicken Tacos. At about 1 PM I placed frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot with about 5 cups of water and spices. Set the crock on the "high" setting. By 5 pm the chicken was cooked to perfection, and shredded like a dream. I made enough to share with my next door neighbors, Jeff, Chris, and their son Spencer. We frequently share Steve's homemade Chili with them on a regular basis, so this was a new taste sensation for them. I highly recommend this EASY dish, that requires only three ingredients. You will have a delightful southwestern dish in under and hour that will wow your dinner guests, or maybe just yourself! Simply purchase "homemade" salsa from the store, or go all out and prepare the recipe from the link below!
Crisp Chicken Tacos (Tacos de Pollo)
No need to use stale store-bought shells to make crispy tacos. Our easy method turns fresh corn tortillas into crunchy pockets filled with a simple, savory filling. Prep and Cook Time: about 1 hour. Notes: A typical rotisserie chicken yields just enough meat for this recipe. Tacos can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead, then fried just before serving. Or, you can fry them up to 6 hours ahead and recrisp them in a 300° oven for 15 minutes before serving.
3 cups packed shredded cooked chicken meat (see Notes)2 cups (1/2 lb.) shredded jack cheeseKosher saltAbout 2 cups canola oil, divided16 corn tortillas (5 to 6 in.)1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantroWooden toothpicks
Tomato-Cucumber Salsa1. Preheat oven to 200°. In a bowl, mix chicken with cheese and season to taste with salt.
2. Pour 3 tbsp. oil into a medium frying pan over high heat. When hot, add tortillas, 1 at a time, heating just enough to soften but not crisp, about 10 seconds per side. As heated, stack on paper towels, cover with a kitchen towel, and keep warm in oven. Add more oil to pan as needed.
3. Mix cilantro with chicken filling. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, distribute about 1/4 cup packed chicken filling down center. Fold tortilla in half over filling and thread 1 toothpick through top edges to seal. If assembling ahead, arrange filled tacos on a tray, cover with plastic wrap, and chill up to 4 hours.
4. Pour at least 1/2 in. oil into same pan and set on high heat. When hot, add 4 to 6 tacos (depending on pan size; do not overcrowd). Tacos should sizzle when they hit oil. Turn as needed until shells are crisp and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Lift tacos from pan with a slotted spoon, draining oil back into pan. Lay tacos in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and keep warm in oven. Fry remaining tacos the same way, adding more oil as needed. When all tacos are cooked, pull out and discard toothpicks. Serve with salsa on the side.
