Chipotle-Chicken Tacos

Soft tacos wrapping spicy chicken with delicious toppings - a family favourite

​Chipotle Shredded Chicken Tacos

A spicy saucy meat wrapped in soft warm taco, sprinkled with cheese and dolloped with avocado cream. Really, something to make you feel optimistic and friendly to the world.

It’s worth getting a can of chipotles in adobo sauce from the specialist section of your supermarket or on line. I promise that once you’ve used them, you will keep on. The chipotles are a preserved chilli which is slow cooked in a tomato and spice sauce and then canned and matured. They have a sweet depth of flavour and are spicy but not burning. They mellow down into a sauce and give it a genuine flavour which your family will certainly appreciate. It’s one way to keep them from demanding an expensive and unhealthy takeaway on a regular basis!

A lot of people think they have to buy one of those all-in-one packs to make Mexican food. They’re fine but because the spice blend is made up for you, you don’t get the chance to personalise the recipe or use the fresh ingredients such as lime juice or a spoonful of chipotle in adobo that make all the difference. Try it from scratch and see.

You don’t really need vegetables with this as you have lots in the recipe but you could serve a salad or grilled corn if you like.

Serves 4                               Timings:  30 minutes, overnight marinade then 1 hour on the day of cooking

• 550g chicken thighs, no skin or bone
• 1 pack (or more if you think so) soft taco wraps, not the crispy shells. I used the Gran Luchito Mexican Street Soft tacos and they were just right. There are 10 side-plate sized tacos in a pack, so use 2 packs if you have big appetites.
• ½ crisp lettuce such as cos or iceberg
  
• 1 avocado
  
• 300ml sour cream
  
• Tomato/onion/coriander salsa
  
• 100g cheddar, grated
  
• Some jalapenos if you have them in the fridge
  
• Refried beans if you like
  

Marinade:

• 2 cloves garlic, mashed with salt
  
• 1 red chilli, de-seeded and chopped
  
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
  
• 1 chipotle in adobo
  
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• Powdered spices: ½ teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon paprika
  
• 1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lime juice 
A little chopped fresh coriander to serve

Blend all the marinade ingredients together with a stick blender to a paste. Add a splash of vegetable oil. Massage into the chicken thighs and leave in a covered bowl in the fridge overnight.

Take the chicken out of the marinade and in a large heavy casserole pan such as Le Creuset, fry each thigh in a little vegetable oil. The marinade will crisp and brown a bit but that’s fine. When you’ve fried each of them on both sides for a few minutes to brown and set the outer surface, put them all back into the casserole with the remaining marinade and 1 teacup of water. Simmer for about an hour until the juices are much reduced but a few tablespoons still remain in the bottom of the pan. Let the pan cool a bit and then using two forks, pull the chicken pieces apart into shreds. They will be tender and easy to pull apart. Add the lime juice, stir everything through the sauce, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Keep warm.

Warm your tacos in a frying pan or griddle, giving each a minute or so on each side and then wrapping the stack in a teatowel to keep warm.

Blend the flesh of the avocado with sour cream, add salt and lime juice. Stir in some chopped fresh coriander if liked. This is avocado cream and not a true guacamole which would also contain chopped red onion, chopped chilli, chopped tomato and be much chunkier.

Make your tomato/onion salsa by mixing chopped fresh tomatoes and onions together with a little salt.

Warm your refried beans if using. I’m giving a recipe for home made refried beans later in August which are so delicious you could eat them by themselves.

Everyone can assemble their own taco wraps, spread with smoky beans, filled with spicy chicken, topped with cheese and drizzled with avocado cream or tomato salsa.