Chicken Main Dish Mexican Quick Fix Meals

Chicken Tacos – Homemade and yummilicious

Homemade Chicken tacosssss couldn’t get any tastierrr…

Aren’t you all glad that it’s Friday night??? As always I am so excited that the week is over and the weekend is here. I am looking forward to a very relaxing weekend, going for a few hours of massage on Saturday and then just chiling on Sunday.

I am tired of asking the Mother nature this question: “Why don’t you shower more snow this winter?” It’s been raining most of the days and feels like it’s Spring. Well, my hubby says I should be glad that there’s not much snow or blizzards as we don’t have to deal with blowing the snow early in the morning and to drive on snow etc etc…He’s so glad that it’s not snowing!

One of my comfort foods during freezing winter is Mexican food, it can be chili soup, tacos, burritos, or just chips and salsa. These food does impart me the warmth and taste, both my body and my taste buds feels happy.

A couple of days ago, I made this chicken tacos, everything was made from scratch: the taco shells and the taco seasoning. It’s healthy, yummy and great for winter.

Chicken Tacos 

Makes: 8

Ingredients

Making Taco Seasoning

Recipe courtesy: All recipes.com

  • Chili powder- 1 tablespoon
  • Garlic powder- 1/4 teaspoon
  • Onion powder- 1/4 teaspoon
  • Crushed red pepper flakes-  1/4 teaspoon (optional if you want to make it mild)
  • Dried oregano- 1/4 teaspoon
  • Paprika- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Ground cumin- 1 1/2 teaspoons
  • Salt- 1 teaspoon

For making soft taco shells

  • Masa harina- 1 cup ( traditional flour used for making mexican dishes)
  • Rice flour- 1 cup
  • Water- 1 cup + 4 tbsp or enough to make a soft dough
  • Non-stick cooking spray- to spray on the pan
  • Salt- 1/2 tsp

For cooking chicken

  • Chicken breasts, cut into thin wedges- 3 breasts
  • Prepared taco seasoning- 1 1/2 tbsp
  • Oil- 3 to 4 tbsp

For cooking veggies

  • Oil- 1 tbsp
  • White onions, cut into thin wedges- 1, large
  • Red pepper, cut into thin wedges- 1
  • Cherry tomatoes (optional)- 8
  • Taco seasoning- 1 tbsp

While assembling the tacos

  • Salsa, store bought- 2 tbsp/tacos
  • Cheddar cheese- to garnish on tacos
  • Jalapeno, pickled- 3 per tacos (optional)

Instruction

Preparation

Preparing taco seasoning

  • In a dry bowl, combine all the above mentioned ingredients to make the taco seasoning. Store in an air tight container.

Making soft taco shells

  • In a large bowl, combine masa harina, rice flour and salt, add water and knead well to make a soft dough.
  • Make small balls out of the dough, keep aside.
  • Roll the balls on a wooden board or on a clean counter top to a round shape.
  • To avoid the dough from sticking while rolling, place the dough on a ziploc bag greased with little oil and roll it.
  • Heat a non-stick pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Place the rolled dough, and cook till both sides get a few golden spots.
  • Keep aside the cooked soft shell tacos.

Pan frying chicken

  • Cut the chicken breasts into thin wedges, add 1 1/2 tbsp of prepared taco seasoning to the chicken, let marinate for 30 minutes.
  • Pan fry the chicken till it’s cooked well and turns golden brown, keep aside.
  • You could even grill the chicken breast fillet and then cut into wedges.
  • In the same pan used for pan frying the chicken, add oil, add the onion and red pepper to it.
  • Sprinkle 1 tbsp of taco seasoning over it and stir fry the veggies till it turns golden in color.
  • Add the cherry tomatoes and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
  • Keep aside the cooked veggies.

Assembling the chicken tacos

  • Create a chicken taco station, have the cooked chicken, veggies, soft shell tacos, cheese, salsa and jalapeno ready.
  • Spread 2 tbsp of salsa on each soft shell tacos.
  • Place some cooked chicken on top of it, place cooked veggies on top of the chicken, add 3 slices of pickled jalapenos, garnish the top with cheese.
  • Turn on the broil mode in the oven to low.
  • When the broiler is ready, place the chicken tacos on a baking sheet and place it in the top rack of oven.
  • Broil for 30 seconds till the cheese has melted and turns light golden in color. Don’t over broil it as the cheese with burn.
  • Remove from the oven, if you want you could wrap the tacos and serve along with more salsa.

Tips

  • You could use store bought taco seasoning and taco shells.
  • To make vegetarian version: just ignore the chicken
Chicken Tacos
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Appetiser
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Making Taco Seasoning
  • Recipe courtesy: All recipes.com
  • Chili powder- 1 tablespoon
  • Garlic powder- ¼ teaspoon
  • Onion powder- ¼ teaspoon
  • Crushed red pepper flakes- ¼ teaspoon (optional if you want to make it mild)
  • Dried oregano- ¼ teaspoon
  • Paprika- ½ teaspoon
  • Ground cumin- 1½ teaspoons
  • Salt- 1 teaspoon
For making soft taco shells
  • Masa harina- 1 cup ( traditional flour used for making mexican dishes)
  • Rice flour- 1 cup
  • Water- 1 cup + 4 tbsp or enough to make a soft dough
  • Non-stick cooking spray- to spray on the pan
  • Salt- ½ tsp
For cooking chicken
  • Chicken breasts, cut into thin wedges- 3 breasts
  • Prepared taco seasoning- 1½ tbsp
  • Oil- 3 to 4 tbsp
For cooking veggies
  • Oil- 1 tbsp
  • White onions, cut into thin wedges- 1, large
  • Red pepper, cut into thin wedges- 1
  • Cherry tomatoes (optional)- 8
  • Taco seasoning- 1 tbsp
  • While assembling the tacos
  • Salsa, store bought- 2 tbsp/tacos
  • Cheddar cheese- to garnish on tacos
  • Jalapeno, pickled- 3 per tacos (optional)
Instructions
Preparing taco seasoning
  1. In a dry bowl, combine all the above mentioned ingredients to make the taco seasoning. Store in an air tight container.
Making soft taco shells
  1. In a large bowl, combine masa harina, rice flour and salt, add water and knead well to make a soft dough.
  2. Make small balls out of the dough, keep aside.
  3. Roll the balls on a wooden board or on a clean counter top to a round shape.
  4. To avoid the dough from sticking while rolling, place the dough on a ziploc bag greased with little oil and roll it.
  5. Heat a non-stick pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  6. Place the rolled dough, and cook till both sides get a few golden spots.
  7. Keep aside the cooked soft shell tacos.
Pan frying chicken
  1. Cut the chicken breasts into thin wedges, add 1½ tbsp of prepared taco seasoning to the chicken, let marinate for 30 minutes.
  2. Pan fry the chicken till it's cooked well and turns golden brown, keep aside.
  3. You could even grill the chicken breast fillet and then cut into wedges.
  4. In the same pan used for pan frying the chicken, add oil, add the onion and red pepper to it.
  5. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of taco seasoning over it and stir fry the veggies till it turns golden in color.
  6. Add the cherry tomatoes and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
  7. Keep aside the cooked veggies.
Assembling the chicken tacos
  1. Create a chicken taco station, have the cooked chicken, veggies, soft shell tacos, cheese, salsa and jalapeno ready.
  2. Spread 2 tbsp of salsa on each soft shell tacos.
  3. Place some cooked chicken on top of it, place cooked veggies on top of the chicken, add 3 slices of pickled jalapenos, garnish the top with cheese.
  4. Turn on the broil mode in the oven to low.
  5. When the broiler is ready, place the chicken tacos on a baking sheet and place it in the top rack of oven.
  6. Broil for 30 seconds till the cheese has melted and turns light golden in color. Don't over broil it as the cheese with burn.
  7. Remove from the oven, if you want you could wrap the tacos and serve along with more salsa.
Notes
You could use store bought taco seasoning and taco shells.
To make vegetarian version: just ignore the chicken

AboutThas

Thas is the author of Cooking with Thas, a popular food blog with recipes from Indian, American and Fusion Cuisines. She has been blogging since 2009 and been featured in several magazines. Read more...