Prepare Chicken for Tacos

Mexican cuisine is versatile. Most Mexican dishes, like tamales, tacos, tostadas and enchiladas can be made with chicken, beef, pork or vegetarian ingredients. In order to give your chicken a Mexican flavor, it should be seasoned in traditional Mexican spices and combined with other ingredients to make chicken taco filling. This article will tell you how to prepare chicken for tacos and goes on to say how to make tacos.

Steps

  1. Buy 1 lb. (453 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, or separate your own from whole chickens. This will yield about 7 servings. Buy more, if you have a larger party.
  2. Defrost the chicken, if need be. For best results, place it in the refrigerator 24 hours in advance to allow it to defrost evenly.
  3. Trim any fat off the chicken breasts.
  4. Cut each chicken breast in vertical strips. Cut each strip into 2 or 3 pieces, depending upon the size of your breasts. You should now have bite sized pieces.
  5. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and black pepper.
  6. Heat 2 tbsp. (30 ml) of canola oil in a large skillet or sauté pan at a medium-high setting. Wait until the oil swirls on its own when you pick up the pan.
  7. Place the chicken in the heated pan. Space the strips out so they are in 1 layer.
  8. sauté 1 chopped yellow onion in another pan while you cook your chicken. This is an optional step, but will add more flavor.
    • Add a few diced Serrano chilies when the onions are softened, if you want to make a very spicy chicken filling.
  9. Toss in Mexican spices while the chicken is cooking. For example, use 1 tsp. (2 g) of cumin, 1 tsp. (2 g) of smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp. (1 g) of chili powder or cayenne pepper.
    • You can replace this spice mix with a store-bought taco seasoning.
    • For extra flavor, toss in a can of diced green chilies while you cook the chicken.
  10. Cook the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes.
  11. Warm tortillas or taco shells while the chicken cooks.
  12. Dice tomatoes, lettuce, avocado or whatever else you would like to put into your tacos.
  13. Add the chicken to the pan with cooked onions. Mix well.
    • For a stew-like chicken filling, add 1 cup (237 ml) of chicken or vegetable broth to the pan and allow it to simmer on the burner until it is a thick sauce.
  14. Remove the chicken from the burner.
  15. Place your spiced chicken in taco shells or tortillas.
  16. Cover with toppings and salsa and serve.

Tips

  • Chicken for tacos can also be grilled or broiled as a chicken breast and then diced into smaller pieces. Rub with the Mexican spices and let the chicken sit for a few hours before cooking them this way.

Warnings

  • Keep raw chicken separated from your other ingredients. Work with it on a dedicated space and then clean the area with an antibacterial cleaner after you are done.

Things You'll Need

  • Stove
  • sauté pan or skillet
  • Canola oil
  • Chicken breasts
  • Onions
  • Serrano chilies (optional)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cumin
  • Chili powder
  • Knife
  • Diced green chilies (optional)
  • Spatula

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Sources and Citations

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