Tuesdays can be pretty crummy. It’s still the beginning of the week and you have a ways to go until Friday. However, Tuesday is redeemed when it is Taco Tuesday! I first started celebrating Taco Tuesdays when I was living in San Diego. I always looked forward to going to a different taco stand or restaurant for their specials that day. Sometimes you could get some amazing tacos for as little as $1.00! So, needless to say, I try to make these as often as possible, and sometimes even celebrate Taco or Tostada Thursdays, Fiesta Fridays, and, well, you get the idea. These are so easy to make, because you can use the slow cooker to throw everything together, then set it and walk away. I have cooked this overnight so that I had it ready for lunch the next day or started it in the morning so I could throw together some tacos when I finished classes and studying for the day. I’ve included two ways to serve this chicken, so enjoy the two-for-one special post!
The King’s Chili Chicken Tacos
Tacos are one of those things that you build to your taste, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt. Normally when I assemble these taco I will use either hard tacos shells or warmed corn tortillas. I then add a little bit of refried beans as a base, then a generous layer of the chili chicken meat, and top that off with some guacamole, shredded lettuce, cilantro, and shredded Colby Jack cheese. Some people enjoy sour cream with their tacos, if you’re one of them, then add it. Again, have fun with this and try different combinations; the chicken is versatile and is complemented by many other flavors. The easiest way to make this recipe is to use your slow cooker, but if you don’t have a slow cooker, you can alternatively cook it in the oven using a Dutch oven. I’ve included both methods below. For the salsa in this recipe sometimes I use Herdez Salsa Casera, but more often than not I just buy a 16-ounce container of the fresh mild or medium salsa sold at the grocery store.
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups of your favorite salsa (see note above)
- 7-ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Taco shells, heated in the oven or corn tortillas, heated in microwave
- Colby Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- Guacamole (see recipes here)
- Lettuce, shredded
- Cilantro, roughly chopped
- Sour cream, optional
Not feeling like tacos? Throw together some tostadas! They are basically open-faced tacos, but they allow you to pile the ingredients high. I use the salad dressing from one of my favorite restaurants in Portland, Oregon, The Original Taco House or simply “OTH” as my family says. My mom ships it to me or I bring it back with me whenever I visit. When I don’t have this on hand, I try whatever salad dressing I can find in the grocery store or just top it with some mild or medium salsa.
- The King’s Chili Chicken Taco Meat (recipe above)
- Tostadas, heated in the oven
- Colby Jack or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- Refried beans, heated in microwave
- Lettuce, shredded
- Sweet peppers, thinly sliced
- Favorite taco salad dressing
To assemble you tostada, take one tostada and spread refried beans over the top of the toastada, sprinkle a little cheese over top and then place another tostada on top. Place this in the oven to melt the cheese. Once the cheese is melted, remove and put on your plate. Top this with a generous amount of The King’s Chili Chicken Taco Meat, followed by your desired amount of lettuce, sliced sweet peppers, cheese, and taco salad dressing. Again, have fun with this and try various combinations and a variety of ingredients.
