Adobo Chicken Tacos

If you love tacos, you will love this taco recipe. Hands down. And I’m not talking about that tired, standard, ground beef, tomato, lettuce taco. I’m talking authentic mexican taco. Full of plenty of cilantro, lime, and fresh ingredients. That’s the Mexican food we should all be accustomed to, not the cheesy downgraded meat out of a hose kinda taco. (I’m lookin’ at you T-Bell)

On a real note, this taco is everything that you should want in a taco. Spicy, peppery (from that delish adobo) meat topped with completely fresh pico, lime, cilantro, radish, and a bit of cheese; wrapped up in a light (gluten-free) corn tortilla in order to hold all the ingredients without overwhelming them.

PS: While I use chicken as the meat in this recipe, feel free to experiment with beef, steak, shrimp, or anything really! I bet even Tofu can really take on that adobo flavor.

Honestly, I had no intention of blogging about these tacos, they kind of just came to me in an odd inspiration, and I decided not only that it was TACO NIGHT, but also MARGARITA NIGHT in order to use the bottle of Don Julio that’s been in my possession since my boyfriend gave it to me for graduation (6 months ago). I haven’t been avoiding the tequila for any reason, other than it kind of turns me into a psycho. But I decided that just one margarita would put me in the perfect mood to then get a beer with some friends at the jazz bar later, but that’s neither here nor there.

Point being- that these tacos were surprisingly amazing. Like topping the charts of all-time taco experiences. It helps that I added only ingredients that I like, but that’s the beauty of tacos! Put in what you love, and leave out what you don’t! I think we could learn a thing or two from that.

Ingredients: (for two)

Two chicken breast
2 Tbsp Adobo sauce (or canned chipotle in adobo, you’ll use the rest. trust me)
Corn tortillas
Small bunch of cilantro- roughly chopped
1/2 red onion
1 radish- sliced super thin
1 small Tomato
2 Tbsp vinegar (any type is fine)
1/4 white or yellow onion
2 limes
Shredded cheese (I used pepper jack)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Prep:

Make the pico de gallo: Dice tomato and onion together with a good chunk of chopped cilantro and juice 1/2 of the lime onto it. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix.
Pickle the red onion: mix 2 Tbsp vinegar (I prefer wine vinegars), 2 Tbsp water, 1/2 Tbsp honey and 1 tsp salt in microwave for ~30 sec, pour over sliced red onion and let cool in fridge til ready
Make the adobo skillet sauce: Mix 2 Tbsp adobo paste/sauce with other 1/2 lime juice and 1 Tbsp olive oil
Slice chicken into thin strips and toss with plenty of adobo skillet sauce

Cook:

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat and spread around
Add adobo chicken and saute until cooked through, flipping as necessary (Inside temp: 165. About 5-7 minutes)
Warm tortillas: For a big batch- cover a stack completely in a damp paper towel and microwave for 10-15 seconds. Alternatively, heat one at a time on stove.
Once tortillas are steamed, add the adobo chicken. Top with cheese, shaved radish, cilantro leaves, fresh pico de gallo, pickled red onion, and squeeze of lime
Serve alongside extra lime slices, cilantro for garnish, and a fresh limey margarita if you’re feelin it (like I was)

And there you’ve got it! While my recipe is only written for two, this would make an awesome taco display for a group. Simply plate the chicken, tortillas, and various toppings in separate containers for your guests to use at their leisure 🙂 I’d recommend you add margaritas into the mix as well.