Basic Chicken Tacos Recipe

Hugh Garvey and matthew Yeomans•

The taco is our household's favorite way of using up leftovers: any little bit of last night's protein (be it fish, chicken, pork, beef) can be chopped up, seasoned in a vaguely Mexican manner, and then served with fresh chopped cilantro, red onion, salsa, and a squeeze of lime. The trick is to chop the meat finely, season it well, and then fry it over high heat in copious amounts of olive oil to give it a richness and crispness that allows a little meat to go a long way.

Basic Chicken Tacos Recipe
No Ratings
Fill 202 Print
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
20
minutes
Servings
4
servings
Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups leftover chicken
  • chili powder
  • Pimenton de la vera (a.k.a. smoked paprika)
  • cumin
  • fresh cilantro
  • onion
  • salsa
  • warm corn tortillas
  • lime wedges
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil in large heavy pan until smoking.
  2. Add the chicken and spices. 
  3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken crisps up.
  4. Serve on warm corn tortillas with chopped fresh cilantro, onion, salsa, and a squeeze of lime.
 
Recommended