Quick Chicken Tacos

[mcokevin]

Threw together some quick chicken tacos last night - one of those "kitchen sink" meals to use some up some veggies. They were pretty good. Nowhere near as good as the carnitas tacos I make, but I think a lot of that is down to the texture of the carnitas giving it a bit of a crunch, and the simplicity of those. These had almost a bit too much going on.

Chicken thighs cut up and cooked on the blackstone, then in with some enchilada sauce. The tacos are chicken, homemade pico, some sauteed bell pepper, diced onion/cilantro mix, crema, cotija cheese, on a corn tortilla that is warmed/cooked on the blackstone.

Definitely good, just not "great". I think my standards are getting too high as my and my wife's cooking skills both keep getting better. I have definitely been served tacos at food trucks that were not as good as these.

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Mmm!

 

[BigW.]

Lookin darn good.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Looks and sounds darn delicious Kevin.
One thing I’ve learned about chicken, to make it “pop” in a meal, is to brine or marinade it first. Absolutely a game changer.

 

[Jim_C]

Looks like a nice evening meal. Not every dinner need to be five star. Just tasty.

 

[JLeonard]

I'll take a rack or two!

Jim

 

[mcokevin]

Mmm!

Lookin darn good.

Looks and sounds darn delicious Kevin.
One thing I’ve learned about chicken, to make it “pop” in a meal, is to brine or marinade it first. Absolutely a game changer.

Looks like a nice evening meal. Not every dinner need to be five star. Just tasty.

I'll take a rack or two!

Jim

Thanks gentlemen! Much appreciated!

 

[zwiller]

Looks great! You shoulda just lied and said it was the best you ever had

One thing I’ve learned about chicken, to make it “pop” in a meal, is to brine or marinade it first.

+1. No other way.

I am a big fan of the Bolner stuff and this is a good one. Rub (dry brine) and hold overnight.
https://www.fiestaspices.com/product/fajita-seasoning/
Works good on taters too.

 

[mcokevin]

Looks great! You shoulda just lied and said it was the best you ever had

Hahaha. I'm nothing if not honest. The colors make for a nice pop but there was just a little too much going on for my palat.

 

[zwiller]

there was just a little too much going on for my palat.

Funny you mention that I was gonna give you the "sometimes less is more" speech. You got a lot going on there. Some people into that but not me. Had some chicken tacos on vacay that were the best ever and still working on replicating it. Main thing for sure was shredded cabbage. Chicken, cabbage, onion cilantro mix, shredded jack cheese. I am close but cannot replicate the chicken flavor profile. Place we went to closed so no more sampling. Labor of love tho.

 

[mcokevin]

Funny you mention that I was gonna give you the "sometimes less is more" speech. You got a lot going on there. Some people into that but not me. Had some chicken tacos on vacay that were the best ever and still working on replicating it. Main thing for sure was shredded cabbage. Chicken, cabbage, onion cilantro mix, shredded jack cheese. I am close but cannot replicate the chicken flavor profile. Place we went to closed so no more sampling. Labor of love tho.

Yeah, normally on my carnitas tacos I do just carnitas, crema, onion/cilantro mix, and cotija cheese.

Think the pico + bell peppers together was what made it a little too much. One or the other probably would've been better, and honestly probably could've gotten by with neither of them.

 

[mcokevin]

Back for another round. I cooked enough chicken for two dinners the other night -- it is nice to have a couple of nights of leftovers to not worry about cooking as much during the work week.

Anyway, last night did the same chicken but this time only with crema, onion/cilantro mix, cotija cheese, and some hot sauce on mine. Much simpler flavor profile, made the chicken pop more.

 

[912smoker]

Yes sir Kevin both look great to me!
Just found Crema last week and looking forward to trying it out.

Keith