Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Shredded Chicken Tacos Anyone......




I have always wanted to make shredded chicken tacos.  I finally decided to make them.  I was a little uncertain on how to make them, but after a little trial and error, I came up with a surefire method.  I boiled the chicken in the spices, shredded the chicken, returned it to the sauce and reduced.  Overall, the chicken was some of the best I have ever eaten.  I am not sure if my method is the proper way to make shredded chicken taco meat, but it was simple and delicious.

Shredded Chicken Tacos:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 tbs taco seasoning, see recipe below
4 cups water, plus 4 tbs for thickening
1 tbs corn starch
12 flour tortillas or taco shells
cheese
lettuce, shredded
tomato, diced
sour cream
guacamole (optional)

Taco Seasoning:
3 tbs paprika
2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs sugar
1 tbs garlic powder
3 tsp salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp chipotle pepper ground, optional




 Cooking the Chicken

Place the chicken in a deep skillet or Dutch oven.  Cover with the 4 cups of water and add 4 tbs of taco seasoning.   Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes.  Check the chicken to make sure it is fully cooked and tender.  Remove the chicken from the liquid and place on a plate to cool.  While the chicken is cooling, bring the liquid back up to a boil and let it reduce.  Don’t worry if you have a lot of liquid left.  It will reduce.  When the chicken is touchable, shred it with two forks, your fingers, or whatever utensils you have lying around.  Place the chicken back into the liquid.  In a small bowl or cup, add the 4 tbs water, 2 tbs of seasoning and 1 tbs of cornstarch.  Mix thoroughly and then add to the chicken.  Stir until thickened.  Remove from the heat and your taco meat is ready to go.