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Chicken Chipotle Tacos

Chipotle Chicken Tacos
So, earlier this week I made these chipotle chicken tacos, and they were really amazing.   As I mentioned in Mango Salsa post, we're having a cold snap here in Delaware, and I'm trying to bring back the tastes and smells of Summer with some really good hot weather food.  It was too cold to stand out and grill them like I would ordinarily (and by that, I mean like my husband would ordinarily, lol), so I pan seared them in a screaming hot skillet, then popped them in a 375F oven for 20 minutes.  That's it!  A quick peek inside revealed that they were cooked to juicy perfection.

If this was the only meal I could eat every day for the rest of my life, I would be totally okay with that.   In my opinion, the spicy, smoky chipotle peppers are the shining star of this dish, and I use them to make a marinade for the chicken.   Because these guys are bringing the heat, I temper them with a good amount of honey along with a host of other good stuff:  garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, black pepper, and lots of fresh lime juice.

I like to make up a batch of this marinade and use it to marinate chicken for at least 24 hours prior to cooking it.  I reserve at least 1/2 cup so that I can use it as a dip for the chicken after it is cooked. Of course this reserved bit is set aside and not used to marinate the chicken.

On the blogging side of things, by the time dinner was over with, it was too dark to get a good photo for this post, so I packed everything up in plastic containers and put a note on them that said "EO Photo Food - do not eat!"  My kids weren't too happy with not being able to tear into the leftovers because I was saving them to take pictures of.  This morning I began reheating, cutting, and assembling the tacos for the photos.  When I was finished, it was only 11am, and I had this beautiful plate of chicken chipotle tacos that I had no plan to eat.  I saw tiny Amanda eyeing them up so I casually asked her if she wanted them because I was done with them now.  It was funny because she was so excited at being gifted a beautiful "photo worthy" (her words) lunch and she didn't even have to make it!  She just kept asking, "really?"  "Mom, Really!?"   She loves eating my food - especially after it has been styled to perfection. 

Click below to get the marinade recipe:



Chipotle Marinade

Ingredients

2 limes, juice and pulp  
2 chipotle peppers* (from a can on chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
4 tablespoons adobo sauce* (from the can)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

*  Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are canned.  They're available in the Spanish/Mexican aisle of the market.  These are spicy little guys.  Use fewer peppers if you're sensitive to spicy foods, or consider using only the adobo sauce instead until you become familiar/used to the level of spiciness. 

Directions
  • Put all ingredients in food processor and pulse until a thick sauce is formed. 
  • Reserve at least a half cup for use as a dipping sauce
  • Pour remainder of sauce over raw chicken and allow to marinate at least one hour and up to 48 hours
  • Drain chicken from marinade and pan sear in a hot skillet until dark brown on both sides then place in an oven-safe dish and bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until done.
  • Cut chicken into strips and place on pan toasted tortillas.  Garnish as desired.
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
Oh gosh, this looks absolutely delectable! That's so funny about having to label things "do not eat" for photo purposes...luckily I really only have to worry about the dog stealing food while I'm taking pictures (or bumping things over), but usually she's pretty good ;) I definitely want to make these sometime soon!
January 12, 2015 at 9:50 PM
Elizabeth Obsesses said…
CP (Cake Pants)- thanks for the comment. If you decide to make these, please check back and let me know how they turn out!
January 13, 2015 at 12:24 PM
Leigh said…
That looks gorgeous. I wouldn't ask twice if you were sure about giving it away.
June 7, 2016 at 5:20 PM
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