Crock Pot chicken tacos
The marathon kitchen project continues (we only have about 700 coats of polyurethane left to put on the cabinet doors), so yesterday I turned to my trusty Crock Pot. I tend to get away from using the Crock Pot when the weather warms up, but this dish is good any time of year. I would bet, too, that you can get some of the pickiest eaters to enjoy this.
I’ve heard several variations of this slow cooker recipe. A friend of mine made it with just a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, a packet of taco seasoning and a can of tomatoes. I saw one in my Pillsbury cookbook, “Fast Slow Cooker” that expanded on that idea, including some canned green chilies and extra seasonings. I cobbled the two ideas together in my mind and came up with my own recipe. One thing I liked about it was the fresh Anaheim pepper. I think canned green chilies are too expensive, and in a Crock Pot dish, the fresh pepper is going to cook down to the consistency of a canned product anyway.
See the recipe, below:
Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (alternatively, use bone-in meat, then pick out the bones and skim off excess grease before serving. You can use bone-in split breasts or thighs)
1 large Anaheim pepper, stem removed, seeded, chopped (alternatively, use one can diced green chilies)
1 small onion, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning (alternatively, use a blend of your own spices, such as cumin, chili powder, coriander)
Hot sauce, to taste
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed
Place everything except the cilantro and hot sauce in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the chicken has fallen apart completely and blends together with all of the other ingredients. Add hot sauce to taste and stir in cilantro (Note: I did not have a lime, but if I’d had one, I would have squeezed the juice from about 1/2 lime in when I added the cilantro).
Serve in soft taco shells. Top with any or all of the following: shredded cheese, salsa, chopped fresh tomato, lettuce, hot sauce, sour cream.
April 26, 2010 - 10:20 AM
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That looks and sounds very tasty. You could even put some chopped pineapple or mango on it for a Caribbean kick, too. That’s such a light, easy dish, ideal for summertime!
Ok I just came here specifically to ask for a taco recipe..but not chicken, fish.
I attempted some last night and was not thrilled with the outcome. I had spent some time Saturday googling and reading through a bunch, and a dispiriting number of them featured mayonnaise, which I detest with a fervor bordering on (this is according to my family, not me) pathological. Personally, I don’t think there’s any way to hate mayo even adequately, far less overly.
Has anyone tried them? What sort of sauce did you use? I buzzed tomatillos and cilantro in the chopper, and added a tiny bit of sour cream and lime juice. It was too runny. Any ideas?
Just out of curiosity, how did you cook the fish? I’m guessing, though, that it wasn’t the fish you disliked but the sauce. Maybe you could make a sauce with a sour cream or plain yogurt base?
I marinated the fish overnight and just pan sauteed it. The fish part was fine. I need something to beef up my sauce a little… I added sour cream to my pureed veggies, maybe my mistake was not enough of it. That would also be a great place for fage, but I didn’t have any on hand.
Maybe some diced tomatoes would lend more substance, I don’t know. I expect my family will be subject to several fish taco iterations this summer though, and they were still sort of a hit, runny as they were.
I make a mean fish taco. I use slaw that already comes with a dressing packet and believe it or not doesn’t taste like mayo. The dressing is sweeter and perfect balance to a taco that has spice, tang and crunch.
Hope you enjoy: http://zisforzest.com/2010/03/07/carlsbad/
Heather @ Z is for zest
I’ve used this recipe for Fish Tacos which doesn’t include a “sauce” and they came out amazing: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/fish-tacos-recipe/index.html
The marinade used for the fish gives a great flavor without the need for a sauce.
And here’s another idea from a blog reader who e-mailed me:
here is a simple fish taco recipe that is really good…and since it uses prepared salsa you can use what you like best. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/recipefinder/fish-tacos-ghk1107?click=recipe_sr
After reading this I was craving fish tacos. No fish in the house, so I made a quick trip to Alejandro’s. Kristen, my daughter is like you in her hatred of mayo. She absolutely detests it.
Good suggestion by Lindsey. Kristen, I would say that you could use a huge variety of tomato based sauces, instead of something mayo based. A regular salsa would work. I tend to use a lot of fruity salsas on my fish tacos. Pineapple chunks, mango diced, bell peppers and/or onions sliced extra thin. Cabbage sliced thin, lettuce and diced tomatoes. Of course, lime juice is always a good addition, as is a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce.
You can even do something like Thousand Island, Ranch, Blue Cheese, Italian, or even Balsamic vinagraitte dressing, along with some of the other condiments. There are a lot of options. I had never even heard of fish tacos until three years ago, and now they’re one of my favorite summer entrees.
I’d encourage you to fine tune your offerings by experimenting. Tell the family that they are welcome to improve on your recipes if they’re not suitably impressed.
Best of luck!
I’m with Debbie – Alejandro’s has great fish tacos!
I have chicken, tomatoes, etc in the crock pot today – giving this a try
Let me know what you think, Ken. We had leftovers last night and it was still really good. You might be surprised by how much it makes!
Thanks for all the suggestions, people. I have a feeling I’ll be giving it another shot this weekend!
I have a really good crock pot chicken taco recipe! It’s my husband’s favorite, so I usually make it once a week.
Here’s all that you need:
3 frozen chicken breast
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
First add the beans and corn. Then add the chicken. Top it with the taco seasoning and tomatoes.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
We shred the chicken and then put the mixture in soft tacos. It’s yummy!
I tried out the chicken taco recipe – used 4 boneless chicken breasts, 3 cans Rotel tomatoes, taco seasoning. Slow cooked all day, then made up some rice and mixed it up & put into tortillas with some cheese. It came out spicier than I expected, but good and tender.