These 20-minute tacos make for a great family-style dinner or a quick weeknight meal. Finishing the chicken thighs in a flavorful braising liquid filled with spicy chipotles in adobo yields tender, moist meat that's topped with a raw corn-and-feta salad and creamy slices of avocado.
Why this recipe works:
- Searing the meat first renders fat that creates a flavorful base for the sauce.
- The addition of the broth makes it easy to scrape up the tasty brown bits on the bottom of the pan and creates a flavorful liquid for finishing the chicken.
- A simple raw corn and feta garnish with avocado helps balance the heat from the chipotles in adobo.
Recipe Details
Spicy Chicken Tacos With Corn, Feta, and Avocado Recipe
Ingredients
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1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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1 red onion, thinly sliced
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1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
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1 tablespoon ground cumin
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1 tablespoon dried oregano
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2 canned chipotles in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of sauce
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1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
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2 ears corn, kernels sliced off
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1/2 cup crumbled feta, preferably Bulgarian
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2 tablespoons fresh juice from 2 whole limes
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8 corn tortillas, warmed
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1/2 cup picked cilantro leaves
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2 ripe avocados, pitted and sliced
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Lime wedges and thinly sliced scallions, for serving
Directions
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Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate.
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In the same pot over medium heat, add onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and oregano until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chipotles and their sauce, stirring to combine, and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and nestle the chicken back in the pot. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a clean plate. Allow cooking liquid to reduce slightly.
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Meanwhile, shred chicken with 2 forks. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot and cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes.
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In a small bowl, combine corn with feta, seasoning with 1 tablespoon of lime juice and pepper.
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Stir remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice into chicken, then spoon onto the tortillas. Serve with the corn salsa, cilantro, avocado, lime wedges, and scallions.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 680 | Calories |
| 32g | Fat |
| 54g | Carbs |
| 52g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 680 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 32g | 41% |
| Saturated Fat 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol 224mg | 75% |
| Sodium 866mg | 38% |
| Total Carbohydrate 54g | 20% |
| Dietary Fiber 10g | 35% |
| Total Sugars 13g | |
| Protein 52g | |
| Vitamin C 56mg | 282% |
| Calcium 221mg | 17% |
| Iron 5mg | 28% |
| Potassium 1215mg | 26% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |