By now, you know that I love Rick Bayless. I think his recipes are great, though I often use them as a jumping off point and find my own way. These tacos were inspired by Frontera’s Chipotle Steak Tacos with Caramelized Onions. We didn’t have steak around, but I found a can of chipotles and some chicken. This ended up great. Just enough kick and a simple recipe. If you like the smokiness of chipotle, you will love this!

Kelly

Orange Chipotle Chicken Tacos

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
• 1 can chipotle chilies
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• 2 medium white or red onions, sliced ¼-inch thick
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt
• 12 warm corn tortillas

Puree the chipotle chilies and their sauce in a blender until smooth. (Thin with a few tablespoons of water or chicken broth if necessary.) Slice the chicken breasts crosswise, about 1 inch thick. Toss with a few tablespoons of the chipotle puree so it is just coated. (Use sparingly if you are spice averse.)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high.  Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, but still crunchy, about 4 minutes.  Scoop into a bowl.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil. When hot, lay in the chicken.  Brown on all sides, and cooked through.  Toss the meat with the onions. Add zest and juice from the orange and simmer until the chicken is coated. Taste and season with salt.

Serve with the warm tortillas, shredded cheddar cheese and some spicy greens.

I love Mexican food. Tacos every day? Yes please! The one thing about Mexican food, especially Tex-Mex, is the health factor. Finding ways to make it healthy and tasty can be tough! I think the best of the best at getting that right is Rick Bayless. Everything I have every made of his is fantastic (and I have heard from a good source that his restaurant is to die for). This recipe is the short-cut version using his Frontera Chipotle Salsa. As someone who likes to cook from scratch, sometimes it feels a bit like cheating to cook semi-homemade. However, if on a weeknight you can turn out something this good very quickly, you have me convinced! I actually poach the chicken and shred it, but you could use rotisserie or other cooked chicken to cut down on the time. I have used this chicken as tacos, on salad, and as an appetizer on tortilla chips, each one as good as the one before. This is definitely a standby in my life!

Kelly

Chicken Tinga Tacos

From Rick Bayless’ Frontera

4 to 6 servings

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

1 jar (16 ounces) Frontera Chipotle Salsa

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon vinegar, preferably cider vinegar

4 cups (loosely packed) coarsely shredded, cooked chicken

Salt, about 1 teaspoon

8 to 12 warm tortillas

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

1 Handful Arugula, dressed with lemon or lime

3 to 4 tablespoons finely grated Mexican queso añejo, Parmesan or Romano

Chopped cilantro, for garnish

If desired, poach 2-4 chicken breasts in flavored water. I like to place the raw chicken in the bottom of a pot. Just cover with cold water. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and a splash of white wine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, until tender and cooked through. Use two forks to shred the chicken.

In a large skillet, cook the onion in the oil over medium heat until crisp-tender and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salsa, tomatoes with their juice and the vinegar. Simmer, stirring regularly until quite thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, cool, then taste and season with salt.

Serve the mixture in warm tortillas. Let guests add avocado, arugula dressed with lemon or lime, cheese and cilantro to taste.

**For tostadita appetizers, arrange 24 thick tortilla chips on one or more serving platters. Top each with a heaping tablespoon of the chicken tinga, a few pieces of avocado, a sprinkling of cheese and cilantro. We sent these to a potluck and got rave reviews. I swear, this is even better on day 2!