15 minute Crispy Chicken Tacos
15 minute
In honor of the infamous Taco Tuesday, here’s a quick and easy recipe.
Crispy & Crunchy.
Ready in 15 minutes.
In a hurry?
There’s so much to do and you have less than 30 minutes to get dinner going.
I’ve got you covered. And who doesn’t love chicken tacos?
Using pre-cooked chicken, you can have these babies ready to go before you know it!
As usual, we’re serving up 2 sides: the traditional duo of rice and beans.
Toppings are entirely up to you. Yes, this is perfect if you’re cooking for picky eaters 😀
Note: Rice generally takes 20 minutes total to cook= 15 minutes on heat then 5 minutes off heat.
This Recipe is:
- Delicious
- Inexpensive
- Simple
Before you start
Find:
- 2 small saucepans (make sure one of them has a tight-fitting lid)
- medium ceramic pan or cast iron skillet
- a sharp knife
- cutting board
- measuring cup
Then gather your ingredients.
Setup & Prep
First, you’ll need to use a molcajete– mortar and pestle. It’s so versatile, one of my favorite kitchen tools.
Throw your garlic cloves in and smash them with the pestle until a paste is formed.
Add cumin seeds and grind, grind, grind.
Dice your onions and set them aside.
I like to place them in a bowl so I can free up space on my cutting board.
Chop the cilantro. Measure out your water.
Get the rice started
Heat some oil in a saucepan. Like Rachel Ray likes to say, “eyeball it.”
Toss in onions and stir fry until translucent.
Add the rice and fry until browned.
Trust me: you don’t wanna skip this step.
Return to your garlic/cumin mixture. Add some of the water your measured to it and stir.
Turn the heat down to low. Slowly add the rest of the water.
Stir and add the goya seasoning pack. Turn the heat to med-high and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, add cilantro, then the mixed vegetables. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Semi-Homemade beans
Who has time to cook beans for 5 plus hours??
I know I don’t. Canned pinto beans really do the trick.
The seasonings really help elevate this ‘semi-homemade’ version of frijoles guisados.
For an extra kick: you can cook down a jalapeño or serrano pepper before adding the beans.
Empty the can- undrained, into a small saucepan. Add seasonings and bring to a boil. Simmer and cook for at least 10 mins.
Taco Time
Now for the main attraction!
Eyeball some oil in a medium skillet.
The first time I created this recipe, I had a can of chicken breast to work with- which turned out to be sooo good.
You can definitely substitute with rotisserie chicken or even use those leftovers that you roasted in the oven! Just make sure to shred into uniform pieces.
Anyway- add your chicken, salt, and pepper.
You can also season to your own preferences. I personally don’t like the taste of chili powder and my family never used it.. so I avoid it at all costs.
Heat the chicken through and raise the heat to med-low until it starts to simmer.
After a few minutes, turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
Frying the tortillas
Heat 1/4 cup oil in large frying pan or cast-iron skillet.
Make sure you are using a high-heat oil, which has higher smoking point.
It can also be helpful to turn on the hood vent above your stove. In case you do start smoking up the kitchen, you can open a window/ door. I speak from experience, y’all. 😀
Deep-fry each corn tortilla, 1 at a time, until crispy.
This should take around 1-2 minutes on each side. They should look browned, but not burnt.
Fold tortillas over to close using tongs. Fry in this shape for another minute on each side.
Remove tortillas from oil and drain on paper towels.
Fill taco shells with chicken and serve with the rice and beans.
15 Minute Crispy Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 12 oz chicken breast (canned)
- 6 corn tortillas
- 15 oz pinto beans (canned)
- fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tbsp oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
For the rice:
- 1 cup rice (long grain )
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp cumin (seeds)
- 1/4 cup mixed vegetables (frozen)
- 1 packet goya tomate y cilantro (seasoning)
- fresh cilantro
For the beans
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Make the rice
- Smash the garlic using a mortar and pestle.
- Add cumin seeds. Crush and mix with pestle until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a saucepan (ensure that you have a tight-fitting lid to cover). Add onions and cook until translucent.
- Add rice and cook until lightly toasted.
- Pour some of the water into the mortar. Add to the rice and stir. Slowly add the rest of the water.
- Add the Goya seasoning packet and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, add cilantro, then the mixed vegetables. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Make the beans:
- Empty can of beans into a medium saucepan. Add seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover.
Make the tacos:
- Heat oil in a medium skillet.
- Add chicken. Salt and pepper, to taste.
- Heat through and bring to a light simmer. Remove from heat and cover.
- Heat 1/4 cup oil in large frying pan or cast-iron skillet.
- Deep-fry corn tortillas until crispy, about 1-2 minutes on each side. They should look browned, but not burnt.
- Fold tortillas over to close using tongs. Fry in this shape for another minute on each side.
- Remove tortillas from oil and drain on paper towels.
- Fill taco shells with chicken and serve with the rice and beans.
