Ingredients
Chicken
1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 poblano peppers, deseeded and diced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
Salsa
1 large avocado
1 medium jalapeño, deseeded and roughly chopped
½ cup water
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Quesadillas
8 to 10 corn tortillas
3/4 lbs. Boar's Head Muenster cheese, purchased in a chunk of about 1.5 inch thick, shredded
To Serve
Lime wedges
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
Pickled cabbage, if available
Salsa taquera, if available
Directions
Make the Avocado-Jalapeño Salsa
In a blender or food processor, combine the avocado, deseeded jalapeño, water, cilantro, white vinegar, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar as needed. Set aside.
Marinate the chicken
In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Add 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs and toss to coat evenly. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes, or longer in the fridge for deeper flavor.
Make the Avocado-Jalapeño Salsa
In a blender or food processor, combine the avocado, deseeded jalapeño, water, cilantro, white vinegar, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar as needed. Set aside.
In a blender or food processor, combine the avocado, deseeded jalapeño, water, cilantro, white vinegar, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar as needed. Set aside.
Prepare the vegetables
Add onions to a bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, season with salt, and toss to mix ingredients. Set aside.
Broil the poblano chiles for 5 minutes per side for about 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and place them in a plastic bag. Allow them to "sweat" for about 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Remove the skin of the poblanos. Dice them into 1/4-inch pieces and set Aside.
Bake the chicken and vegetables
Set the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Arrange the marinated chicken on the baking sheet spreading it evenly. Add the poblano chiles on top of the chicken and then the sliced onion. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the vegetables are tender.
Shred the chicken
Remove the chicken and vegetables from the oven. Use two forks to shred the chicken directly on the tray, then mix the shredded chicken and vegetables together. Set aside.
Prepare the Quesadillas
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and add as many tortillas as it will hold. Move the tortillas around to absorve some of the oil. Add the shredded cheese to half of the tortilla, fold in half and cook until melted. Place the quesadillas on a tray.
Serve
Serve the crispy tacos immediately with your avocado-jalapeño salsa and enjoy!
Notes
First Try: I brined the chicken but baked it until it was about 190 degrees. Maybe the brining saved it. The brining plus the salt in the recipe made it a tad talty. Either avoid the brine or reduce the salt next time.
Baking the tortillas was time consuming and the tortillas dried out. I'm modifying the recipe to do the quesadillas on a skillet and serve immediately.
The avocado salsa wasn't that great. Was it the avocados? Try this recipe next: Salsa de Aguacate or Salsa de Aguacate or Salsa de Aguacate
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