Ancho Shredded Chicken Tacos
Shredded chicken tacos infused with ancho chiles and spices.
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS
Ancho shredded chicken tacos ready for the backyard party to start at the Adventure Kitchen.
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
About 10 peppercorns
Several sprigs of fresh parsley
1 small carrot, cut into chunks
1 fat garlic clove, smashed and skin removed
2 ancho chiles (or more if they’re small)
1 medium yellow onion
Coarse salt such as Diamond Crystal (use half as much as indicated if using table salt)
2 tablespoons flavorless oil such as avocado or canola
2 teaspoons minced serrano or jalapeno chile, or to taste
2 limes
Corn tortillas
Toppings such as chopped cilantro leaves, sliced scallions and/or avocado slices
Salsa for serving, such as Salsa de Molcajete or Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Instructions
1. Poach the chicken: Add the chicken thighs, cumin, peppercorns, parsley, carrot and smashed garlic clove to a large pot. Slice the ancho chile open from the stem to the tip (no need to remove the stem or seeds), and add it to the pot. Cut the onion in half and set one half aside to use later in this recipe. Cut the remaining half into large chunks and add them to the pot, along with 3 teaspoons of the salt.
Add cold water to cover the chicken by an inch and bring to a boil, partially covered. As soon as it starts to boil, turn the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Taste the poaching liquid and add more salt if needed. (The flavors won’t be fully developed but it should taste as salty as a good soup.) Poach the chicken thighs for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.
Chicken thighs poaching with ancho chiles and more good stuff. Make sure you save the broth at the end! You can use it to make a really tasty soup.
2. While the chicken is cooking, dice the remaining half onion into small pieces. Cut one of the limes into wedges to serve with the tacos. Cut the other lime in halves to squeeze over the chicken filling.
3. When the thighs are done, remove them from the pot. Strain out the solids and reserve the poaching broth! to use later in this recipe. Shred the chicken into appetizing chunks.
4. Finish the chicken filling: Warm the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and serrano or jalapeno and saute until soft. Add the shredded chicken along with 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss to combine, then add a few splashes (about 1/4 cup) of the reserved poaching broth and toss everything together. Squeeze one of the lime halves over the chicken and taste. If needed, add another pinch of salt, squeeze of lime or splash of broth to bring the flavors together. When you have it the way you like it, remove from heat, cover and keep warm until ready to serve. (Psst - save the unused broth to make soup on another day!)
5. Prepare the tortillas: Warm a nonstick or cast iron skillet or flat top griddle over medium-high heat. When warm, lay tortillas on the hot surface, flipping them over a couple times until they’re soft. As they finish warming, transfer them to a tortilla warmer lined with a clean cloth, or a large sheet of aluminum foil lined with paper towels. Keep them covered as you warm the rest of them. When finished, fold the towel over and cover tightly with the lid (or if using aluminum foil, cover with a paper towel and more foil).
6: Serve the tacos! Set out lime weges along with the cilantro, scallions and/or avocado slices and salsa of your choice. As you remove each tortilla, keep the remaining tortillas covered. Spoon the chicken filling into each tortilla and add toppings of your choice.
Notes:
Ancho chiles have mild heat and a rich chile flavor. If you don’t have any anchos handy, you can substitute pasilla or guajillo chiles if you happen to have those.
These ancho chicken tacos were served with Salsa de Molcajete. You could also serve them with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa or your family’s go-to fave. So good!
If you’d like a bit more info on using a tortilla warmer, I go into a lot more detail about it in this post: How to Throw a Vegetarian Taco Party that Rocks. Once you get this technique down, it will seriously improve your taco game.
If the tortillas are sticking to the skillet or griddle you’re using to warm them, you can use a paper towel to spread a very thin layer of oil on the griddle. Not enough to make the tortillas greasy, just enough to give them a bit more fortitude and keep them from sticking.
Make-ahead notes: You can make the chicken filling in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you’re doing this, hold off on adding the lime juice until after you’ve reheated it, so the fresh lime can pull the flavors together for you.