- Katherine Arthurs
Ancho Chile + Lime Chicken Tacos with Cherry Tomato Pico
Happy Cinco de Mayo! And it's Taco Tuesday - so grab that cocktail + all the tacos your plate can hold. Don't forget all the fresh cilantro, limes + chile sauce, allowed!
Hard taco shells + I usually don't get along. Most of the ingredients fall out as I bring it to my mouth + I end up using a fork + knife to shovel it into my mouth...alas, NOT these. They stay crispy + crunchy while holding all the chicken inside.
The richness of the ancho chiles, garlic + shallots makes a delicious sauce for the chicken...and I just love Siete's gluten free corn hard tacos. Add in your favorite cheese blend, hot sauce + sour cream...these really are good. I love how the quick cherry tomato pico adds the perfect fresh bite to each taco. I always add extra...since lime, salt + tomatoes, are basically heaven.
Let's make them!

Ancho Chile + Lime Chicken Tacos with Cherry Tomato Pico
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 lb. ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Ancho Chile Sauce (recipe below or store bought)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese
1 lime, cut in half
Heat the oil in a heavy duty pan over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken, salt + pepper. Cook until all the chicken is cooked through - using a wooden spoon occasionally to help chop up the meat into small pieces. Turn the heat off. Add the ancho chile sauce, cilantro, 1/2 of the cheese + the juice of 1 lime. Mix to combine everything.
Preheat oven to 375F. Arrange the taco shells on a baking sheet + bake for 5 minutes, while the oven preheats.
Remove from the oven. Using a spoon, add about 2 spoonfuls of the chicken mixture to each taco shell. Top with the remaining cheese.
Bake for another 5-7 minutes. Remove + top with the cherry tomato pico, hot sauce, sour cream + more fresh cilantro.
Enjoy!
Homemade Ancho Chile Sauce
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 dried ancho chiles, soaked in 1 cup hot water for 30 minutes
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1 shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 heaping teaspoon cumin
1 heaping teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 pinch chili flakes
1-2 tablespoons broth or coconut milk
Using a small sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Remove the chiles from the water - saving the water. Cut the ends of the chiles + remove all seeds. Add the chiles, onion, shallot + garlic to the heated pan. Saute for a few minutes or until very fragrant. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, chili powder + chili flakes. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the chile soaking liquid + let simmer for 2-4 minutes or until it is reduced by half.
Add the chile mixture to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth - stopping to scrap down the sides. Add in the broth or coconut milk to make it a bit more sauce like.
Cherry Tomato Pico
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1-2 tablespoons pickled or fresh red onion
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 pinch of salt + pepper
juice of 1/2 a lime
Mix everything in a small bowl. Set aside until needed.