Chipotle Braised Chicken Tacos With Bacon, Guacamole, and Bacon

Unless you’ve been living in a bat cave in Plumeria you know that chicken, bacon, and quacamole go great together. So i think it’s natural to assume they would go great together in a taco. I did, and I was right. I didn’t want to just throw them together though. So I took it up a notch by braising the chicken in a red chili sauce, with chipotles doing the heavy lifting. It came out fantastic, better than fantastic. They’re amazing. If I were to add some more broth it would make a great soup. It’s also very simple, and one of those meals you should be able to make with items readily available in your pantry. Unless of course your pantry is stupid. I will be adding a must have in your pantry blog post soon.

What you’ll need -

• canned chipotles in adobo

• 4 chicken thighs. None of this chicken breast nonsense.

• 1 can chicken broth

• 1 tsp Mexican oregeno

• 1 tsp cumin

• bacon

• juice of one orange

• 2 garlic cloves

• tortillas

• quacamole

• salt and lime to taste

Start by taking 4 chipotles, along with some of the adobo and putting it in a blender. Add the chicken broth, garlic, Mexican oregano, and cumin. Blend, taste. It will need some salt as well, about a teaspoon. I like to add my salt after blending, then blend again, a little bit at at time so I don’t over salt. I do the same with lime juice to add a touch more acidity.

If you have a dutch oven (you should if you’re kitchening correctly). Get it hot, add some oil or cooking spray. Salt and pepper your chicken and get them cooking in the dutch oven. After you’ve browned the chicken deglaze with the marinade in the blender. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom and get any little bits and pieces that may be stuck down there. Those are flavor bits. You want those. Now reduce the heat, cover, and simmer. The chicken should be mostly submerged. If it is not fully submerged flip it over after a half hour. After about an hour the chicken should be fully cooked.

Once the chicken is fully cooked pull it out of the dutch oven or pot. Keep the heat on. Now it’s time to reduce the sauce. Turn the heat up a little bit if you want it to reduce faster. After the sauce has reduced by half or more put the chicken back in. Shred it with a couple of forks. Once you have the right sauce to meat ratio you’re ready to serve. Just don’t overcook it.

While the chicken is cooking get your bacon cooked. Store bought bacon is fine, but make sure it’s thick cut. Don’t use that crappy thin stuff. Want to make your own bacon? Check out my recipe here.

While your meats are cooking prepare the quacamole. If you’ve got your own quacamole recipe great. If not, I’ve got one for your here.

Now start building the tacos. After you’ve warmed up the tortillas (not in the microwave damnit!) place two pieces of bacon on the outside of the tortillas. Fill in the middle with the chicken. That way you’ve got the chicken surrounded by bacony goodness. Then the quacamole goes on top.

You will need napkins to eat these tacos. The wonderful juice from the chicken will run out of the bottom of the taco a bit. You will also weep with joy, causing further napkin needs.