Recipe for Soft Tacos with Chicken
The next time you're hungry, consider making a chicken soft taco. In Mexico, tacos are similar to sandwiches. Chicken soft tacos are easy to make, delicious, and popular with both children and adults. While you can purchase pre-cooked chicken meat to have this recipe ready in a snap, marinating the chicken yourself affords you the luxury of choosing your seasonings. You can also decide if you want to grill, bake, broil or saute the meat. This recipe calls for grilled chicken, but feel free to experiment.
The key to a delicious taco starts with the meat. Go slow with the marinade. If you can, allow the chicken to sit in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the spices to completely saturate the meat. Make sure all your vegetable toppings are fresh. Use green leaf lettuce rather than iceberg for a tastier combination. It doesn't matter if you use green or white onions; that's a matter of preference. Colby Jack cheese is a wonderful topping, but a white Mexican cheese or a cheddar is also fine.
If you can't grill the chicken outdoors, broil or saute for best results. This recipe serves four. Refrigerate any unused portions.
Cooking Equipment
- Outdoor grill
- Charcoal
- Lighter fluid
- Matches
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Large glass bowl
- Condiment dishes
- Several platters
Ingredients
- 1 lb. skinless chicken breast
- Olive oil
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. fajita seasoning
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- 1 head green lettuce
- 1 white onion
- 2 tomatoes
- Block of cheese
- 8 tortillas
- Sour cream
- Salsa
Have your children or friends assist with the condiment and topping preparations. Chop the lettuce, tomatoes, onions and chili peppers ahead of time. Grate the cheese and set out sour cream and salsa. You can include sides of Mexican rice and refried beans, too.
Put the chicken into a large glass dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder, cumin and fajita seasoning. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil and mix with a spoon until the chicken is evenly coated. Cover and put in the refrigerator to marinate for two hours.
Place the charcoal in the grill in a pyramid shape. Douse with lighter fluid and let the charcoal sit for ten minutes, then light. Let the flame burn until it dies out and the briquettes are burning and but are greyish-colored.
Place the chicken breasts on the grill. Watch them carefully as chicken will burn if not turned frequently or if the fire is too hot. Keep turning until the chicken is completely cooked. Raw chicken is dangerous. If you're not sure if the meat is cooked through, cut it open. The inside should be white with no signs of pink.
When the chicken is cooked, take it inside to the cutting board. Allow the chicken to cool a bit and then slice lengthwise into pieces two inches long. Put on a platter.
Prepare your vegetables by cutting the lettuce, tomato, onion and chili peppers into pieces that will easily fit into the tortillas. Grate the cheese. Put the vegetables onto a platter. Put the cheese, sour cream and salsa into its own condiment dish. Now everyone can create their own tacos, grabbing whatever ingredients they want from each bowl!
