Chicken and Chorizo Tacos

Took a tip from my daughter-in-law Miranda in preparing the chicken for these tacos. She made chicken tacos for my granddaughter Evie's birthday party last weekend. She cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts in a crock pot with chicken broth, taco seasoning and salsa. When done, the chicken breasts are taken out and the meat shredded. They were very good and I liked the idea of cooking the chicken in a crock pot but changed the seasonings up a little. Instead of taco seasoning and salsa, I cooked the chicken breasts in the crock pot with chorizo sausage out of its casing. The chorizo has good bold flavor and as it cooked down, the juices soaked into the chicken, it giving the chicken a wonderful taste. We get our chorizo from a Mexican market here that makes their own fresh chorizo. We had the tacos with mashed pinto beans and guacamole. Recipes for all are below.

For the Chicken Tacos - makes 10 -12 tacos

Ingredients:

2 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/4 - 1/2 lb fresh chorizo sausage

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 Calabrese or Serrano pepper (optional)

1 sweet onion cut in thin half moons

2 green or colored bell pepper cut in strips - we used the last of the green bells from our garden

Cilantro

Sour cream

Shredded colby jack cheese

Small flour tortillas

Directions:

Cut each chicken breast into a couple big chunks and put into the crock pot.

Take the chorizo out of the casing and add to the chicken, breaking up the chorizo with a spoon.

If using, slice the pepper lengthwise and add to the chicken and chorizo

Add the chicken stock

Set the crock pot to high

Cook for 3 - 4 hours

Take the chicken pieces out and shred with a fork

Put the shredded chicken back in the crock pot and turn it off.

Saute the peppers and onions until soft

Heat the flour tortillas and spoon on the chicken & chorizo, the peppers, onions, guacamole, sour cream, cheese and cilantro.

For the Mashed Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin
2 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed

Squirt of lime juice
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Shredded colby jack cheese

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and chili powder and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the beans and chicken broth and cook until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Mash the beans coarsely with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon, adding more chicken broth to moisten, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the cilantro. 

For the Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados, pulp scooped out
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Directions:

Place the scooped avocado pulp in a bowl and add the lime juice, toss to coat.., add the salt, cumin, and cayenne.

Using a potato masher or a fork mash the pulp and seasonings together.

Meanwhile saute the onion and garlic in a frying pan until soft

Fold in the sauteed onion and garlic along with the jalapeno, tomatoes and cilantro into the seasoned avocado pulp.

Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve on the tacos or use as a dip with corn chips.