Mexican Grilled Chicken Tacos

Featuring wonderfully authentic Mexican flavors, this recipe is a simple, homestyle version of Sinaloa chicken, a popular Mexican street food. This delicious, easy-to-make dish is based on a recipe by Bobby Flay, adapted to be cooked on a stove or a BBQ for maximum convenience. The result is succulent, flavor-packed chicken perfect for your next taco night.

Instructions

1. 1

   To create the marinade, place all the marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken, massage to coat, then refrigerate to marinate for at least 3 hours, or for the best results, leave it overnight.

2. 2

   Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the remaining liquid.

3. 3

   Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. For an even better flavor, cook this on a BBQ over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, or until it develops a beautiful dark golden-brown color and is cooked through.

4. 4

   Remove the chicken from the skillet or grill, place it on a plate, and cover loosely with foil. Let it rest for 3 minutes.

5. 5

   Slice the chicken into strips and serve it in tortillas with your favorite taco fixings like Pico de Gallo, sour cream, avocado, fresh coriander, and a squeeze of lime.

Recipe Notes

• This recipe is an adaptation of Bobby Flay's "Mexican Red Chicken" from his cookbook, "Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction." His original recipe uses a whole chicken cooked over charcoal, but this version is simplified for thigh fillets, making it perfect for your stove or BBQ. I've also adjusted the marinade slightly for this simpler cooking method.

• I highly recommend using chicken thighs for this recipe, as the fat helps the chicken caramelize beautifully with the marinade. You can use chicken breast if you prefer, but you won't get the same level of caramelization unless you use a bit more oil for cooking. Slice the breast fillets in half horizontally to make thin steaks before marinating and cooking.

• Ancho chile powder is not as spicy as chipotle, so if you opt for ancho, consider adding more cayenne pepper if you like a spicy kick! If you can't find either, a good substitute is a combination of 1/2 tbsp each of smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

• Smoked paprika is a key ingredient that adds a wonderful smokiness, similar to cooking over charcoal. If you don't have it, regular or sweet paprika will still work just fine.

• This chicken is so delicious that it can be served on its own! Other great serving options include serving it with Mexican Green Rice, steamed or grilled corn, a fresh Cabbage Salad, or with plenty of Pico de Gallo.