Taco Tuesday

Whoo-hoo! It's time for another Taco Tuesday! Today's offerings include Lime Chicken Tacos and Chicken Chili Tacos, along with four other taco recipes. Enjoy!

SOUTHWEST CHIPOTLE FISH TACOS

This also comes from Hidden Valley. Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, go to https://www.hiddenvalley.com/recipe/southwest-chipotle-fish-tacos/.

Ingredients

8 frozen fish fillets

1/2 pound coleslaw or shredded cabbage

1/4 cup Hidden Valley® Spicy Ranch Dressing

8 corn tortillas

1 cup salsa

Directions

Prepare fish fillets according to package directions.

In a medium bowl, toss coleslaw and dressing until well-combined.

Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds or until warm.

To assemble, place 1 fish fillet on each tortilla, top with coleslaw and salsa. Serve immediately.

Notes: For safe meat preparation, reference the USDA website.

For dips, make and enjoy your dip creation. Then, refrigerate within 2 hours or discard.

CHICKEN CHILI TACOS

This is from the TODAY Show Recipes e-newsletter. Prep Time: 10 minutes; Servings: 4.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 1/2 cups prepared pico de gallo or salsa

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 1 1/2 limes)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted

2 cloves garlic. minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

12 taco shells (crisp or soft/flour or corn)

Preparation

Place the chicken, pico de gallo or salsa, lime juice, cumin seeds and garlic in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. (You can also cook on high for 3 hours.)

Allow to cool a bit. Scoop the chicken out with a big slotted spoon and place it in a large serving bowl. Use two forks to pull the meat apart. The chicken will shred easily. Stir in some cooking juice from the pot and top with the cilantro.

Place the shredded chicken, your taco shells and desired fixings on the table and let everyone put together their perfect taco.

LIME CHICKEN TACOS

This comes from Taste of Home, and begins with this note from Tracy Gunter (of Boise, Idaho), "Our fun, simple chicken taco recipe is perfect for a relaxing dinner with friends. If we have any leftover filling, I toss it into a garden-fresh taco salad."

Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 5 1/2 hours; Makes: 6 servings

View this online at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/lime-chicken-tacos/.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 cup chunky salsa

12 fat-free flour tortillas (6 inches), warmed

Optional: Sour cream, pickled onions, shredded lettuce and shredded cheddar or Cotija cheese

Directions

Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine lime juice and chili powder; pour over chicken. Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours.

Remove chicken. When cool enough to handle, shred meat with 2 forks; return to slow cooker. Stir in corn and salsa. Cook, covered, on low until heated through, about 30 minutes. Place filling on tortillas; if desired, serve with sour cream, pickled onions, lettuce and cheese.

TASTY LENTIL TACOS

This also comes from Taste of Home, and begins with this note from Michelle Thomas (Bangor, Maine), " When my husband's cholesterol numbers rose, I quickly lowered the fat in our family's diet. Finding dishes that were healthy for him and yummy for our five children was a challenge, but this fun taco recipe was a huge hit with everyone."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Makes: 6 servings

View this online at https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tasty-lentil-tacos/.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2-1/2 cups vegetable or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup salsa

12 taco shells

1-1/2 cups shredded lettuce

1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

1-1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; saute onion and garlic until tender. Add lentils and seasonings; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes.

Cook, uncovered, until mixture is thickened, 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash lentils slightly; stir in salsa and heat through. Serve in taco shells. Top with remaining ingredients.

EASY OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN TACOS

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, "Looking for a new taco night favorite? These oven-baked chicken tacos are sure to be a win with the whole family. By starting with pre-cooked deli rotisserie chicken, they’re a total time-saver, so you can get back to enjoying time with the fam. Try a Corona™ Light alongside these chicken tacos—it’s a classically delicious way to go."

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes; Makes 10 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/easy-oven-baked-chicken-tacos.

Ingredients

1 package (4.7 oz) Old El Paso™ Stand ‘N Stuff™ taco shells (10 shells)

2 1/2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken

1 package (0.85 oz) Old El Paso™ chicken taco seasoning mix

1/4 cup water

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles

1 can (16 oz) Old El Paso™ refried beans

1 1/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (5 oz)

1 cup guacamole

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced green onions

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Place taco shells standing up and together in dish; set aside.

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook chicken, taco seasoning mix, water and chiles over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is heated through. Remove from heat.

To assemble, spread about 2 tablespoons refried beans in bottom of each shell. Top each with heaping 1/4 cup chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with guacamole, tomatoes and green onions.

Expert Tips

Try other varieties of Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix, such as original or hot & spicy for something different.

Try Monterey Jack or pepper Jack cheese for a flavor twist!

CHICKEN TACOS WITH CHIPOTLE

This comes from David Tanis in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. He wrote, “For good tacos, you need fresh, hot tortillas and a zesty filling. Canned chipotle chiles will do the trick with their smoky heat; it's an easy way to get flavor fast. Look for small cans with “chipotle chiles in adobo” on the label. And Mexican groceries generally have better-quality tortillas than the ones you find in supermarkets; it's worth seeking those out and heating them gently over steam, or by toasting them in a dry cast-iron pan. You can also use this recipe with precooked chicken, which makes this already quite simple recipe as easy as falling out of bed.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 hour.

This was featured in “Chichen Tacos Let You Think Fast” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

For the Tacos:

4 large bone-in chicken thighs, about 1 1/2 pounds

3 scallions, left whole

1 bay leaf

1 thyme branch

3 black peppercorns

1 allspice berry

2 cloves

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 or 3 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped

3 tablespoons adobo sauce, from the can

1/2 cup broth (use broth from simmered chicken)

8 fresh corn tortillas

For Garnish:

1 small white onion, finely chopped, soaked in ice water for 10 minutes and drained

Thinly sliced serrano chile

Thinly sliced radishes

Sliced avocado

Crumbled queso fresco or mild feta cheese

Crème fraîche or Mexican crema

Cilantro sprigs

Dried oregano

Lime wedges

Preparation

Put chicken thighs in a saucepan and cover with 3 cups water. Add scallions, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove chicken and cool. Shred chicken with your fingers, discarding chicken skin and bone. Strain broth and reserve. You should have about 2 cups shredded chicken.

Put olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced yellow onion, season with salt and cook until softened and a bit browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute more. Add chopped chipotle chile and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Add shredded chicken, salt lightly and stir to coat. Add chicken broth and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, until sauce has thickened somewhat. Keep warm.

Heat the tortillas over steam or by your favorite method, keeping them soft and pliable.

Build the tacos quickly: Put a spoonful of the saucy chicken in the center of each tortilla. Top with a teaspoon of chopped white onion, a few slivers of serrano chile, some radish and avocado slices, a teaspoon of queso fresco and a teaspoon of crème fraîche. Add a few cilantro springs and a small pinch of oregano. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.