Chicken Tacos (73 of 150)

One of my fondest memories of living in Guadalajara are the street tacos. Literally buying tacos on the street by a sketchy looking vendor who's tacos are the best I had ever tasted. I look back on those days and shake my head in disgust. Who knows what meat we were eating? Or how clean the making of the tacos were? We didn't care. They were delicious. 

I've tried for years to duplicate that flavor. I finally found a restaurant that has come close with their carne asada tacos, Taqueiria El Rinconcito. I'm not a huge fan of their chicken street tacos, thus me being on the search for good taco street tacos. 

The ones I made here were THE BOMB. They made the favorites list. 

This recipe was good, and very well could make the favorites list, maybe. I'm still thinking the others were better. 

This has seasoned, grilled chicken marinated in traditional flavors and seasonings. It didn't exactly make me feel like I was standing on a gritty corner in Guadalajara forking over a couple of pesos for some greasy street tacos with questionable meat, but they were good. 

I especially appreciated the grilling of the chicken instead of pan frying. Though pan frying does allow from crispier sides of the chicken, still, it's hot out so the grill must be on. 

Chicken Tacos

Recipe from Amanda's Cookin

Serves 5

• 1.5 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 20 mini white corn tortillas
• Fresh limes cut into wedges (2 wedges per person)
• For the Marinade:
• 4 T orange juice
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 T lime juice
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/2 T ancho chili powder or chipotle chili powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large Ziplock bag.

Add chicken thighs and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Preheat grill over medium-high heat. Oil the grill with canola oil (wad up some paper towel, add some oil, and rub grates using tongs to hold the paper towel).

Remove chicken from the marinade and gently dab off excess liquid with paper towel.

Place chicken on hot grill.

Makes 10 tacos

Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, flipping once (thickest part of the chicken thigh should register about 165 degrees).

Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before chopping into bite-sized pieces.

Warm tortillas in a skillet. Layer two warmed mini corn tortillas together.

Top with chopped chicken and your choice of toppings. Serve with fresh lime wedges.

Pioneer Woman's Brother's Tacos

Tacos and enchiladas were a constant rotation in our family meals as I was growing up.  Mom always used corn tortillas for both.  When making the tacos she'd use corn tortillas and deep fry them herself.  She'd pour a butt load of oil in a pan, turn it on, and we'd sit and watch until the oil was hot enough. Then we'd (well once I was old enough) put in the tortilla, flip it over and hold it with tongs as it fried.

As food advanced, and science, we learned, not too surprisingly, that doing that wasn't exactly healthy.  Flour tortillas became all the rage, as did low cal, low carb tortillas.  And frying? Forgetaboutit.

Still the memory of that texture and flavor haunted me. 

Pioneer Woman took it one step further.  Her Brother's tacos, not only incorporated the frying that I so loved, but by putting the chicken inside the taco shell and THEN frying it...OMG....it was heaven.

I made these tacos for Cinco de Mayo for some friends.  While frying them was a challenge, and trying not to burn me, and my trusty side kick was interesting, the end result was well worth it.

Once you finish frying, you drain the oil from the tacos, and then pop in the cheese immediately.  The cheese melts and OMG it's so good.

I HIGHLY recommend making these.  They are time consuming and messy and probably not healthy but for a little treat I say make them.

You can find the recipe here.  I've also put it below too.

Pioneer Woman's Brother's Tacos
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

• 16 whole corn tortillas (small Size)
• 4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• Salt, cumin, chili powder to taste (or Use Taco Seasoning)
• 2 T canola oil
• 2 cans (4 Ounce) diced green chilies
• 1-1/2 c finely grated cheese (cheddar Or Cheddar/jack Mix)
• Sour cream
• Hot Sauce (Chulula Or Other Brand)
• 2 c thinly sliced romaine lettuce (or Any Lettuce)
• 4 whole roma tomatoes, diced
• Canola oil, for frying tacos

*Be careful frying with hot oil!*

Season diced chicken liberally. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Dump in the diced green chilies. Stir and cook until chicken is totally done inside. Turn off heat and set aside.

Have all other ingredients---grated cheese, sliced lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, and hot sauce---ready.

Also have a plate ready, as well as a stack of five or six paper towels to hold in your hand.

TO FRY
To fry the tacos, heat a couple of inches of canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Place some chicken in the middle of a tortilla, then fold tortilla in half. Clamp the tortilla shut with a pair of heat-proof metal tongs, then carefully lay the taco---one side down---in the oil. As you lay it in the oil, use the tongs to hold the top side down for a few seconds to form it in place. Once it stays put, repeat with two other tacos. Turn tacos after 30 to 45 seconds, or when each side gets light golden brown (not too brown.)

One at a time, remove tacos from the pan with tongs, holding sideways as you remove them to allow oil to drip out of the sides. Place the taco in the stack of paper towels. Fold the sides and corners around the taco to tightly hold it, then give it three or four shakes to remove excess oil. Remove it from the paper towels and place on a plate. Repeat with other tacos in the pan.

As you continue frying the other tacos, have someone carefully place some grated cheese inside the tops of the tacos (gently pry them open just enough to place the cheese in). Then just let them sit until ready to serve---the cheese will melt as it sits in the warm taco.

To serve, garnish in this order: a smear of sour cream, dashes of hot sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomato. You'll need to slightly open up the tops of the tacos to get all the garnishes in there.
Tacos will be hot for a minute or two after frying, so don't rush into eating! They'll stay nice and warm for a little while after frying.

Spicy Tinga-Style Chicken Tacos with Creamy Lime Slaw & Cilantro

Y'all know I love my tacos. Street tacos are my favorite by far. I've made chicken street tacos a couple of times and have a favorite. Still, I like to try new ones, because one cannot have too many street chicken taco recipes. 

This recipe was spicy AND delicious. The slaw really does a good job cooling it off and adding a nice texture to the taco. 

I also think the ingredients would be easy to replicate. For example "chipotle powder" could be chili powder. 

Spicy Tinga-Style Chicken Tacos with Creamy Lime Slaw & Cilantro

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2 (maybe three)

• 1 lime, zested
• 1/4 oz cilantro
• 4 oz coleslaw mix
• 2 T mayo
• 1 tsp chipotle powder 
• 10 oz chopped chicken breast
• 6 small flour tortillas
• fresh salas

Zest and quarter lime. Roughly chop cilantro.

In a medium bowl, toss coleslaw mix with mayonnaise, 1⁄4 tsp, a squeeze of lime juice, a pinch of salt and pepper, and as much lime zest as you like. Set aside until ready to serve.

Open package of chicken and drain off any excess liquid. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is lightly browned, 1-2 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in salsa and 1⁄4 tsp chipotle powder. (TIP: Add more chipotle powder if you like things spicy!) Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and salsa has thickened slightly, 3-5 minutes more.

Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, 30-60 seconds. Divide tortillas between plates. Fill with chicken, slaw (draining first), and cilantro. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.

Chicken Tacos (Recipe 17 of 150)

It's TACO TUESDAY! And it's no secret I'm a taco fanatic. Street tacos are my thing. I don't like a lot in / on my tacos, so the street tacos fit my preferences perfectly.

Street tacos usually just have meat of some type (seasoned) and a simple salsa of onions, cilantro, and lime juice. Sometimes that pica de gallo has tomatoes and jalapenos in it too. That's it. Tortilla, meat, onion salsa. The perfect combination that gives you really bad breath - thanks onions!

This recipe is not that different from another Chicken taco recipe I made last year. Pretty much the same combination of seasonings with a few exceptions. This recipe, like that one, was DELICIOUS!

I cut my chicken into small pieces, seasoned it, then fried it in a non-stick skillet. The crispy sides of the small pieces really add to the texture of the taco. I made a onion salsa of 1/2 sweet onion finely diced, a tablespoon or two of minced cilantro, juice from 1/2 of a lime (it was a very juicy lime or I would have used the whole lime).

Chicken Tacos
Recipe from Justapinch.com

Serves 4

• 1/2 c chili powder mild or spicy
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp mrs dash original blend
• 1 tsp chile lime seasoning
• salt to taste in seasoning
• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Mix together seasonings, taste, add salt if desired. Set aside. For 4 thighs you will use about half of the mixture left, keep remaining seasoning in air tight container or reduce recipe in half.

Dice boneless chicken thighs into small pieces.

Sprinkle seasoning evenly over diced chicken and mix thoroughly. Set aside while you heat tortillas and do any other prep you need to.

Add a little olive oil or cooking oil to hot skillet, about 2 tbsp for four thighs. Sear and toss on high heat for about 3-4 minutes then turn heat down to medium heat, cover and cook for about 5 or 6 minutes, toss again and turn off heat. Leave cover another 3-4 minutes. Serve with flour or corn tortillas and your favorite condiments.

Chicken Tacos

I'm a fan of tacos. Mostly my own tacos. Mom taught me a thousand years ago and that recipe has  never changed. I don't deviate from that.

But...when trying to cut down on the calories, occasionally its okay to try something else.

This chicken taco recipe I could have made blind folded, but instead actually followed the recipe. Shocker, I know.

It's easy, and delicious. My two favorite ingredients.

Chicken Tacos
Recipe From Weight Watchers The New Complete Cookbook
Serves 6

4 (5oz) boneless chicken breasts
2 tsp Mexican or taco seasoning (Oh maybe I didn't follow the recipe. I used chili powder, salt and pepper)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
12 (6in) corn tortillas, warmed
1 large tomato, diced
1 hass avocado (halved, pitted, peeled and diced (yah I skipped this one too - gross)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c fat free sour cream

Sprinkle chicken with Mexican seasoning, salt and pepper. Spray ridged grill pan (now you all know I just used the outdoor grill - but let's not mince words) with nonstick spray and set over medium heat.

Place chicken in pan and cook until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. When cool enough to handle, tear chicken into long, thin strips.

Top each tortilla with one-sixth of chicken, tomato, avocado, onion, cilantro and sour cream. Fold in half and devour.

Another side note from me...I had a spare lime around and topped it off with a squeeze of lime. And in case you're wondering...I know you were...I heated my tortillas over an open flame on the grill. You could, alternatively, wrap them in foil and stick them in the oven to heat. I try to avoid the microwave with corn tortillas - for some reason they get weird to me.

Easy Chicken Tacos

Photo from DamnDelicious

 Easy is right. In fact, it was so easy I'm not even counting this as a "new" recipe. I could have done this on my own, and have somewhat. 

The best part of this recipe is really the seasoning for the chicken. And I cut my chicken into very small pieces and THEN cooked it. That causes to have crispy sides all over the place and that texture is golden. 

I also made my own pica de gallo. Its not hard to make and really is much better than store bought. Store bought is always soo liquidy. 

Easy Chicken Tacos
Recipe from Damndelicious.net

Serves 4

• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 12 mini flour tortillas, warmed
• 1 cup pico de gallo, homemade or store-bought
• Homemade: chop tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion. Mix together. Add some salt to taste. Juice of one lime. Let it sit for a little before serving.
• 1 avocado, halved, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Season chicken with chili powder mixture.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.

Serve chicken in tortillas, topped with pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro and lime.

Tex-Mex Pulled Chicken Tacos

The sister-in-law and Blueberry were over to scrap today. The Pioneer Woman made these tacos in her show on Saturday and I knew I had to give them a try. Sure enough, delicious.

Tex-Mex Pulled Chicken
Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Photo from Food Network

2 medium tomatoes, quartered
2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
1 medium white onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 red bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound thin chicken cutlets
12 flour tortillas
2 limes, 1 juiced, 1 cut into 8 wedges, for serving
8 ounces salsa
8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces crumbled cotija cheese
Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Position an oven rack 5 to 6 inches below the broiler element and preheat the broiler on high.

Add the tomatoes, jalapenos, onion and bell peppers to a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the oregano, chili powder, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss everything together to get it all coated with the oil and spices. Push it to one side of the baking sheet. Lay the chicken flat on the other side and season it with salt and pepper.

Broil for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and vegetables and return to the broiler until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are softened and charred, about 5 more minutes.

Wrap the tortillas in kitchen paper and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds Remove, unwrap and put on a platter.

Shred the chicken. Spoon the roasted vegetables into a blender with any juices from the baking sheet and blend until smooth. Toss 1 cup of the sauce with the chicken. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over it. Put the remaining sauce in a bowl to serve on the side.

Serve with the warm tortillas, salsa, sour cream, crumbled cotija cheese, lime wedges and cilantro.

Mexican Chili Verde Chicken Casserole

I think Mexican is one of my top favorite foods. I could likely eat tacos every day. Sometimes, though, it's fun to put everything you'd get on a plate at a Mexican restaurant in one bowl. This recipe did just that. 

Mexican Chili Verde Chicken Casserole

Recipe from MyRecipes.com (basically Cooking Light)

Photo from MyRecipes.com

Serves 4

6 (4-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-in. pieces

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided

1 T canola oil

3/4 c uncooked long-grain white rice

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/4 c chicken stock or water

1 c fresh corn kernels (3 ears), or frozen, thawed, and drained corn

1 c tomatillo salsa, divided

6 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups), divided

Position oven rack 8 inches from heat source. Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add chicken; cook, stirring once, until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. (Chicken will still be raw at this point.) Transfer chicken to an 8- x 8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Add rice to skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until most of the rice turns white, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in beans, stock, corn, and 3/4 cup of the salsa; bring to a simmer over medium. Stir in 4 ounces of the cheese and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer mixture to baking dish; stir to combine. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake in preheated oven until rice is tender and chicken is done, about 45 minutes.

Remove from oven; uncover and sprinkle with remaining 2 ounces cheese. Increase oven temperature to high broil. Return baking dish to oven; broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Top with remaining 1/4 cup salsa.

2022 Top 10 Favorites

Here we are at the end of 2022. And you know it's time for me to post my top 10 favorites. Last years favorites are here, in case you want a reminder. 

But first, stats. 

My goal was 150 new recipes this year. I blew past that and made 161 this year. Less than last year, but still an impressive amount of new recipes. That averages to 13 a month (in case you're wondering).

May threw off my average this year. I was traveling 3 of the 4 weeks in May so the low number makes sense. I'm not really sure what got into me in June to have 21 new recipes, but it helped my average. 

It's pretty clear with this chart that I started this new recipe goal in 2020. Covid helped with that. I suspect I cooked way more new recipes in the years prior to 2020, but wasn't very good about posting. 

Now, on to the top 10. 

There were some great recipes this year. I marked 23 recipes as favorites. But only 10 can win. These aren't listed in any particular "favorite" order, just alphabetical. 

1. Al Pastor Kabobs
2. Best Ever Beef Stew
3. Carne Picada
4. Chicken Tacos
5. Chili Colorado
6. Curried Cauliflower Gratin
7. Jenn's Kick Ass Chicken Scaloppini
8. Master Steak Marinade
9. Spicy Korean Chicken
10. Steak Diane

Phew! What a list! I can almost taste every single one of them again. If I had to pick a FAVORITE, it would be the Chili Colorado. 

I don't have a "goal" this next year like I have had. I figured I'll cook around 150 - 160 or so. I guess my goal is to keep cooking new recipes and keep trying new things. 

How about you? Has this inspired you to cook more?

Chipotle-Lime Flank Steak Street Tacos (76 of 150)

Happy Mother's Day every one. I didn't make my Mom's favorite meal (chicken fried steak) cuz it's too damn hot. I opted for my favorite meal, street tacos (or any taco). Plus it had the added bonus of using the grill instead of the stove on this extraordinary hot day.

I couldn't find flank steak for this marinade. I know. You'd think you could find it anywhere. I shop so early in the morning I suspect they just hadn't restocked from the day before. So I grabbed some thin cut sirloin steaks. My train of thought was how thin carne asada steaks are when you get that at a Mexican restaurant. I'm not convinced this was the best choice of meat. I think it would have been WAY better with flank steak. 

My store does finally have small corn street taco tortillas though. I've been experimenting with how to get these soft without getting them crisp. I did some research and I think I've found the answer. 

Last time I made street tacos with corn tortillas, I heated them on the grill. It worked OK, but I had to nuke them to get them softer. So this time I took a page from my mom's cookbook of how she made her enchiladas. AND Simply Mama Cooks does this as well... I dipped them in a little hot oil. I put about 3 T of veggie oil on a griddle on the stove. I ran the tortilla on both sides through the hot oil. THEN I popped them on the grill to get some charring. Perfection. That is the answer. 

The meat needed more salt. I didn't put enough into the marinade I don't think. If I made these again, I'd salt the steaks before I grilled them. 

Chipotle-Lime Flank Steak Street Tacos

Recipe from Butter Your Biscuits

Serves 4

Marinade

• 2 lbs flank steak
• Juice of 4 limes
• 4 chipotle peppers diced plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves diced

Pica de Gallo

• 1/2 c diced red onions
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 Roma tomatoes diced
• 3/4 c chopped cilantro
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• corn tortillas or flour tortillas
• Cotija cheese

In a small bowl add lime juice, chipotles and adobo sauce, salt, garlic, cilantro and olive oil mix until combined. in a large Ziplock bag add flank steak and pour marinade in. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours. [JennW Note: I marinaded mine for 5.5 hours]

Heat the grill on high. Remove the steak from marinade and place it on the hot grill for about 4-5 minutes then flip and cook another 4-5 minutes for medium rare. Or until desired doneness. [JennW Note: You're gonna want to get the steak out 30 minutes before to let it come to room temperature before grilling.]

Let steak rest 10-15 minutes. Then slice in thin slices against the grain.

Pica de gallo

Combine onions, jalapeños, tomatoes and chopped cilantro in a large bowl. Squeeze in the juice of 2 limes and add the salt. Mix until combined Add more salt to taste

Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas

Here's another recipe that I loved, but it never made it to the blog. This was first made in August 2017. The sister in law and cousin were over scrapbooking and I had this going in the slow cooker. 

My notes in the recipe in Paprika says I used chicken stock instead of beer. And I used about 2 T of the adobo sauce and 2 chipotle chilies. It wasn't hot at all. 

I served this with an onion, cilantro, lime salsa. You know the traditional topping for street tacos. 

Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas
Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

Serves 6-8

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 (4-5 pound) lean boneless pork roast, excess fat trimmed, cut into 3-inch chunks
• 1 c beer (or chicken stock)

• 

  Beautiful photo from
  Gimme Some Oven

  1 medium white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 T chipotle powder (or 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced)
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the pork and sear on each side until browned (about 1-2 minutes per side). Transfer pork to a large slow cooker.

Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, and give the mixture a stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the pork is completely tender and shreds easily with a fork.

Once the pork is cooked, preheat your broiler to high heat and prepare two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Use a fork to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, and then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the prepared baking sheets, spreading the pork in an even layer and leaving the juices behind in the slow cooker. (Don’t discard the juices, we’re going to use them later!)

Place one sheet under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin browning and crisping up. Remove the sheet from the oven, then ladle about 1/4 cup of the juices from the slow cooker evenly over the pork, and then give it a good toss with some tongs. Broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat more crispy. Then remove and ladle an additional 1/4 cup of broth over the crispy pork.

Repeat with the other baking sheet of pork.

Serve immediately in tacos, burritos, salads, or whatever sounds good to you! This pork can also be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

Slow Cooker Carne Adobada

So far I've loved every recipe I've made from Hola Jalapeno's blog. This one, however, fell a short for me. It might have been the adobo paste. I may not like that flavor. That's the only thing I can think of that made this taste funky.

I  had to go to a Latin shop to get it and then I realized it's a lot like chipotles in adobo. I could have just gotten the adobo sauce. Adobo paste was smokey and had a slightly sweet flavor and then a spicy kick from the chiles. 

This won't be a repeat for me. It was good once, but that's it.

Slow Cooker Carne Adobada

Recipe from Hola Jalapeno

Serves 8

• 1/2 c packed adobo paste
• 3 large tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/3 c fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 1/4 c chicken broth, divided
• 4 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 large white onions, sliced
• 2 jalapeños, sliced

Blend sauce. Combine adobo paste, tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, salt, and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.

Season beef. Generously season beef on all sides with salt and pepper.

Brown beef. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering add beef and brown about 4 minutes a side (you might need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan).

Add veggies to slow cooker. Meanwhile, place onions and jalapeños on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Deglaze pan. Once beef is browned transfer to the slow cooker. Pour off any fat from the frying pan into a heatproof bowl. Return pan to heat and add 1 cup of the broth to the frying pan. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then pour broth into the slow cooker.

Combine in slow cooker and cook. Add adobo mixture and remaining 1 cup of broth to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.

Serve! Beef should be fall-apart tender when done. Shred meat and serve as tacos, enchilada filling, on top of a rice bowl, or straight from the pot with a fork. Add more salt as needed.

Beef Enchiladas (110 of 150)

Anyone who knows me, knows that Mexican food is my favorite. I could eat tacos almost every day. The days I wouldn't eat tacos, I'd eat enchiladas. 

For years, the ONLY enchilada recipe I'd make was my mom's. It's still the best for me for sentimental reasons - and they're pretty darn good. 

I've since made these AMAZING cheese enchiladas a couple of times. And tonight, I'm trying my hand at some beef enchiladas.

What struck me immediately about this recipe was adding diced green chilis and pinto beans to the enchilada filling. That sounded amazing. 

What didn't I do?

1. I didn't use flour tortillas. I really dislike enchiladas made of flour tortillas. I feel like they get mushy and the texture gets weird. So I used corn and made them flexible by running them through hot oil to soften them up (Mom did it, so I do it).

2. I just read in the instructions about putting enchilada sauce INSIDE the enchilada. I've never seen that before and missed it in the recipe so didn't do it. Honestly I think it's a waste. 

3. I seasoned my beef with chili powder because - well that's what I always do. Again, Mom did it so I do it.

I served mine with some sour cream on top and ate nothing else with them. You're gonna want to make these. They were amazing.

Beef Enchiladas

Recipe from Gimme some Oven

Serves 8

Enchilada sauce (You could also just buy canned. But why? This is so easy)

• 2 T avocado oil or olive oil
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c chili powder (see note below)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 2 c chicken or vegetable stock
• fine sea salt, to taste

Enchilada Meat

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

8 large flour tortillas*

3 cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese

toppings: fresh cilantro, chopped red onions, diced avocado, sour cream, and/or crumbled cotija cheese

Enchilada Sauce

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Add in the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 more minute, whisking constantly.

Gradually pour in the stock, whisking constantly to combine until no lumps remain.  Continue cooking until the sauce reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer (the sauce should continue lightly bubbling) for about 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce has slightly thickened.

Check for seasoning; adjust as needed. Use immediately in your favorite recipe and enjoy!

Enchilada Filling:

Sauté the beef filling. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground beef and cumin and sauté for 5 minutes or until completely browned, crumbling the beef with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir in the beans and green chiles until combined. Season the mixture with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper, to taste.

Prep oven and baking dish. Heat oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce evenly along the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Assemble the enchiladas. 

To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including: tortillas, enchilada sauce, beef filling, and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Add a generous spoonful of the beef filling in a line down the center of the tortilla, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place it in the prepared baking dish. Assemble the remaining enchiladas. Spread any remaining sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas, followed by any extra cheese.

Bake. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the enchiladas are cooked through and the tortillas are slightly crispy on the outside. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack.

Serve. Serve the enchiladas immediately while they’re nice and hot, garnished with lots of your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

Seared Steak with Roasted Mushrooms and Spinach Salad

I was in the mood for beef tonight. Last week was a chicken-fest for me, so I needed some beef. Thankfully the recipe that came out of the bowl was a steak recipe.

Now, there's a couple of things with this recipe. It's designed so that you should have left overs. The original recipe indicated all left over steak could be used in tostadas or steak tacos. Makes sense to me. Too bad I'm not a left over girl.

Also, I didn't use spinach. I had a baby red mix (which I love) and so did that with the vinegar and oil listed below.

Finally the mushrooms, I didn't put them in the oven. It was too hot today for the oven to be on, so I sauteed them on the stove. Oh and I BBQ'd the steak instead of put it in a pan. I made sure the grill was nice and hot though so I could get that seared look.

Seared Steak with Roasted Mushrooms and Spinach Salad
Serves 4

• 2 pounds White mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
• 4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
• 2 Flank steaks (1.5 lbs each)
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
• 10 ounces Baby spinach

Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Divide mushrooms, garlic, and 1 tablespoon oil between two large rimmed baking sheets; season with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast, tossing occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine paprika, oregano, red-pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons salt. Rub steaks with 1 tablespoon oil, then spice mixture.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Sear steaks in two batches, 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium-rare (lower heat if skillet gets too dark). Transfer steaks to a plate. Tent steak with aluminum foil to keep warm.

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Add spinach; toss to combine. Thinly slice steak against the grain; serve with mushrooms and spinach salad.

I served this with Parmesan mashed potatoes. Simple little recipe. Just make your mashed potatoes and toss in a handful of Parmesan cheese. I tend to load up on the pepper too when I put in Parmesan, there's something about the parm and pepper flavor together. Delicious!

Birria De Res Con Consommé (113 of 150)

Birria...so yummy. I've made Birria a couple of times and each time I'm reminded at how yummy it is. 

I'll admit though, while I'm posting this as a new recipe, I've gotta say I made significant changes to it because my planning for the ingredients wasn't like it should have been. 

First, the spices. I'm not inclined to buy the "seeds" and then grind them myself. I used already ground seasoning for cumin, coriander and pepper.

Second, I thought I had ancho chilis, but apparently used them and didn't restock them. So I swapped those for pasilla. I prefer pasilla anyhow, so it was ok. 

Finally, I did the slow cooker  and I completely missed adding the vinegar. Oh well. At the end of the day, it was still delicious and I'd make it again. Though I doubt I'd need a recipe at this point. I've made birria enough now that it's like making beef stew for me...I know what goes into it and "ingredients" and amounts are really guidelines.

Birria De Res Con Consommé

Recipe from Closet Cooking

Serves 6

• 2 dried guajillo chilies
• 2 dried ancho chilies
• 2 dried chipotle chilies
• 1 c water, just boiled
• 1 T cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 1/4 stick cinnamon
• 1 T oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomato puree
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 c cider vinegar
• 1 T oil
• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
• salt and pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 c beef broth (or chicken broth)
• 12 small corn tortillas
• 2 c Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 2 c beef from Birria de Res Con Consome, drained from broth and shredded, warm
• 2 c broth from Birria de Res Con Consome, warm

Lightly toast the chilies in a heavy bottomed skillet for 30 seconds per side before soaking in the just boiled water until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, lightly toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon, in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, before grinding in a spice grinder.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and the spices from step 2 and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the tomato puree, oregano, paprika, allspice and vinegar, bring to a boil and turn off the heat.

Remove the stems and seeds from the soaked chilies and puree them, along with the soaking water and the sauce from the pan, in a food processor until smooth.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, season the beef with salt and pepper and brown on all sides.

Add the pureed chilli sauce to the pan with the beef along with the bay leaves and broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the beef is falling apart tender, about 2 hours.

Slow Cooker: Implement steps 1-7, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-10 hours or high for 2-4 hours.

Option: Skim any fat off of the top after cooking. If you place the pot in the fridge overnight, the fat will solidify on the top and you can more easily remove it!

Option: Use more or less broth depending on how thick or thin you desire the broth to be.

Option: Season with salt, honey and vinegar to taste, balancing out the spicy, salty, sweet and sour.

Working in batches, place the tortillas into a heavy bottom skillet, over medium heat, sprinkle on some cheese followed by beef.

When the cheese has melted gently fold in half and continue to cook until both sides are crispy golden brown!

Enjoy with warm broth from Birria de Res Con Consome on the side for dipping the tacos into!