Tequila & Beer Chicken Tacos
GET ME SO ‘DRUNK IN LOVE’
Tequila and beer are a potent mix. Especially to braise your chicken with! These T&B chicken tacos are incredible!!! I’ve made them a few different times until I got it dialed down close to perfection.
The original recipe comes from the Tacolicious cookbook by Sara Deseran. This cookbook is great. I’ve had it for almost a year and I have to say it’s got some lovin’ ! To be honest, mine has some salsa stains, carnitas grease, and some chicken taco sauce on it. Exactly! … Like I said … Some lovin’. Well, isn’t that usually what happens when you eat your cooking right away, in your kitchen, with your cookbok next to you – without even giving it a chance to cool off –because you simply just can’t wait? Guilty as charged.
Now, this one particular recipe requires some time to cook. You will notice that the taste of its great & complex sauce only gets better the day after (that’s if you don’t kill it the first round you put the meat on your plate – like I did the first few times.) Your chicken will not be dry. It’s juicy with a little bit of heat. If you’re not a big fan of spicy food, don’t stop here. You can always get a dollop of Daisy (haha!) – Let me try again, a dollop of sour cream — or Greek yogurt to substitute if you like, along with other ‘produce’ on it.
I use Montejo beer to cook with. Slap some homemade salsa of any spin, to make it over the top. Yummy stuff you guys, . . . now go do it! Like I was, you may be drunk in love.
- 2 large dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 3 large dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion
- 1 habanero chile, stemmed
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bottle (12 ounce) Mexican beer
- 2 ounces tequila
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
- 1 lime, juiced
- Corn tortillas, warmed
- Garnish (optional:) chopped white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges and salsa
- Toast the chipotle and ancho chiles in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium heat. Turning once for about 30 seconds on each side. Be careful not to burn.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven (or other heavy pot.) When it’s hot, brown the chicken thighs. It’s better to work them in batches. Turning once, for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil, and then set aside.
- Add the onion and habanero to the remaining oil in the pot over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Deglaze the pot with beer and tequila.
- All together in the pool: the toasted chiles, broth, tomatoes, salt, cumin and oregano. Turn the heat down to simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 325°F.
- While the oven is heating, working carefully in batches, pour your chile mixture from your pot into a blender. Process until smooth.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Pour the sauce and the lime juice to add brightness over the top. Cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook for 2 hours.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Chicken will be super tender. Loosely, shred the chicken with a fork and leave it in the sauce.
- Serve with warm tortillas and garnish with onion, cilantro and lime. Top with salsa.
