Crispy Chicken Tacos
Crispy Chicken Tacos with juicy marinated chicken and melted cheese, shallow-fried until golden and crisp. Easy to make and loaded with flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 10 corn tortillas
- 15 oz Oaxaca cheese, grated
- Avocado oil, cooking & shallow frying
Marinade
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup orange juice, no added sugar, no pulp
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- Zest of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ancho chile, ground
- ½ tsp cumin, ground
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano, dried
- 1 tsp onion, ground
- 1 tsp garlic, ground
- 1 tsp coriander, ground
- ½ tsp black pepper, ground
- 1½ tsp kosher salt, or to liking
Toppings
- Lettuce, shredded
- Pickled red onions, (omit habaneros)
- Mexican crema
- Chile de árbol salsa taquera
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- In a large non-reactive bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients until well combined. Add the chicken, making sure each piece is evenly coated in the marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate for 4–6 hours. For the best texture, avoid marinating longer than 8 hours.
Cook the Chicken
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Avoid overcrowding to prevent steaming; cook in batches if needed.
- Cook until browned on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, flipping as needed and adjusting the heat to prevent burning.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a separate dish and let rest for 5 minutes, loosely tented with aluminum foil. Then dice into small, bite-sized pieces.
Assemble & Crisp the Tacos
- Heat about ¼ cup oil in a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat, or enough to generously coat the bottom.
- Place a tortilla in the hot oil. Spread about 1½ oz Oaxaca cheese, or to your liking, evenly over the entire surface. Add chicken to one half, then fold to form a taco.
- Cook until crisp and golden, then flip and brown the other side. Adjust the heat as needed so the cheese fully melts without burning the tortilla.
- Cook as many tacos at a time as you can comfortably manage without overcrowding the pan.
- Transfer each taco to a paper towel-lined plate, standing it upright to drain excess oil. Add more oil and adjust the heat as needed between batches.
Serve
- While still warm, carefully open the tacos and fill with lettuce, pickled red onions (omit habaneros), crema, and creamy salsa. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Equipment
- Glass Bowls, A nonreactive choice for marinating the chicken with citrus and vinegar.
- Microplane Zester, For finely zesting the lime.
- Fry Pan 12”, For frying the tacos until golden and crispy.
- Grease Splatter Screen, Helps contain splatter while cooking the chicken.
- Thermometer, For checking that the chicken is fully cooked.
- Chefs Knife, For dicing the cooked chicken.
- Aluminum Foil, For loosely covering the chicken while it rests.
Notes
Corn Tortillas: Store bought work well, but homemade tortillas are even better. Make them a day ahead and refrigerate once cooled. Day old tortillas hold up especially well when frying.
Pickled Red Onions: I omitted the habanero since the salsa was already my spicy component.
Chile de Árbol Salsa Taquera: For a milder salsa, use fewer chiles de árbol. I found 5 chiles gave it a milder heat.
Choosing Your Pan: Stainless steel gives great crispy edges, but nonstick works well too. Adjust the heat as needed for crisp tortillas and fully melted cheese.
Nutrition
Serving: 1TACOCalories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 26gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 818mgPotassium: 278mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 316IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and intended as an approximation only.