Crispy Chicken Tacos with Spicy Taco Sauce and Pico de Gallo

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless chicken thighs (Cut into small pieces.)
• salt (To taste, for the chicken.)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (For the chicken.)
• 1 tsp chili powder (For the chicken.)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (For the chicken.)
• 1 tsp black pepper (For the chicken.)
• 2 tbsp fresh garlic (Freshly minced.)
• 3 tbsp oil (Plus more for cooking.)
• 1 onion (Finely chopped and washed, for the pico de gallo.)
• 1 tomato (Finely diced, for the pico de gallo.)
• 2 tbsp cilantro (Chopped, for the pico de gallo.)
• 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice (For the pico de gallo.)
• salt (To taste, for the pico de gallo.)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper (For the pico de gallo.)
• 0.5 cup mayonnaise (For the spicy taco sauce.)
• 0.5 cup sour cream (For the spicy taco sauce.)
• 2 tbsp hot sauce (Adjust to taste.)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (For the spicy taco sauce.)
• salt (To taste, for the sauce.)
• 1 tsp black pepper (For the sauce.)
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (For the sauce.)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (For the sauce.)
• 2 tbsp water (To thin the sauce.)
• 1 tsp cilantro (Freshly chopped, for the sauce.)
• 18 mini tortillas (The source states 18-20 mini tortillas; source text spells this as “tortacles.”)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (For assembling the tacos.)
• oil (For frying the tortillas and tacos.)

Steps

1. 1

   In a bowl, combine the small pieces of chicken with salt, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.

2. 2

   Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

3. 3

   Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant.

4. 4

   Add the seasoned chicken to the pan and cook until it is cooked through and crispy. Set the chicken aside.

5. 5

   Make the pico de gallo by combining the finely chopped onion, diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lemon or lime juice, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix well.

6. 6

   Refrigerate the pico de gallo until ready to use.

7. 7

   In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, hot sauce, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and lemon juice.

8. 8

   Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the sauce to achieve the desired consistency, then stir in the freshly chopped cilantro.

9. 9

   Heat oil in a pan over medium heat for frying the tortillas.

10. 10

    Add mozzarella cheese on top of the tortillas in the pan.

11. 11

    Place the cooked chicken on the tortillas, close them, and cook until the tacos are crispy and golden brown on both sides.

12. 12

    Serve the crispy chicken tacos with the refrigerated pico de gallo and spicy taco sauce.

Notes

The source does not specify the exact cooking time for the chicken or tacos, the amount of frying oil, or the tortilla size. It also does not explicitly state how much mozzarella to place on each tortilla.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Mexican-inspired
• chicken
• tacos
• crispy
• fried
• spicy
• fresh salsa