Pablo’s Chicken Tacos Dorados, Acapulco-Style
- April 2022
- By Odalys Lorenzo
- Recipe from Mexico
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- (5)
These chicken tacos dorados remind Pablo Lorenzo of his childhood in Acapulco, Mexico. His mom would make this recipe a lot, and it’s easy to understand why. Chicken tacos dorados are crunchy-delicioso and his entire family loved them. As a bonus, this dish is super-fácil to make, and the ingredients are affordable and readily available. Pablo still remembers the day his mom taught him how to make her family-famous tacos dorados recipe.
“It was a good bonding experience and one of my favorite memories I have with my mom,” Pablo says.
Today, Pablo lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. And now he is the one making this dish for his family, especially on a cold day. The vegetable-filled broth and flavorful tacos are warm enough to beat back the Chicago chill. The chicken in the tacos is cooked in the broth, which is the secret for why the broth, chicken, and vegetables are all so flavorful. Pablo especially likes that this recipe reduces food waste, since everything gets eaten. And in the hot summer months, the tacos can always be eaten on their own and the broth frozen and saved for a wintry day. Serve them with your favorite salsa, says Pablo. Whichever you like best: smoky red or spicy green.
Another reason why Pablo loves this dish: its versatility. “If we ever get tired of the chicken, we can always swap it out with just potatoes or requesón,” Pablo says. Requesón is a traditional Mexican cheese similar to ricotta. The flexibility of this dish means his family never gets tired of it. He reports they look forward to eating it as much as Pablo did when he was growing up in Acapulco.
Just as Pablo learned to love cooking from his mother, he is proud to pass down this recipe and his love of making traditional Mexican dishes to his daughter Odalys Lorenzo, a college student in the Chicago area. Odalys reports she enjoys learning about (and eating!) traditional foods that celebrate her Mexican heritage — like these tacos dorados and her Tia Rosie’s chicken enchiladas with zucchini & serranos.
Ready to Try Pablo’s Chicken Tacos Dorados ?
Chicken Tacos Dorados, Acapulco-Style
4 (3 each)
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
2 chicken breasts, no bones
3 cups water
1 Tbsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2 potatoes
2 tomatoes
2 carrots, peeled
3 sprigs cilantro
1 to 2 cups vegetable oil, to fry the taquitos
12 corn tortillas
- For the Garnish
1 cup cotija cheese
1/2 cup crema natural
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup green or red salsa (optional)
1 lime, cut into eights (optional)
Directions
- In a medium pot, add the chicken breast and the water.
- Bring the water to a boil and then lower to medium heat. Stir in the chicken bouillon and salt.
- After about 5 minutes, start adding the vegetables. Cut the potatoes in half and add to the pot. Cut the tomatoes in fourths and add to the pot. Cut the peeled carrots in fourths and add to the pot. Add the cilantro.
- Bring the pot with the chicken and vegetables to a low boil for about 25 minutes.
- Check the broth. If it’s too salty, add more water. If it is on the bland side, add a little salt or bouillon, to your taste.
- Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a fork to check if chicken is tender and ready to break apart. If not, cook for 5 last minutes.
- Once it is ready, remove the chicken from the pot and place in a large bowl to cool. Lower the heat and let the broth and vegetables continue to simmer on the stovetop.
- Heat the tortillas in the microwave. You want them to be warm enough to be bendable and not break
- Use two forks to gently pull apart and shred the chicken. Once the chicken is fully shredded, you are ready to assemble the tacos.
- Make Your Tacos
- Hold 1 tortilla in your hand. Add about 1 Tbsp of shredded chicken in its center.
- Roll the tortilla into the shape of a taquito (think of a scrolled-up diploma) and set aside on a plate. Make sure the edge of the tortilla is facing down so that it stays closed while you are making the rest of the taquitos.
- Repeat this process until you are done. If there is any leftover shredded chicken, you can either make more taquitos or add it to the chicken broth.
- In a frying pan on medium-high heat, add about 1/2 cup of vegetable oil.
- When the oil is frying hot (about 350°), start cooking the tacos in batches. Using tongs, lower each taquito into the oil. Fry each side for about 45 seconds to 1 minute or until it’s a golden-brown color. When both sides are lightly browned, the taquito is ready. Set it aside on a plate lined with napkins or paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
- Continue with the rest of the taquitos, adding more oil, as needed, in the frying pan.
- Repeat until all the taquitos are fried and set aside.
- Assemble, Garnish and Serve—With Broth or Without Broth
- You can either serve the tacos with the broth or without it.
- To serve with the broth: In each bowl, ladle about 1 to 2 cups of the broth and vegetables. Place 3 taquitos in the center of each bowl. Garnish with crema, cotija cheese, and shredded lettuce. Feel free to add a fresh squeeze of lime to the broth and any other seasonings you like.
- To serve without the broth: Place three taquitos on a plate. Garnish with crema, cotija cheese, and shredded lettuce. This dish pairs nicely with your favorite salsa: green or red.
Notes
- You can experiment with different cooked fillings, such as frijoles, potatoes or shrimp.
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