Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos

Tacos are a weekly thing for our home, maybe not always on Tuesdays, but almost always every week. As I have said before, tacos are so fun. Like burgers or pizza – you can do some any things with them, by changing up the proteins, veggies, sauces and vessels (pasta, dough, bread, tortillas). These tacos are a favorite of mine, despite the little bit of extra work. Don’t get me wrong – they are not difficult to make, just a little more time consuming. Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos are going to be a hit on your #TacoTuesday Table.

This recipe was featured on Instructables.com and you can see step-by-step visual instructions, check it out – Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos on Instructables.

I used chicken, because it’s easy, to be honest. The prep of the chicken is simple and requires minimal effort. You could totally beef or pork. These would especially work for leftover carne asada or chili verde. The real key is adding in the cheese and then frying up the taco, to get the shell crispy and cheesy.

The process of frying these is not difficult, but requires attention. You will need to make sure that you hold the tortillas into shape with a pair of tongs. The tortillas are going to start to puff up once they get hot, which will force the taco to open up. So just make sure that you hold it. Some people with make two at a time, but as many times as I have cooked fried tacos, I found it is faster to go one at a time.

You could go traditional side dishes and do a beans and rice. For this particular dinner, I decided to make a Mexican Corn Casserole that was so tasty. It’s fairly easy, which makes it a great accompaniment, as they don’t require attention once they are in the oven. I also added a dollop of sour cream with Sriracha and cilantro for dipping.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos

A delicious and simple chicken taco full of cheesy goodness all in a crispy shell

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword cheese, chicken tacos, taco, tacos, tortilla

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
• 1 qt Chicken Broth
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 18 Fajita-Sized Tortillas
• 3 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
• Frying Oil enough for 1 inch deep in pan

Instructions

• In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, add chicken, chicken broth, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Let cook for 20 minutes.
• Add oil to frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Remove chicken from sauce pan and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Place a portion of chicken and cheese in center of tortilla and fold over, pressing down to help it keep its shape. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

  Note: it's best to prep all of the tacos before you start frying. The frying process happens quickly and it's best to have them all ready.
• Once the oil is hot enough, begin frying the tacos. Start by holding the tortilla with tongs from the top center, so that the bottom fold in free. Start by holding the tortilla in the hot oil for 15 seconds so the shape is created. Then lay flat on each side, cooking for 20 seconds each. Remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tacos.

  Note: you will want to skim off the collected cheese from the oil every 6 tacos or so.
• Serve with your favorite taco toppings.