Chicken & Bean Tacos

As the weather turns a bit cooler, I like to find ways to make our meals just a bit more hearty. And one of the best ways to do that is to add beans to a dish. They are a great sort of extra protein and add a bit of “weight” to a dish. These delicious – and hearty – Chicken & Bean Tacos are just perfect for your next #TACOTUESDAY.

The marinating of the chicken is the key to success here. When you are using chicken breast, you really need to get the flavors infused as well as make sure you have plenty of moisture and a bit of fat added so that it doesn’t dry out and get bland. I have included my own recipe for taco seasoning at the bottom of the taco recipe. If you have a preferred version or prefer the packets, that will work just fine. If using a store-bought packet, you may want to use a low or no sodium chicken broth, as the packets tend to be a bit saltier.

Grilling the tortillas is that extra layer of flavor and care that makes these tacos special. If you do not have a grill pan – you can also use just a toast them in a frying pan. At the very least, heat them up in the oven if you must. A cold tortilla is just, well boring, and also tends to tear when you fill them up and fold them over. The layering on of the different parts is also key – starting with the beans, helps everything stay together.

The onion topping, basically salsa without tomato, is a great addition to this taco. You get the crunch from the onion and the heat from the jalapeno, but it’s not too hot or crunchy. It just lovely really. This is a great addition to nachos, taco salad and burritos as well – not to mention super easy to make.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Chicken & Bean Tacos

A delicious marinated chicken breast with a simple refried bean, and easy onion topping makes for a hearty taco

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword chicken tacos, cilantro, easy tacos, jalapeno, marinated chicken, refried beans, soft tacos, sour cream, tacos, white onion

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 4 hours hours

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 15 Flour Tortillas fajita-sized
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2 cups Mexican Cheese Blend shredded
• 1 White Onion diced
• ½ Jalapeno small diced
• ½ cup Cilantro chopped
• ¼ cup Lime Juice
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbls Taco Seasoning see recipe below
• 2 15oz can Refried Beans
• 1 cup Milk

For the Chicken

• 2 lb Chicken Breast cut to ½inch strips
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• ¼ cup Oil
• 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning see recipe below

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Add chicken ingredients to a gallon-sized zippered bag. Smoosh around to combine and let marinate at least 4 hours (up to overnight).
• In a small bowl, add onion, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and lime juice. Stir to thoroughly combine. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to make the tacos.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, add refried beans, milk and taco seasoning. Stir to combine. Once it starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer until ready to make tacos. Stir occasionally.
• In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add chicken – with all of the marinating liquid. Pan fry for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Heat up a grill pan over medium-high heat. Heat each tortilla for 30-45 second on each side, to desired darkness of grill marks. (spray with cooking oil if needed).
• To build a taco, smear one half of tortilla with bean mixture and the other half with sour cream. Add portion of chicken to bean and then sprinkle with cheese and add a spoonful of onion mixture. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Notes