Cheesy Jalapeño Braised Chicken + Pinto Bean Street Tacos
Calling all spicy food and street taco lovers!!!
Today I’m bringing you a one-pot braised chicken taco recipe. Technically, it does use more than 1 dish, but the main part of the taco (the meat and bean part) uses only one, so I’m still going with it.
I love authentic street tacos whenever I can get my hands on them (which isn’t often), but there is one place in my college town that I’m obsessed with and have been in dire need of since moving out for the quarantine/summer. They make all of their tortillas in house and have some of the best tamales I’ve ever had (I’m a tamale freak by the way). Since I’ve been missing their fresh, soft, warm corn tortillas all summer long, I finally decided to try my hand at making homemade ones. It’s honestly so much easier than I imagined and only requires 3 ingredients (two of which are salt and water). All you really need to get your hands on is masa harina, a flour made from ground nixtamalized corn.
While the fresh, fluffy corn tortillas are honestly so good to eat by themselves, the stuff that’s inside of them matters more - aka the stuff that actually makes it a taco. This pulled chicken and pinto bean mixture is braised with jalapeño brine and Corona beer (tis the season, right?). Not to mention there’s also some sort of version of jalapeños used about 4 other times throughout the recipe, so it definitely doesn’t lack any heat or flavor.
The creaminess from the sour cream and the avocado, as well as the citrus from the lime and freshness of the cilantro helps balance out all of the smoky-spicy flavors, so don’t worry about it being too spicy. You can always leave off the charred jalapeños from the toppings, if you REALLY don’t think you can handle it.
P.S. you can obviously use store-bought tortillas, but I strongly urge you to try to make them homemade! They really are 1000 times better - I promise it’s worth it!
Cheesy Jalapeño Braised Chicken + Pinto Bean Street Tacos + Homemade Corn Tortillas
For the Tortillas:
2 cups masa harina
1 3/4 cup warm water + 1/4 cup extra if needed
1/2 tsp. salt
Making homemade corn tortillas is actually really easy! I have a tortilla press and griddle, but even if you don’t it’s still very easy.
Mix the masa harina with the salt and warm water until a dough forms. If too dry, add the extra water. It will be gritty and fall apart at first, but knead and pull the dough for 3-5 minutes until it forms more elasticity. Roll the dough into little balls - I got about 20 out of this batch, but it really depends on how large you want your tortillas to be. If you have a tortilla press, press each dough ball according the instructions of the press. If you don’t have a tortilla press, you can place the dough ball in between two lightly greased pieces of wax paper and either roll out with a rolling pin or press down with a cast iron skillet, and then cook on a dry griddle or skillet.
Do not press the balls out or cook them until right before ready to assemble the tacos, so they don’t dry out. Cook them over high heat on a non-greased, dry hot griddle. Cook for about 45 seconds on each side. To store leftovers, keep them in between two paper towels in a sealed storage bag in the refrigerator.
For the Chicken + Pinto Beans:
2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs
Dry Spice Mix: 1 tbs. garlic powder, 1 tbs. onion powder, 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. black pepper, 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. celery salt, 1/2 tsp. sugar, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 garlic cloves - thinly sliced
1 large fresh jalapeño - cut into thin half moons
3 tbs. of any green chili, habanero, or jalapeño hot sauce - I used this one!
1/4 cup pickled jalapeño juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
8 oz. Corona beer
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cans pinto beans - rinsed and drained
PINTO BEAN SPICES: 1/2 tbs. garlic powder + 1/2 tbs. onion powder, 1 tsp. each: cumin, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper
Pat the chicken dry and rub with the hot sauce, making sure it covers all areas. Rub the chicken with the dry spice mix, making sure it also covers all areas.
Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large pan. Make sure the olive oil sizzles when the chicken hits the pan, or else it isn’t hot enough. Place the chicken thighs skin side down first in the pan and let cook until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Flip the chicken over, add the fresh garlic, onion, and jalapeños and let sear for about another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Pour the jalapeño juice, beer, and chicken stock in to deglaze the pan, turn to a medium-low heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Uncover after 15 minutes. Using two forks, shred the chicken and stir into the sauce that has formed to make sure all of the shreds are coated. Add in the pinto beans, as well as the pinto bean spices. Stir, cover, and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Keep the lid on and continue to simmer in the sauce over a low heat until ready to assemble the tacos.
Assembling the Tacos:
1/2 cup sour cream + juice and zest from 1 whole lime + 1/2 tsp salt
1 jalapeño
Shredded white cheese - I used mozzarella because that’s what we had on hand, but Monterey jack or any shredded Mexican white cheese will work!
Fresh cilantro
Avocado slices
Lime wedges
Set the oven to broil.
Mix together the sour cream, lime, and salt to make a lime crema. Make sure the tortillas, homemade or store-bought, are hot and slightly charred from a griddle or skillet right before preparing the tacos. Slice the fresh jalapeño into rounds and char them either on a skillet/grill or under the broiler. You can also keep them fresh if you prefer.
To assemble, place the hot tortillas directly from the griddle in a baking dish. Fill the center with beans and shredded chicken (make sure you get a little of the juice as well), and top with shredded cheese. Place under the broiler on the middle or bottom rack until the cheese has melted. Top with the sour cream mixture, fresh avocado slices, charred jalapeños, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.
