taco tuesdayz: korean bbq chicken tacos

oh how i love a taco tuesday. and a taco monday, or sunday, or any day that ends in y.

lately i’ve been coloring outside the taco lines. instead of just using more traditional, south of the boarder flavors and ingredients, i’m mixing things up. living in southern california we are exposed to so many different flavor profiles and ingredients, and why not put those delicious combinations into our favorite vessel?

korean bbq chicken tacos

serves: 10-12 tacos

prep time: 15 minutes

active time: 45 minutes

inactive time: 1 hour

total time: 2 hours

ingredients: 1.5 lbs chicken breast. 1 large yellow onion, diced. half a pink or green apple (gala, fuji, pink lady, granny smith, honeycrisp are all good options). 5 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs finely chopped ginger. 2 large green onions, white and light green parts chopped. 2 limes, sliced into wedges. 4 cups chicken stock. 1 cup brown sugar. .5 cup soy sauce. .25 cup mirin. .25 cups vegetable oil. .25 cup rice wine vinegar. 2 tbs sesame oil. 1 tbs honey. 2 cups sliced cabbage (i like to buy the pre sliced mix because i never use the whole cabbage). 1 tbs sesame seeds. handful of cilantro seeds. 12 medium sized flour tortillas. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper.

start by making the vinaigrette for your cabbage slaw. combine your two oils. reserve 4 tbs of the oil for cooking your chicken. combine the remaining oil with the vinegar, 1 tsp of your minced garlic, juice from two of your lime wedges and half the salt and pepper.

whisk well till the vinaigrette is combined. drizzle 3-4 tbs of vinaigrette over your cabbage and add your sesame seeds.

toss well to combine and set the cabbage aside.

then heat your remaining oil in a heavy, large pot. season the chicken with the remaining salt and pepper. cook your chicken until golden brown on both sides. about 4-6 minutes a side. do not over crowd your pan. you may need to cook the chicken in batches. DO NOT worry about cooking the chicken through. you are going to continue cooking it in the liquid. you are worried about getting a really nice golden brown on each side to add flavor to your chicken and your pan. when you have cooked all your chicken, set it aside.

add in the onion and apple and stir well, scraping up any tasty brown bits you can. cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

add in the ginger, remaining garlic and the green onions. cook until the garlic is fragrant. about 1 minute. pour in the mirin, scraping up any remaining bits of flavor off the bottom.

cook until all the liquid has evaporated. stir in the soy sauce and the brown sugar.

add the chicken back to the pan and pour in the chicken stock. squeeze in the juice of two more lime wedges and throw the wedges in with the liquid. if your chicken isn’t completely covered,

add in some water until the chicken is covered. bring the liquid to a boil. reduce the liquid to a slow simmer and cover the pot.

allow the chicken to continue cooking until it is pull apart tender. about an hour. once your chicken is pull apart tender, remove it from the liquid.

use two forks to pull apart each chicken breast and add the chicken back to the liquid.

when you are ready to assemble your tacos, lay out your tortillas. top with a large spoonful of pulled chicken. top with cabbage slaw and a few cilantro leaves. garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

xo, a

korean bbq chicken tacos

serves: 10-12 tacos

prep time: 15 minutes

active time: 45 minutes

inactive time: 1 hour

total time: 2 hours

ingredients: 1.5 lbs chicken breast. 1 large yellow onion, diced. half a pink or green apple (gala, fuji, pink lady, granny smith, honeycrisp are all good options). 5 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs finely chopped ginger. 2 large green onions, white and light green parts chopped. 2 limes, sliced into wedges. 4 cups chicken stock. 1 cup brown sugar. .5 cup soy sauce. .25 cup mirin. .25 cups vegetable oil. .25 cup rice wine vinegar. 2 tbs sesame oil. 1 tbs honey. 2 cups sliced cabbage (i like to buy the pre sliced mix because i never use the whole cabbage). 1 tbs sesame seeds. handful of cilantro seeds. 12 medium sized flour tortillas. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper.

start by making the vinaigrette for your cabbage slaw. combine your two oils. reserve 4 tbs of the oil for cooking your chicken. combine the remaining oil with the vinegar, 1 tsp of your minced garlic, juice from two of your lime wedges and half the salt and pepper. whisk well till the vinaigrette is combined. drizzle 3-4 tbs of vinaigrette over your cabbage and add your sesame seeds. toss well to combine and set the cabbage aside. then heat your remaining oil in a heavy, large pot. season the chicken with the remaining salt and pepper. cook your chicken until golden brown on both sides. about 4-6 minutes a side. do not over crowd your pan. you may need to cook the chicken in batches. DO NOT worry about cooking the chicken through. you are going to continue cooking it in the liquid. you are worried about getting a really nice golden brown on each side to add flavor to your chicken and your pan. when you have cooked all your chicken, set it aside. add in the onion and apple and stir well, scraping up any tasty brown bits you can. cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. add in the ginger, remaining garlic and the green onions. cook until the garlic is fragrant. about 1 minute. pour in the mirin, scraping up any remaining bits of flavor off the bottom. cook until all the liquid has evaporated. stir in the soy sauce and the brown sugar. add the chicken back to the pan and pour in the chicken stock. squeeze in the juice of two more lime wedges and throw the wedges in with the liquid. if your chicken isn’t completely covered, add in some water until the chicken is covered. bring the liquid to a boil. reduce the liquid to a slow simmer and cover the pot. allow the chicken to continue cooking until it is pull apart tender. about an hour. once your chicken is pull apart tender, remove it from the liquid. use two forks to pull apart each chicken breast and add the chicken back to the liquid. when you are ready to assemble your tacos, lay out your tortillas. top with a large spoonful of pulled chicken. top with cabbage slaw and a few cilantro leaves. garnish with a lime wedge and serve.