These tacos. You HAVE to make them this weekend. I’ve been eating them all week and I’m still not sick of them. The combo of flavors and textures in these is to.die.for. I am a huge texture person, as you probably know, and tacos are a great vessel for that. They are super easy too, since the chicken practically cooks itself all day. The slaw and the salsa come together in two seconds. I even made a quesadilla with leftover pulled chicken and cheese and the salsa inside the quesadilla. SO good. HIGHLY recommend doing it with your leftovers.
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 4-6 hours
For the chicken:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1-1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can (12 oz.) beer of your choice (I used Modelo)
1 T. paprika
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. + 2 T. BBQ sauce of your choice
3 T. juices from crockpot
2 T. honey
For the black beans:
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
For the slaw:
2 c. napa cabbage, shredded
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
For the tacos:
shredded monterey jack cheese
corn tortillas (you can also use flour)
more chopped scallions
more limes to squeeze
Begin by patting the chicken dry with paper towels. Preheat a large skillet to medium/high heat. Combine paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Rub mixture over chicken, generously coating on all sides. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden. (You don’t want to cook it all the way through, just get a nice sear on it.) Place in crockpot, and pour in the can of beer. Cover crockpot with lid, and cook for 4-6 hours until chicken falls apart. (I did mine for 6.) Once finished, remove from pot, let cool for a few minutes, and shred with your hands or two forks. In a small bowl, stir together 3 T. juices from crockpot, honey, and BBQ sauce in a bowl. Add to pulled chicken and stir until thoroughly combined.
While the chicken is cooking, you can make the slaw and the cabbage. It is better if they get a chance to marinate in the fridge for a bit! For the salsa, combine black beans, scallions, jalapeño, lime juice and zest, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to assemble tacos.
For the slaw, combine shredded napa cabbage, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Toss with your hands, and refrigerate until ready to assemble tacos.
When ready to assemble tacos, place a couple spoonfuls shredded chicken on the corn tortillas (I grilled my tortillas 1-2 min per side first and it was AMAZING). Top with black bean salsa, slaw, and shredded monterey jack. Squeeze a little lime juice over them and a little more chopped scallion if desired. Enjoy!
How gorgeous?!
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