chili sofrito braised chicken street tacos + honey chipotle sauce + citrus red cabbage slaw
This past weekend was Valentine’s Day, and while most people were thinking of filet mignon, lobster or sushi for their romantic meal, I was dreaming of tacos. Not just any tacos. The best ones I’ve ever made. Like most folks in the southeast, I grew up on tacos served in an oft stale, crunchy shell. Stuffed with ground beef and heaped with shredded cheddar, sour cream, iceberg lettuce and tomatoes, they were all we knew and we were glad to have them. Don’t get me wrong, some people love that style of taco and that’s awesome; I myself have heartily delighted in gobbling up my share. I had no idea that tacos could be anything other than that until one fateful day when I stopped to have lunch in Homestead, FL on my way down to The Florida Keys.
My friends and I were heading down for the world-famous Bartenders Bash, where professional party hosts become the partiers just once a year. It was a debaucherous bacchanalia of binge drinking, depravity and fun in the sun. On our way, we stopped at this little authentic Mexican joint that served house-made fare to hungry travelers out of a shack in the farmlands of deep South Florida where legions of migrant workers looking for a better life toiled under the hot sun. This was to be our one last meal before spending three days sustaining ourselves on bounteous amounts of alcohol. After glancing at a menu, I ordered the house-special “street tacos” without giving it a second thought. When they arrived I was like, “WTF is this?!” On my plate there were simply two soft corn tortillas filled with braised meat and topped with chopped onions, cilantro and fresh salsa. That was it. I wasn’t even sure I had ordered the right thing, but I knew I didn’t want to wait for something else, or worse, look like the doofus that didn’t know what he wants. So I snatched one up and took a big bite. Bang! Zoom! Something happened in my brain. It was like I woke up from the dead!
From that moment on, I knew that I could never really look at Tex-Mex style tacos in the same way. These days, with the advent of gourmet taco trucks and exploration into authentic cuisine, street tacos have become an integral part of casual fine dining.
These braised chicken tacos and their serendipitous balance of taste and texture are my salute to the discovery I made that day in Homestead. Working in tandem with the chipotle sofrito (an incomparable blend of peppers, garlic and spices that impart a wonderfully authentic flavor), the semi-slow cooking process produces a tender, savory chicken perfectly suited for taco delivery. The nectarous honey chipotle hot sauce lends a sweet and smoky distinction that augments the flavor of the chicken and brings out every delicious nuance. Everything is topped off by citrusy red cabbage slaw that not only provides a colorful aesthetic, but a burst of fresh flavored texture to the dish. Toasty grilled corn tortillas lend their warm embrace and provide an excellent vehicle for transporting all this goodness from plate to belly. These beauties right here? Estos tacos are truly muy chido, wey!
chili sofrito braised chicken street tacos + honey chipotle sauce + citrus red cabbage slaw
3 chicken breasts (about 2lbs.), boneless + skinless
2 red bell peppers, seeded + rough chop
1 green bell pepper, seeded + rough chop
1 small yellow onion, peeled + rough chop
¾ cup tomato puree, canned + unseasoned
¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo, pureed
3 heaping tbsp. minced fresh garlic cloves
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, rough chop
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. dark chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chipotle powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
juice of 2 limes
Place all ingredients except the chicken, into a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse puree. You can make this sofrito and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Place chicken breasts and 2 cups of the sofrito into a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and fork tender, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat and leave everything in the saucepan. Allow to cool slightly, covered, about 10 minutes.
Using tongs, shred the chicken breast in the sofrito. Add the 2 teaspoons of salt and the juice of 2 limes, stir well to combine.
honey chipotle sauce
1 cup hot sauce (like Frank’s or Valentina hot sauce)
½ cup orange blossom honey
¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed
Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Put some elbow grease into it to ensure the honey dissolves completely into the hot sauce.
citrus red cabbage slaw
2 ½ cups purple cabbage, finely shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. kosher salt
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice + cilantro + red pepper flakes + salt until thoroughly combined. Add all remaining ingredients and toss well. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
tacos
32 corn tortillas
½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
Set a large cast iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the corn tortillas until they are soft, pliable and begin to show some light char lines, 1–1 ½ minutes each side. Wrap in foil as they’re done and hold hot.
For every taco, stack 2 warm corn tortillas on top of each other. Strain and place 2-3 tablespoons of shredded chicken into the tortillas. Drizzle with the honey-chipotle sauce and crumble some cotija cheese over that. Top with some of the slaw, serve and enjoy!
brujo notes:
- I find it easiest to shred the chicken in the braising sofrito with a pair of tongs. The tender chicken will give way to the tongs effortlessly.
- Make sure you squeeze out some of the juiciness of the chicken before you stuff the meat into the grilled tortillas to avoid them getting soggy too quickly, and potentially falling apart when you eat them.
- Don’t let the red cabbage slaw sit in the citrus juice for longer than stipulated. The color will bleed out of the cabbage aggressively and not pop in vibrancy as it should.
- This recipe can be easily cut in half to make 8 tacos. Store any leftover chicken in the braising sofrito, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes a great sandwich, or topping for a Mexican pizza!
alcohol pairing: Recuerdos de Oaxaca Mezcal
Mezcal! All day, all day…all night, it’s gotta be mezcal!! We enjoyed this one with our tacos. The smoky, slightly sweet notes of this mild mezcal were absolutely superb with the chipotle braised chicken and the luscious honey + chipotle sauce.
soft drink pairing: Jarritos All-Natural Mandarin Soda
This characteristically Mexican soda pairs beautifully with the chipotle flavors in the tacos, and the mandarin variety brings out the subtle flavor of the orange zest in the cabbage slaw. A perfect accompaniment!
musical pairing: Street Life – The Crusaders
chili sofrito braised chicken street tacos + honey chipotle sauce + citrus red cabbage slaw
Description
These braised chicken street tacos are the perfect antidote to a long day! A serendipitous balance of taste and texture, they’ll cure all that ails you.
free from: gluten + eggs + soy + peanuts + tree nuts + fish + shellfish
Ingredients
chili sofrito braised chicken street tacos + honey chipotle sauce + citrus red cabbage slaw:
3 chicken breasts (about 2lbs.), boneless + skinless
2 red bell peppers, seeded + rough chop
1 green bell pepper, seeded + rough chop
1 small yellow onion, peeled + rough chop
¾ cup tomato puree, canned + unseasoned
¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo, pureed
3 heaping tbsp. minced fresh garlic cloves
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, rough chop
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. dark chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chipotle powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
juice of 2 limes
honey chipotle sauce:
1 cup hot sauce (like Frank’s or Valentina hot sauce)
½ cup clover honey
¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed
citrus red cabbage slaw:
2 ½ cups purple cabbage, finely shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. kosher salt
tacos:
32 corn tortillas
½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
Instructions
for the chili sofrito braised chicken street tacos + honey chipotle sauce + citrus red cabbage slaw:
Place all ingredients except the chicken, into a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse puree.
You can make this sofrito and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Place chicken breasts and 2 cups of the sofrito into a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and fork tender, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove from heat and leave everything in the saucepan. Allow to cool slightly, covered, about 10 minutes.
Using tongs, shred the chicken breast in the sofrito. Add the 2 teaspoons of salt and the juice of 2 limes, stir well to combine.
for the honey chipotle sauce:
1 cup hot sauce (like Frank’s or Valentina hot sauce)
½ cup clover honey
¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed
Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Put some elbow grease into it to ensure the honey dissolves completely into the hot sauce.
for the citrus red cabbage slaw:
2 ½ cups purple cabbage, finely shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. kosher salt
for the tacos:
32 corn tortillas
½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
Set a large cast iron grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the corn tortillas until they are soft, pliable and begin to show some light char lines, 1–1 ½ minutes each side. Wrap in foil as they’re done and hold hot.
For every taco, stack 2 warm corn tortillas on top of each other. Strain and place 2-3 tablespoons of shredded chicken into the tortillas. Drizzle with the honey-chipotle sauce and crumble some cotija cheese over that. Top with some of the slaw, serve and enjoy!
Notes
pairings:
alcohol: Recuerdos de Oaxaca Mezcal
Mezcal! All day, all day…all night, it’s gotta be mezcal!! We enjoyed this one with our tacos. The smoky, slightly sweet notes of this mild mezcal were absolutely superb with the chipotle braised chicken and the luscious honey + chipotle sauce.
soft drink: Jarritos All-Natural Mandarin Soda
This characteristically Mexican soda pairs beautifully with the chipotle flavors in the tacos, and the mandarin variety brings out the subtle flavor of the orange zest in the cabbage slaw. A perfect accompaniment!
musical: Street Life – The Crusaders
brujo notes:
I find it easiest to shred the chicken in the braising sofrito with a pair of tongs. The tender chicken will give way to the tongs effortlessly.
Make sure you squeeze out some of the juiciness of the chicken before you stuff the meat into the grilled tortillas to avoid them getting soggy too quickly, and potentially falling apart when you eat them.
Don’t let the red cabbage slaw sit in the citrus juice for longer than stipulated. The color will bleed out of the cabbage aggressively and not pop in vibrancy as it should.
This recipe can be easily cut in half to make 8 tacos. Store any leftover chicken in the braising sofrito, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes a great sandwich, or topping for a Mexican pizza!
- Category: main dish magic
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: chili, sofrito, braised, chicken, street tacos, honey, chipotle sauce, citrus, red cabbage, slaw
