TL;DR
Smitten Kitchen published a simple chicken taco recipe built around boneless thighs browned in a skillet and briefly simmered in chicken broth. The recipe pairs the chicken with warmed tortillas, quick-pickled red onion, cabbage, avocado, cilantro and hot sauce; cooking times and assembly details are provided in the source.
Smitten Kitchen has published a weeknight chicken taco recipe that cooks seasoned boneless thighs in a skillet, then simmers them briefly in broth to finish the meat and make a light pan sauce. The method avoids a marinade and slow cooker, and comes with quick-pickled red onion, cabbage, avocado, cilantro and hot sauce as suggested toppings.
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The recipe calls for one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with kosher salt, cumin, chili or chipotle powder, paprika and black pepper. The thighs are browned in olive oil in a hot skillet for about four to five minutes on the first side, then flipped and browned on the other. The source says the chicken does not need to be cooked through at this stage.
After the chicken is briefly moved to a plate, minced garlic is cooked in the same skillet. The cook adds two-thirds cup of chicken broth, scraping browned bits from the pan, then returns the chicken and its collected juices. The chicken simmers over medium heat for three to four minutes, until the broth reduces to a thin puddle. It can then be shredded with forks or cut into small pieces and stirred through any liquid remaining in the pan.
For the toppings, the recipe uses eight small flour tortillas, half a thinly sliced red onion, red wine vinegar, salt and sugar, plus avocado, shaved red cabbage, chopped cilantro and hot sauce. The onion is left in its pickling liquid while the chicken cooks. The author suggests microwaving the onion mixture for 10 to 15 seconds, just until the liquid is hot, before setting it aside to cool. Tortillas are warmed in foil or a covered dish in a 350-degree oven.
A Skillet Method for Weeknight Tacos
The recipe is aimed at cooks who want tacos without planning a marinade or using a slow cooker. Its main practical feature is the short skillet cook followed by a broth simmer, which gives the chicken time to finish in the same pan used for browning. The resulting cooking liquid can be spooned over the meat in the tortillas.
The suggested toppings also make the meal adaptable to what is already in the refrigerator: the author describes pairing the chicken with avocado, cabbage and pickled onion, along with cilantro and a chosen hot sauce. That makes the recipe relevant as a relatively quick dinner format, though the source does not provide a measured total preparation or cooking time.
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Smitten Kitchen’s Twentieth Year
The recipe appears in a post marking 20 years of Smitten Kitchen. Its author says the site began as a place to share recipes and describes having published more than 1,400 recipes over that period. The post places the tacos among the continuing efforts to work out practical versions of familiar dishes.
The author says the goal was a chicken taco technique that could be made on a weeknight without advance marinating, a slow cooker or a stand mixer for shredding. The post also points readers to anniversary-related interviews, a reader newsletter and a list of 20 recipes the author considers among the site’s most iconic. Those references provide publication context; they do not change the recipe’s cooking instructions.
““I really needed a recipe, or at least a technique, for making chicken tacos on a weeknight.””
— Smitten Kitchen author Deb Perelman
Timing and Testing Details Not Given
The source gives approximate cooking times for browning and simmering, but does not state a total time from preparation to serving or provide a serving count. It also does not report formal testing results, nutritional information or a specific heat level for the chili powder or hot sauce.
The recipe instructs cooks to finish the chicken in the pan but does not specify a safe internal temperature. For food safety, poultry should reach 165°F (74°C) at its thickest point, measured with a food thermometer. The source also does not say how long leftovers keep; refrigerate cooked chicken promptly and use standard safe-storage guidance.
Recipe Steps and Serving
The source presents the recipe as ready to make, with no future release or follow-up milestone announced. Cooks can prepare the tortillas and onion topping first, brown and simmer the chicken, then shred or cut it and assemble the tacos with the toppings. The recipe suggests serving the chicken with any remaining pan juices and repeating the meal as desired.
No reader ratings, testing updates or revisions are included in the supplied material. Any later changes to the instructions or additional serving and nutrition details remain unreported.
Key Questions
What cut of chicken does the recipe use?
It calls for one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with salt, cumin, chili or chipotle powder, paprika and black pepper.
How are the chicken tacos cooked?
The thighs are browned in a hot skillet, then briefly simmered in chicken broth and garlic. Once cooked, they can be shredded with forks or cut into bite-sized pieces.
How does the recipe speed up the pickled onions?
The sliced onion sits in red wine vinegar, water, salt and sugar. The author suggests microwaving the mixture for 10 to 15 seconds, until the liquid is hot, then leaving it to cool while the chicken cooks.
What toppings are suggested?
The recipe lists avocado, shaved red cabbage, cilantro and hot sauce, along with the quick-pickled red onion. It uses small flour tortillas.
How can I check that the chicken is safely cooked?
Use a food thermometer at the thickest part of the meat and cook poultry to 165°F (74°C). The recipe’s approximate skillet times are not a substitute for checking temperature.
Source: rss
