I’d like to share something spicy with you today – spicy chicken tacos with pineapple corn salsa. A delightful spicy and tangy sweet meal encased in flour tortillas. If you’re going to make a batch of these tacos, make sure you have a large stash of tortillas. These hand-to-mouth delights will be very popular, very popular indeed.
It takes approx. 1 1/2 hours to stew chicken, but the final result is worth it. Your chicken will pull apart easily and will of course be super tasty.
You will find it very difficult to avoid stealing pieces of chicken while you’re cooking. Don’t feel ashamed though, tasting the chicken, once cooked through and beginning to break down, is necessary to make sure you have the flavors just right.
When making spicy chicken tacos with pineapple corn salsa for a large group, I usually add an extra piece or two of chicken for “tasting”, so as not to cheat anyone when serving.
Good news, the ingredients for this dish can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Spicy chicken tacos with pineapple corn salsa is an ideal dish to make ahead of time when entertaining guests. Alternatively, you can make just a couple of tacos and store the rest for another day. If you can resist eating your way through these tacos, freezing is also an option. But this dish is just too tasty, and I bet that freezing won’t come into play.
The recipe allows for at least eight tacos, but it does depend upon your preferred chicken to pineapple corn salsa ratio. Use your discretion, if you want really meaty filled tacos, eight tacos will be all you get. Go lighter on the chicken and add a touch more salsa, for more crunch and sweet tang flavor, and you should be able to achieve ten. Alternatively, you can use smaller tortillas.
Spicy Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lb boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tsp fresh thyme removed from stalks
- 3 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
- 2 carrots peeled and cut into approx. 3" pieces
- 1 tsp ground pimento
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper deseeded and sliced thin
- Water as needed
- 1 cup pineapple 1/4" chunks
- 2 cups corn kernels
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp scallion sliced thin
- 8 8 " flour tortillas
Equipment & Utensils
- Large skillet
- Large sauté pan with cover
- Medium mixing bowl
- Aluminium foil
Instructions
- Season chicken by adding black pepper, kosher salt and plain flour.
- Toss until chicken is coated.
- Heat canola oil in skillet.
- Add thyme and garlic and sauté until flavors release.
- Carefully place each piece of chicken in hot oil and allow to brown, then turn and brown other side.
- Once both sides of chicken thighs are browned remove and place in sauté pan.
- Place carrots into sauté pan evenly spaced around chicken pieces
- Add pimento and cloves and then gently add chicken stock.
- Heat sauté pan on medium heat, until chicken stock begins to bubble, then carefully mix ingredients in sauté pan.
- Sprinkle slices of scotch bonnet pepper and mix to incorporate.
- Lower heat to simmer and allow chicken to stew.
- Check on progress every 15 minutes to make sure stock does not dry out.
- If stock begins to dry out, add 1/4 cup of water as needed.
- While chicken continues to cook place pineapple and corn in a bowl and set aside.
- Whisk vinegar, honey and sea salt together, then pour over pineapple and corn.
- Combine ingredients then add scallion and set aside.
- Check on chicken, by now chicken should be cooked. Taste a small amount to make sure you have the right balance of flavors for your taste, and add a small amount of what is lacking until you arrive at the required balance of flavors.
- Continue to cook chicken, making sure the sauce does not dry out, until you are able to easily pierce and twist each chicken pieces into a shredded consistency.
- Once chicken thighs are completely shredded, remove chicken from heat.
- Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and place in preheated oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove tortillas from oven and load with pulled chicken and top with corn pineapple salsa and serve immediately.
Notes
