It’s Taco Tuesday, and today’s feature is Chicken Taco Cupcakes. These are utterly delightful. It’s a miracle I have any pictures to share as I couldn’t stop eating them as soon as they came out of the oven. Oh my they will make you happy.
These chicken taco cupcakes are the perfect appetizer, one is a three bite snack which only needs one hand, so you have a hand free for a cocktail – perfect!
You will need a cupcake pan to create the taco shells, I go into how you make the shells in the recipe below, its easy peasy.
As an alternative to the guajillo chili pepper which may be difficult to find, you can use a quarter cup of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, you should be able to find the canned variety in the stores no problem. I did not provide direction on which cheese to use in my recipe, I decided to go against tradition and use raclette cheese instead of queso. I am not a lover of queso, my face rolls up into a grimace at the thought of it, but I really don’t want to bash a nation’s cheese so maybe I’ll just move on… Raclette is a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese which melts very well when heated but still holds on to its nutty flavor, If you are unsure of what cheese to use you will be fine with queso or a cow’s cheese such as cheddar, but I suggest you experiment and find your cheese!
Like most of my recipes you can substitute some of the ingredients. Instead of chicken you can use any meat, fish or vegetables, almost anything you desire in a taco. I had my monthly test kitchen event two weeks ago when I tested these bad boys on my family and friends, I stuck with chicken but instead of cheese and peppadew, I topped my tacos with diced tomato and avocado – they were a hit. What would I do without my tastebud crash dummies? If you don’t stick to my recipe make sure to top your taco cupcakes with something that has vibrant color so that once you arrange them on a plate they look beautiful. Remember, part of the process of enjoying food is the visual vibrance of what is served. So go on, give these a try, you’ll love em!
Chicken Taco Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 guajillo chili pepper dried
- 8 oz chicken breast
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse ground pepper
- 9 8 " flour tortillas
- Butter for cupcake pan and tortillas
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp agave
- 1 cup red onion sliced
- 1 cup black beans cooked or canned
- 2 cups of shredded cheese
- 12 peppadews
Utensils
- Cupcake pan
- blender
Instructions
- Place guajillo chili pepper in a container with a lid, pour nearly boiling water over chili pepper and cover to rehydrate.
- While chili is rehydrating, cut chicken breast into thin strips and then cut chicken strips in half and place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Cut each flour tortilla into four equal pieces
- Butter cupcake tin and then arrange three flour tortilla quarters into each cupcake section, covering each cupcake section base completely and making sure each tortilla quarter overlaps the next.
- Butter the sections that overlap with a touch of butter, so they do not separate once cooked.
- Once chili pepper has rehydrated, remove from water, split, remove seeds and stalk and place in blender.
- To blender add 1 tsp olive oil, Mexican oregano, paprika, garlic and agave and pulse for 30 seconds. Ingredients, should be thoroughly mixed.
- Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a skillet and add onion.
- Once the aroma of the onion begins to release, add chicken and black beans and toss until ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Then add blended chili pepper ingredients, and mix thoroughly once more.
- Fill tortilla cupcake bases with chicken mixture and top with cheese.
- Place in preheated oven at 400 for 5-7mins.
- Top your chicken taco cupcakes with peppadew strips and serve.
