Chipotle Chicken Salad Tacos
Servings: 4 cups, filling 12 to 16 tacos, serving 4 as a casual meal
When I created basically this exact recipe on a lark for my book Mexico: One Plate at a Time, I had no idea that it would become the wild hit it has. I was inspired by two things: the room-temperature fillings that cooks fold into tacos in the Yucatan, and the creative fillings I’d been seeing pop up in carts and store-front taquerias specializing in tacos de guisados. Though that book focuses on recipes for classic dishes followed by contemporary spin-offs, there’s no classic equivalent for this filling. It’s just crowd-pleasing flavors wrapped in the comforting embrace of warm tortillas.
If a creamier version appeals, you can replace the vinegar and oil with 1/2 cup (or a little more) of good-quality mayonnaise.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (no need to use your very best balsamico here)
- 1/3 cup olive oil, preferably extra virgin
- 2 canned chipotle chiles, removed from the adobo canning sauce and finely chopped
- Salt
- 1/2 small head Napa cabbage thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken, preferably grilled, roasted or rotisserie chicken
- 1 large ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup coarsely grated Mexican queso añejo or other dry grating cheese like Romano or Parmesan
- 12 to 16 16 fresh, warm corn tortillas
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and chipotles. Season highly with salt, usually about a generous ¼ teaspoon. Add the cabbage, carrot, onion, cilantro, chicken and avocado. Toss everything together and let stand for 15 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt if necessary. Scoop into a shallow, wide serving bowl and dust generously with the cheese. Set on the table with the warm tortillas and you’re ready for some great roll-them-yourself tacos.