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This crunchy cheese-crusted chicken taco flips your boring taco night upside down with its unbeatable crispy cheese exterior and smooth avocado cilantro drizzle. When you wrap spicy chicken in a tortilla and then coat it with crisp cheese, you'll get a mix of textures and tastes that turns regular tacos into something you won't forget.
I stumbled on this method when I was trying to make restaurant-quality tacos in my kitchen and couldn't believe how the cheese shell totally changed a basic taco. Now my family bugs me to make these every week, and even the kids who normally pick at their food eat everything on their plates.
What You'll Need
- Extra virgin olive oil: Works great as your cooking base without adding too much flavor
- Ground chicken: Makes for a lighter option but don't worry - ground beef or turkey taste amazing too
- Yellow onion: Brings a bit of sweetness and makes your meat mixture more flavorful
- Chipotle chili powder: Adds that smoky kick that makes these tacos stand out
- Ground cumin: Brings that warm, earthy flavor you need for real taco taste
- Garlic powder: Spreads garlic flavor throughout without any burned bits
- Red enchilada sauce: Keeps your meat juicy and packed with flavor
- Kosher salt: Boosts all the other flavors - Diamond Crystal works best if you can find it
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend: Goes inside and forms that amazing crispy exterior
- Flour or corn tortillas: Corn gives more authentic flavor but flour ones fold easier
- Jalapeños: Add some fresh heat and help shape your cheese crust
- Avocado: Forms the creamy base for your sauce - look for ripe but still firm ones
- Salsa verde: Adds a tangy kick that works well with the creamy avocado
- Greek yogurt or sour cream: Makes your sauce nice and creamy with a bit of tang
- Lime juice: Wakes up your sauce flavors and keeps the avocado from turning brown
- Honey: Adds just a tiny bit of sweetness to balance the sour notes
- Fresh cilantro: Gives your sauce that fresh herby flavor it needs
Easy Cooking Guide
- Cook Your Meat Mix:
- Get your olive oil hot in a big skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Throw in your ground meat and chopped onion at the same time, breaking up the meat into tiny bits while it cooks. Keep cooking for about 5 minutes until you don't see any pink meat and your onions have gone soft. The high heat gets you good browning and the onions get nice and sweet.
- Add Your Spices:
- Sprinkle chipotle powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt right over your browned meat and stir so it coats everything. Pour your enchilada sauce in and turn the heat down to medium. Let everything bubble gently for about 5 minutes, giving it a stir now and then until the sauce gets a bit thicker and sticks to the meat. Take it off the heat and let it cool a little before you make your tacos.
- Mix Up Your Avocado Drizzle:
- Throw your ripe avocado, salsa verde, yogurt or sour cream, lime juice, honey, and fresh cilantro in a blender. Blend until it's totally smooth, scraping down the sides if needed. Give it a taste and add salt, more lime, or honey until you think it's perfect. You want it runny enough to pour but thick enough to stick to your tacos.
- Put Your Tacos Together:
- Lay your tortillas flat and put a small amount of meat on one half of each one, staying away from the edges. Sprinkle a little cheese over the meat but don't overfill them. Fold the tortilla over to make a half-moon and press gently to close it. Don't stuff too much in or they won't seal properly and cheese will leak out too much.
- Make That Cheese Crust:
- Heat up a clean skillet over medium heat until it's hot but not smoking. Put 2 or 3 jalapeño slices in a line right on the skillet. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup cheese in a circle about 3 or 4 inches wide, covering the jalapeños. Put one folded taco on one side of the cheese circle. Let it cook 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese starts bubbling and getting brown at the edges. With a thin spatula, quickly and carefully fold the crispy cheese up and around the outside of the taco, like you're wrapping it in a cheese blanket. Keep cooking another 3 or 4 minutes, turning as needed, until the cheese is golden brown and crispy all over.
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When I first tried making these for the family, I thought the cheese crust might be too tricky, but seeing everyone's faces light up at the first bite made it worth it. My son who usually picks everything apart told me these tacos are what he wants for his birthday dinner now.
Prep Them Early
You can cook the meat filling up to three days early and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container. The flavor actually gets better as the spices mix together over time. It's best to make the avocado sauce fresh, but if you need to make it a day ahead, add extra lime juice and put plastic wrap touching the surface to stop it from turning brown. You can put the tacos together earlier in the day without the cheese crust and keep them in the fridge covered with a slightly damp paper towel so they don't dry out.
Getting The Cheese Crust Right
Making the perfect cheese crust takes some practice but you'll get the hang of it. The biggest issue is getting the temperature right. If your pan's too hot, the cheese will burn before it gets crispy. If it's not hot enough, the cheese gets oily instead of crisp. Look for bubbling and a light gold color before you try to wrap your taco. If the cheese tears, start with a bigger circle of cheese next time. Fresh grated cheese melts more evenly than the pre-shredded stuff, giving you the crispiest results.
What To Serve With Them
These tacos look fancy all by themselves but go great with simple sides. Try them with cilantro lime rice, black beans, or a crunchy jicama slaw for contrast. Drink-wise, a light Mexican beer or tangy margarita works well with the rich flavors, while horchata is a great non-alcoholic choice that helps cool any spiciness. Put out extra toppings like diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, pickled red onions, and lime wedges so everyone can fix their tacos just how they like them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- → How do I make the tacos crunchy?
The cheese pan trick works best. Drop some shredded cheese in a hot pan and put the taco on one edge. Let the cheese get crispy before folding it around the taco.
- → Can I switch the meat type?
Sure! Ground chicken, beef, or turkey all taste great in this dish. You can even try meatless options like soy crumbles.
- → What tortillas work best?
Both flour and corn shells taste good here. Pick whatever you like or what fits your diet needs.
- → How should I keep the extras?
Keep leftover meat mix and green sauce in separate sealed containers in your fridge for up to 3 days. Put fresh tacos together when you're ready to eat.
- → Can I make the green sauce early?
Yep, you can make the avocado herb mix a day before. Just keep it in a sealed container in your fridge so it stays fresh.