RED-CHILE CHICKEN TACOS...Recipe from Sweet Basil

Best Chicken Taco recipe, ever! Just the right amount of spice...or kick it up a notch with a Jalepeno,  Cayenne or other hot pepper. 

INGREDIENTS 

 

• 4 dried chiles (such as pasilla negro and ancho)
• Boiling water
• 2 can  (15 oz.) sliced pineapple with its juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 onion, peeled
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and pepper
• 1 whole chicken (4 lbs.)
• 1/4 head red cabbage, cored
• 4 carrots, peeled and halved
• 1 bunch scallions, greens chopped (whites reserve for another use)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 12 corn tortillas
• 8 ounce log goat cheese (Feta cheese or Parmesan for more subtle flavor can be substituted.) 

DIRECTIONS

1. Tear or cut the chiles into pieces; discard the stems and seeds. Place in a bowl.; add boiling water just to cover (place a plate on top to keep submerged). Let soak until tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chiles and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid to a blender. Add 2 pineapple slices, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, the orange juice, onion, brown sugar, cumin, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Blend until smooth; transfer to a large bowl.
2. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Pat dry and add to the bowl with the chile puree, turning to coat the skin and fill the cavity. Cover and refrigerate for a least 3 hours or overnight.
3. Transfer the chicken and marinade to a large slow cooker. Cover; cook on high until the chicken is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh away from the bone registers 165 degrees , about 3 1/2 hours.
4. Meanwhile, using a food processor, fitted with the shredding disk, shred the cabbage and carrots. Transfer to a bowl; mix in the scallion greens. Chop 4 pineapple slices; toss with the cabbage mixture.
5. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour the juices and marinade into a 1-qt. glass measuring cup; let stand until the fat rises to the top. Skim the fat from the juices. Transfer the juices to a medium saucepan; simmer until reduced to 1 cup. Using 2 forks, shred the meat. Discard the skin and bones.
6. Meanwhile, mix the mayo and 1/4 cup pineapple juice into the slaw; season.
7. Add the chicken to the reduced chile juices; cook until heated through. Warm the tortillas. Place about 1/4 cup chicken on each tortilla. Top with the slaw and crumbled goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Follow us, like us, share us. We are Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens on Facebook. We are a local Middle Georgia producer of farm fresh fruits and vegetables and members of the American Poultry Association, licensed by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture as Poultry Dealers and Brokers, and a proud member of the Georgia Grown program, a division of the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture. We also breed, sell and ship poultry, pet pigs, bearded irises and much more. We have an 80 acre working farm, with great emphasis on all natural gardening and livestock management practices. An 1840's general store is situated on our property, and serves as our on-site farmer’s market. We have a large vegetable and herb garden, fruit orchards and more. Conveniently located off of Interstate 75 near the Johnstonville Rd exit (#193).  We are six miles west, located in Barnesville, Lamar County, Georgia.

Special thanks to Rachel Ray and rachelraymag.com for the fantastic recipe and photo, and J. David Matthews, of Barnesville, Georgia for support and patience with all that I try and test.