Lesley Téllez’s Household Tacos

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 8 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

At my house, we often have tortillas on the table, and we put almost anything inside them. It’s not taco night — it’s just dinner. But sometimes I try to put together a more formal “taco night,” like in the books my 4-year-old son reads. (He read Dragons Love Tacos, and our tacos usually don’t look like that.)

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon canola oil, or other neutral cooking oil
12 corn tortillas
Shredded purple cabbage
Cotija cheese, or any other cheese you want
Cilantro
Radishes
Onions, such as pickled onions, scallions, red onion, or white onion
Sliced serrano or jalapeño peppers
Avocado
Limes
Hot sauce or salsa
Mexican crema
Canned or cooked black beans, drained

Instructions

Cut 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1 medium lime onto the chicken. Add 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the toppings.
Prep the desired toppings: cut red cabbage into shreds, grate cotija or other desired cheeses, chop cilantro, thinly slice radishes, onion, peppers, and avocado. Cut lime wedges. Place all the toppings, including black beans, crema, and salsa, into separate bowls.
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large, heavy skillet until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook until cooked through and the juices run clear, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Heat 12 corn tortillas on a comal (a flat, round griddle) or, if you don’t have one, wrap a stack in a dishcloth (I count three tortillas per person) and warm in the microwave. Keep them warm by wrapping them tightly in an extra dishcloth, or put them in a tortilla basket (still in the cloth) or a tortilla warmer. Serve with the chicken and toppings.