Made with flavorful Thai curry paste and doused in a chili crisp butter sauce. Ground chicken cooked with spices and stuffed into tortillas along with melty cheese. Then oven-baked until each taco is crunchy on the outside and spicy and cheesy inside. Serve with a fresh, bright mango herb salsa for a balance of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors. These come together easily and are so delicious. A fun twist on the usual taco night!
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons salted butter
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-4 tablespoons chili flakes, to taste
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
1/3 cup tamari sauce or soy sauce
1/3 cup pickled ginger + 3 tablespoons of liquid in the jar
12 hard shell tacos (see notes for homemade option)
2 cups shredded Monterey or pepper jack cheese
Mango Salsa:
1 mango, diced
1 Serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Thai basil or basil, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
Avocado Crema:
1 avocado
1/4 cup cilantro
2 teaspoons honey
Instructions:
1. To make the chili crisp. In a small skillet melt together the butter, garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes. Cook until the butter begins to brown and the garlic crisps. Remove from the heat. Mix in the chili flakes and sesame seeds, transfer to a heat-proof bowl.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and chicken, over medium heat. Cook the meat, breaking it up as it cooks, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the curry paste, soy sauce, and 1/3 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened around the chicken, 5 minutes. Stir in the pickled ginger and a splash of the liquid in the jar. Cook until the ginger caramelizes, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the chili crisp sauce.
3. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line the taco shells up on a sheet pan. Bake 5 minutes. Evenly divide the meat among each taco shell and top with cheese. Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
4. Meanwhile, make the salsa by combining all ingredients in a bowl.
5. To make the avocado crema, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt.
6. Serve the tacos topped with avocado, salsa, and extra chili crisp.
Notes:
For Easy Homemade Hard-Shell Tacos: Warm 8-12 corn tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and chicken. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see photo above). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.
Chili Crisp Chicken Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1-4 tablespoons chili flakes to taste
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
- 1/3 cup tamari sauce or soy sauce
- 1/3 cup pickled ginger + 3 tablespoons of liquid in the jar
- 12 hard shell tacos see notes for homemade option
- 2 cups shredded Monterey or pepper jack cheese
Mango Salsa:
- 1 mango diced
- 1 Serrano or jalapeño pepper seeded and sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil or basil chopped
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1/4 cup lime juice
Avocado Crema:
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- To make the chili crisp. In a small skillet melt together the butter, garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes. Cook until the butter begins to brown and the garlic crisps. Remove from the heat. Mix in the chili flakes and sesame seeds, transfer to a heat-proof bowl.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and chicken, over medium heat. Cook the meat, breaking it up as it cooks, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the curry paste, soy sauce, and 1/3 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened around the chicken, 5 minutes. Stir in the pickled ginger and a splash of the liquid in the jar. Cook until the ginger caramelizes, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the chili crisp sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line the taco shells up on a sheet pan. Bake 5 minutes. Evenly divide the meat among each taco shell and top with cheese. Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
- Meanwhile, make the salsa by combining all ingredients in a bowl.
- To make the avocado crema, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt.
- Serve the tacos topped with avocado, salsa, and extra chili crisp.
For Easy Homemade Hard-Shell Tacos:
- Warm 8-12 corn tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and chicken. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see photo above). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.
