Cuban Chicken Tacos

Believe it or not, I bake more than sweets, and today I thought I would share one of those "other" recipes with you. I am a big fan of street tacos and since this is my first time trying it out at home, I thought I would add my own twist - or I should say a Cuban flare.

Most of the ingredients I needed were already stored away in my fridge and pantry, so the only item I needed to pick up was a First Street Grade A Whole Chicken from Smart & Final.

A simple marinade and a Cuban-style sauce is all that is needed to make the chicken moist and flavorful. With many of the ingredients being similar to what I use in Mexican dishes, I was quite comfortable creating this new recipe.

After shredding the chicken and making the Pico de Gallo, Ben and I were ready to assemble our tacos. And one bite later, I knew I had a winner. Citrusy, a bit tangy, some heat, still refreshing and yet all so easy to make. Try it out and let me know what you think. Make sure you invite guests over too because this goodie is too yummy not to share with family and friends.

Cuban Chicken Tacos
Street tacos with a Cuban twist - a perfect summer eat.

Serves 10
Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours (includes shredding chicken)
Cooking Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients
4 lb First Street Grade A Whole Chicken, cleaned and cut into segments
4 limes
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
2/3 cup water
20 small flour tortillas
Pico de Gallo (recipe follows)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large baking dish, mix together the juice of 3 limes, garlic, 1 tsp salt and pepper. Add the chicken and coat with the lime mixture. Allow the chicken to marinade for at least 30 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining salt, juice of 1 lime, pepper, paprika, cumin, ketchup, white wine, soy sauce, sugar, onion, jalapeno and water. Pour the tomato mixture over the marinated chicken. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer the chicken segments to a plate. Using two forks (or your hands), begin shredding the chicken and return the meat back to the baking dish to absorb the sauce.

The chicken can be placed in the oven, covered with foil, to keep warm until use. When ready, fill each tortilla with the shredded chicken and top with Pico de Gallo. Serve.

Pico de Gallo

Serves 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: N/A

Ingredients
12 oz grape tomatoes, diced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
juice of 1 lime

Directions
Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own.