Description
Mexican Shredded Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chimichurri Sauce deliver bold flavors and authentic street-style deliciousness. Zesty herbs, tender chicken, and tangy sauce create a satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs (0.68 kg) chicken breasts (or thighs)
- ½ cup (120 ml) chicken broth (or water)
- 8 small flour or corn tortillas
- 1 cup fresh parsley (packed)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (packed)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt)
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup crumbled queso fresco (or shredded cheese)
- 2 tbsps red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Protein Preparation: Settle chicken breasts in a slow cooker or instant pot, coating thoroughly with a dynamic spice ensemble of chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powders, salt, and pepper.
- Cooking Technique: Submerge seasoned meat with chicken broth, then seal and cook until fork-tender – roughly 2-3 hours on high in a slow cooker or 10 minutes using pressure cook mode in an instant pot.
- Meat Transformation: Deconstruct cooked chicken using two forks, shredding into delicate strands and bathing in residual cooking liquid to amplify flavor intensity.
- Chimichurri Creation: Pulse fresh parsley, cilantro, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, and optional red pepper flakes in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Sauce Refinement: Stream olive oil into herb mixture while blending, then incorporate mayonnaise or Greek yogurt to craft a silky, luxurious sauce consistency.
- Flavor Calibration: Fine-tune chimichurri sauce with salt and pepper, achieving perfect balance of flavors.
- Taco Assembly: Warm tortillas in a skillet or microwave, then layer with succulent shredded chicken, generously drizzle creamy chimichurri, and crown with crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, and crumbled queso fresco.
- Final Presentation: Serve immediately alongside vibrant lime wedges to elevate the dish’s zesty character.
Notes
- Spice Intensity Control: Adjust spice blend according to heat tolerance by modifying chili powder and red pepper flake quantities, ensuring balanced flavor without overwhelming heat.
- Moisture Preservation Technique: When shredding chicken, retain cooking liquid to prevent dryness, gently folding liquid back into meat to maintain succulence and enhance flavor depth.
- Sauce Consistency Hack: If chimichurri appears too thick, incrementally add more olive oil or a splash of water to achieve perfect drizzling consistency without compromising herbal integrity.
- Alternative Protein Options: Swap chicken with pulled pork, shredded beef, or plant-based alternatives like jackfruit for diverse dietary preferences while maintaining identical seasoning and preparation methods.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg