PULLED CHICKEN TACOS

 

taco tuesday.. & wednesday & thursday & oh fuck it taco EVERYDAY. for a long time (too long) growing up, i wasn't into mexican food. maybe it was because i lived in a small italian populated town where taco bell and old el paso was considered mexican. maybe it was because the first thing that came to mind when i herd mexican was beans & cheese (fart). or maybe it was because i was just an ignorant child. luckily moving to toronto has opened up the glory of mexican food to me. torontonians LOVE mexican. tacos, carnitas, burritos, churros! you name it, toronto has it in every form. thanks to toronto, i don't ever want to go a week again without stuffing some sort of taco or burrito (or both) in my mouth. today i am going to teach you how to make one of my favourite restaurant style tacos at home: pulled chicken tacos with guacamole and pickled red onions. remember, you can never put too much guacamole on your taco. if you are feeling lazy and want to buy a roast chicken from the grocery store, go for it. however, in this post i am going to teach you not only how to make the best chicken tacos, but how to roast the perfect bbq chicken for any meal. note: it is important to make the red onions the day before for best results. i often make them a week in advance and use them for various meals. 

ingredients

for the chicken

  • 1 whole raw chicken
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon, roughly chopped
  • 1 garlic bulb, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup of your favourite barbecue sauce (i use sweet baby ray's)

for the guacamole

  • 2 large (3 small) ripe avocados
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 lime, juice & zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • salt to taste 
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 roma tomato, chopped

for the onions

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon raw sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

for the tacos (serves 4)

  • 8 corn tortilla shells
  • 1 roasted chicken, pulled off the bone (see recipe above)
  • 2 cups guacamole (see recipe above)
  • 1/2 cup pickled red onions (see recipe above)
  • fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 lime, sliced as garnish

directions

  • for the chicken: rub chicken with paprika, oregano, mustard powder, pepper, salt, chili powder and oil. stuff carcass with onion, lemon and garlic. in a roasting pan cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. brush with barbecue sauce and lower heat to 350 degrees. continue roasting chicken until fully cooked (approximately 1 hour- 1.5 hours). let rest until cool enough to handle. shred chicken and toss with remaining bbq sauce. set aside until you are ready to assemble tacos.
  • for the guacamole: in a mixing bowl add avocados, onions, garlic, lime juice, lime zest, pepper, salt and cilantro. mash until smooth and creamy. stir in tomatoes. set aside until you are ready to assemble tacos.
  • for the pickled onions: in a mason jar add sliced onions, sugar, salt, vinegar, garlic cloves and peppercorns. seal lid tight and shake until all the flavours are blended.  best to make these in advanced.  
  • to assemble tacos begin with the corn tortilla. top with pulled chicken, guacamole, pickled onions and cilantro. garnish plate with a fresh lime.