Spicy Chicken Tacos with spiced Corn and Yogurt toppings

Behold the Chicken Taco… mmmmm

Look at that. A warm, freshly prepared, spicy, yummy, piled-with-tons-o-flavor Chicken Taco. Isn’t she lovely? Did I just give this taco a gender? I ate her. And another of her folk. And another later that day.

I came up with this recipe when I invited my sister and her family over recently for lunch. The occasion? My fabulous new digs! I wanted to show off my new place in Saint Paul to the people who matter most, and in my typical I-want-to-impress-my-sister style, I scoured Pinterest for new recipes I could impress the sistah with. Despite my well-intended planning, I missed getting the groceries beforehand, and scrambled to get what I could find at Trader Joe’s the day of.

Not finding everything for a Chicken Taco recipe I originally wanted to make, actually worked out really well! For starters, I found this epic Taco seasoning spice packet at Joe’s. The packet calls for adding it to mince meat for a taco, but I used it as a meat rub for the chicken. One half packet for 4 chicken breasts was a good ratio. I also loved how the chicken browned and seared in the pan because of the seasoning, adding this nice char that I like so much,

I also managed to make the taco low-fat by using no cheese, a spiced greek yogurt topping instead of sour cream, and a yummy no-oil corn relish that I spiked with some Indian masalas. Glee to the mouth, I say! The multiple textures made for a delicious and satisfying meal.

The recipe needs a few different steps, but with some simple multi-tasking, you can easily prepare it in a little over an hour.

For 4 people, you will need:

• Corn or wheat tortillas per your liking
• 3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts
• 1 packet Trader Joe’s Taco Seasoning Mix
• Assorted veggies, julienne – I used red peppers, yellow peppers, zucchini and mushroom
• 1 cup no-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 can or 1 cup of fresh sweet corn kernels
• 1 bunch cilantro
• Spices and dried herbs: oregano, chili powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• Limes
• Vegetable or Olive oil for cooking

Make the Chicken

• Clean and wash the chicken breasts. Pat dry. Place in a large bowl with 1/2 a pack of the Taco seasoning, and mix well with your hands. Make sure you get the spice over all the chicken. Set aside.
• Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan, and on medium-high heat, place each chicken breast in the pan, giving each piece enough room in the pan
• Once the chicken is seared from one side, flip over, allow to sear, then lower the hear to low-medium, cover with a lid, and let the chicken breast cook through – 7-8 minutes.
• After the chicken is cooked, place it on a chopping board and slice or cube it for the tacos. Place back in the pan and cover with a lid to keep warm

Prepare the toppings

• For the corn relish, place the sweet corn, a handful (5-6 springs) of chopped cilantro, 1/2 tsp of cumin powder, 1/2 tsp chili powder, juice of 1/2 lime, and salt to taste. Mix well.
• For the yogurt topping, Mix the yogurt, a handful of cilantro (or, to taste. I like a lot.), juice of 1/4 lime, a pinch of salt, a large pinch of black pepper, and 4-5 tbsp water. The consistency should be that of something a little more fluid than sour cream

You could serve the taco as is, with the chicken and toppings. However I wanted to add some more crunch and sauteed a whole bunch of vegetables in olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano.

And that’s it! Now it’s time to serve. Wrap up your tortillas in a clean kitchen towel, and microwave for 30 seconds. Serve fresh with all the components, and enjoy!