Crunchy, oven baked chicken fingers with a Mexican seasoned crumb, designed for stuffing in tacos. Or dipping in your favourite sauce!

Crunchy chicken taco fingers

Not that we could ever get sick of tacos – not even old school beef mince ones (shredded iceberg and crispy taco shells a must!) – but sometimes it’s nice to do something a little different.

So here I am today, with an offering from something different. Specifically, something crunchy inside our tacos, rather than the usual saucy or shredded or grilled, something baked rather than fried (yet wow, look how golden they are!), and something that is in long finger-form designed to neatly fit one inside each taco so that the cook (that’d be you, and me) only needs to crumb 16 long strips rather than a gazillion little pieces.

My, what a long winded way to say we’re making Mexican chicken finger tacos today!! 😂

Truthfully, regular chicken fingers has been on my “to publish” list for a long time. But chicken finger tacos are so much more fun, don’t you think!?

Ingredients in crunchy chicken taco fingers

Here’s what you need to make these taco chicken fingers:

1. Chicken tenderloin

Chicken tenderloins are a handy choice for this recipe because the natural shape is already “finger-like”. So all we need to do is cut in half lengthways to make thinner chicken fingers – the perfect taco stuffing size!

However, breast can be used in a pinch – just cut into thick slices then into “chicken fingers”. Bear in mind that chicken tenderloins are – as the name suggests – more tender than breast.

2. TACO-SEASONED CRUNCHY CRUMB

Panko breadcrumbs (for extra crunchy!) and a simple homemade taco mix is what we need here.

• Panko breadcrumbs – Japanese breadcrumb that makes things extra crunchy because the crumbs are larger than regular breadcrumbs. A staple at supermarkets in Australia these days, usually the Asian section (but, cheaper at Asian stores!). Substitute with regular breadcrumbs, though it’s not as crunchy.

• Taco seasoning spices – Everyday spices – you never knew it was so easy to make a homemade taco spice mix! Cayenne pepper is optional, it adds the tiniest background warmth. By no means spicy. (PS If you’re tempted to substituted with a packet taco mix, that’s totally fine. But I can’t tell you how much to use. This mix makes up 8 teaspoons, if that helps).

• Oil spray – To spray the panko when we pre-toast it, and to generously spray the chicken fingers once crumbed.

3. a stronger DREDGE BATTER

Traditionally when crumbing, recipes will call for dipping the chicken in flour first, then egg then breadcrumbs. Today, I’m combining the flour and egg into a single batter which coats the chicken a little thicker so the crumbs adhere better. It’s not necessary for deep frying or pan frying as the crumb adheres better with more oil (instant heat = crumb attaches quickly). But it’s a highly technique when baking.

Here’s what you need:

• 2 eggs – I always think “surely one is enough!”. It’s not. 🙂

• Flour – Just plain / all-purpose flour.

• Mayonnaise – My little secret ingredient for crumbed baked things, a touch of oil helps replicate the frying effect from the underside of the crumb. I only use 2 tablespoons, but if you’re strongly opposed to mayonnaise, that’s ok, just use oil instead (halve the quantity).

*** Things I forgot TO PHOTOGRAPH!***

I forgot to photograph the tortillas and Taco Slaw – oops!

How to make crunchy chicken taco fingers

As mentioned above in the blue box above outlining unusual but effective steps in this recipe for Great Golden Crumbed Things, we start off by toasting the breadcrumbs before coating the chicken. It’s extremely effortless using the oven. Pan-toasting is much more hands on and requires considerably more oil too.

1. Toasting the breadcrumbs

See FAQ for the consequences if you skip this step!

1. Toss the panko breadcrumbs with the homemade taco seasoning.

2. Spray with oil – Spread on a tray and spray with oil. Aim directly down and spray from a distance to minimise panko-leaf-blower situation! Spray fairly generously – I do about 3 seconds. It still works out less then teaspoon of oil.

3. Bake for 7 minutes at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced) until golden brown, stirring once to twice.

   Now that the panko is toasted – lovely golden brown colour, crunchy, and also the raw flavour of the spices is cooked out – we can bake the chicken for the very short 10 minutes it takes to cook through without drying out without having to worry about getting colour on the panko!

4. Transfer breadcrumbs into a 20cm/8″ square pan or a similar container/dish so you can lay down and coat multiple chicken fingers at the same time (crumbing efficiency!).

2. Crumbing and baking

Note the left-hand-right-hand approach to crumbing to keep your fingers from getting caked with a build up of batter and breadcrumbs!

1. Cut the chicken into fingers about 1.5 – 2cm / 0.6 – 0.8″ wide* to make 16 pieces. You should be able to get away with just cutting them in half lengthways though if yours are very big, you might want to cut in 3. If using breast, cut into strips first then batons.

   Exact size doesn’t matter here, some can be longer than the tacos/tortillas (crunchy chicken sticking out of tacos is a good thing!).
   

2. Dredge batter – Whisk the dredge batter ingredients in a bowl. Whisk vigorously – it will seem a little thick at first but then it will thin out. It should have a maple syrup consistency ie thinner than honey, but thick enough to visibly coat the chicken.

3. Dredge chicken – Transfer all the chicken into the batter and toss to coat.

4. Crumb – Using tongs or your left hand (I’m right-handed), pick up a piece of chicken. Let the excess batter drip off then lie it down on the breadcrumbs. Do another 2 or 3. Use your right hand to sprinkled breadcrumbs on the surface of the chicken then, once coated, press and turn to adhere and fully coat.

   Place crumbed fingers on a rack set over the same tray you used to toast the panko breadcrumbs. Repeat with remaining chicken.

5. Bake – Spray generously with oil. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes – yes really, this is all it takes for the crumb to adhere (it’s already golden and crunchy, remember!) and for thin chicken fingers to cook through to 67°C/152.6°F. If you doubt me, check with a meat thermometer.

   Baking time – If they are all on the thin side (~1.5cm/0.6″, I stick with 10 minutes. If they are a bit wider (2 – 2.25 cm/0.8- 0.9″), I do 12 minutes.

6. Serve – Stuff inside warm taco shells with fixings of choice! The pictured tacos have what I call Taco Slaw (heavy hitter in my tacos – see below photo for my hard sell!), avocado slices, drizzle of sriracha (puts this into grown up territory) and pinch of coriander/cilantro leaves.

   See below for more options – it can be as simple or as loaded as you like!

Taco fixings for these Crunchy Chicken Taco Fingers

The tacos are pictured throughout this post and in the tutorial video with what I call my Taco Slaw. Heavy hitter in my taco world because it plays multiple roles – good hit of vegetables (cabbage wilts so much!), juicy/floppy enough to fill the role of a sauce/salsa (ie less taco fixings to make), and makes a nice bed for the crunchy taco chicken fingers to nestle in.

Also, it lasts for days like regular slaw, and it’s made with sour cream not mayonnaise. I know there’s a whole world of mayonnaise-shy people out there!

Other taco fixings

Taco Slaw aside, you should absolutely feel free to use whatever taco fixings you want because I can’t think of anything that wouldn’t work. Good ole’ plain shredded iceberg lettuce with tomato slices and sour cream and/or guacamole or avocado sauce. Pico de gallo (tomato salsa), a smooth salsa dip (restaurant style – this is so fresh it’s great) or taco sauce. The quick pickled cabbage bed I use in fish tacos.

And I always endorse shredded cheese. It always has a place in tacos. Shame on me for not including it. 😂 – Nagi x

PS Not sure if this goes without saying, but these Mexican chicken fingers are also very worthy of eating without tacos, like regular chicken fingers. For a dipping sauce, my picks would be a smooth Salsa Dip, Avocado Sauce, Pink Taco Sauce (1/4 cup sour cream mixed with 1 tbsp sriracha or ketchup), Nachos Cheese Sauce, Queso (Mexican Cheese Dip). I personally would also use Honey Mustard Sauce (sweet/savoury totally works), ranch would be fabulous, and even ketchup or BBQ sauce!

Watch how to make it

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Crunchy chicken taco fingers (baked!)

Recipe video above. Fun and delicious! Tacos stuffed with crunchy chicken fingers coated in a Mexican seasoned crumb. Wouldn't discourage skipping the tacos and just munching on the chicken sticks. 🙂 See notes for dipping sauce suggestions!

Handful of my "great golden baked crumbed things" tricks on show here – oven toast the panko first (it will never go golden in the short bake time to cook the chicken), a streamlined single extra-strong dredge batter, a touch of mayo (replicate "frying"), left-hand-right-hand crumbing technique (clean fingers!) and Taco Slaw (triple duty sauce / veg quota / perfect crunchy chicken bed).

Course Mains

Cuisine Mexican-esque

Keyword baked chicken fingers, chicken fingers, chicken tacos

Servings 12 – 16 tacos

Calories 128cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 500g/ 1 lb chicken tenderloins , cut in half lengthways into 16 x 1.5-2cm / 0.6-0.8" strips (or breast, Note 1)
• 2 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs (Note 2)
• Olive oil spray

Taco seasoning:

• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp paprika (regular or sweet, not hot or smoked)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (sub onion powder)
• 1 tsp onion powder (sub garlic powder)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt)

Strong dredge-batter:

• 2 large eggs
• 3 tbsp flour , plain / all-purpose
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise or 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of salt

For tacos (Note 3 for other fixing options):

• 12 – 16 taco-size soft tortillas (Note 4)
• 1 batch Taco Slaw
• 1 large avocado , sliced
• Sriracha , for drizzling (Note 5)
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander/cilantro leaves

Cups – Metric

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE:

• Toss panko with seasoning, oil spray, bake 7 min at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Coat fingers in dredge then crumb, spray generously, bake 12 minutes on rack. Use for tacos – or munch dipped in Avocado Sauce!

FULL RECIPE:

Toast panko:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced).
• Mix and spray – Mix the panko and Taco Seasoning in a bowl. Pour onto a tray, spray with oil, spread out, then spray again (from height, directly down, so the panko doesn't blow off).
• Bake for 7 minutes, mixing once, until golden brown. Scrape into a 20cm/8" pan (or similar, ease for crumbing multiple pieces).

Crumb and bake:

• Rack – Put a rack on the used tray and spray the rack with oil (Note 6).
• Dredge batter – Whisk the Dredge ingredients in a bowl until lump free (it will seem too thick at first, trust, it will thin to maple syrup constancy). Add all the chicken, toss to coat.
• Crumb – Pick up a piece of chicken with one hand, let the excess batter drip off. Lay it down in the crumbs. Repeat with 2 – 3 more pieces. With your clean hand, cover with breadcrumbs, press to adhere, lay on rack. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Warm tortillas – Separate tortillas into 2 stacks, wrap with foil.
• Bake – Spray generously with oil. Put in the oven with the wrapped tortillas. Bake for 12 minutes – thin strips cook fast! (Note 7).
• Serve – Serve, stuffed in tortillas with fixings of choice. My assembly order: take a warm tortilla, pile in a generous amount of Taco Slaw. Top with 2 avocado slices, crunchy chicken finger, drizzle with sriracha, sprinkle with coriander. BITE!

Notes

See FAQ for other cook methods, making it gluten free and other common questions.

1. Tenderloins are efficient – just cut lengthways to make 2 fingers (or into 3 if large). They are also more tender than breast. See FAQ if yours has a thick white vein running through the middle (most grocery stores ones have it removed).

• Breast – cut into strips then cut each strip into fingers.
• Other chicken cuts – works but the finger shapes will be interesting!

2. Panko – Japanese breadcrumb that makes things extra crunchy because the crumbs are larger. Staple at supermarkets in Australia these days, usually the Asian section (cheaper at Asian stores). Substitute with regular breadcrumbs, though it’s not as crunchy.

3. Taco fixings more options – Shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, taco sauce, pico de Gallo, salsa dip, guacamole, avocado sauce, sour cream, pickled cabbage from Fish Tacos.

4. Tortilla sizes – Fun small 10cm / 4″ size (pictured) – use 4 tacos per serving, or 3 for regular taco-size tortillas (~15cm/6″).

5. Pink taco sauce (kid friendly) – For the spice adverse / kids, suggest this instead. Mix 1/3 cup sour cream (or yogurt) with 1 tbsp ketchup, thin slightly with the tiniest droplets of water if needed. Or, just use ketchup!

6. Rack keeps underside of fingers crunchier as it prevents it from sweating. See FAQ for wrinkly foil Japanese DIY hack!

7. If in doubt, check the internal temperature – it should be at least 67°C/152.6°F which is perfectly cooked. Any longer and the chicken will dry out. 10 minutes is actually long enough, but 12 minutes is safer in case some pieces are thicker.

8. Dipping sauce suggestions if you skip the taco option – smooth Salsa Dip, Avocado Sauce, Pink Taco Sauce (Note 5, switch sriracha for ketchup for grown ups), Nachos Cheese Sauce, Queso (Mexican Cheese Dip). I personally would also use Honey Mustard Sauce (sweet/savoury totally works), ranch would be fabulous, and even ketchup or BBQ sauce!

Leftover cooked chicken will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, give it a quick 5 minute blast in the oven to re-crunch. Make ahead by crumbing earlier than baking later not recommended as dredge will soak the crumbs.

Nutrition per taco for the chicken finger and tortilla (16 pieces). Excludes fixings. Factors in discarded panko and dredge batter, assumes 1/2 tsp oil from oil spray.

Nutrition

Calories: 128cal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 362mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

Life of Dozer

I worried he was losing his sense of smell then I realised the wind was blowing the wrong way.

(Also – how many comments will I get on the state of my car? I will never show you the inside! 😂)

The post Crunchy chicken taco fingers (baked!) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Taco Slaw is a slaw designed for stuffing in tacos. With a limey sour cream based dressing, it’s a personal favourite because it pairs so well with Mexican flavours and does triple duty – good hit of vegetables (cabbage wilts so much!), juicy enough to fill the role of a sauce/salsa (ie less taco fixings to make), and makes a nice floppy bed for taco fillings to nestle in.

Taco Slaw

I find myself suggesting this Taco Slaw to use in tacos so regularly, I thought it would make sense to publish it as a separate post. It is actually buried in a couple of recipes here on my website and in both my cookbooks, but I am thinking specifically of myself here that it would be handy to have as a separate recipe, for ease of finding it.

So here it is! Think – regular Coleslaw, but lighter because the dressing is mostly made with sour cream rather than mayonnaise, and there’s a lovely lime flavour to it that adds freshness and is a natural pairing for Mexican food flavours.

What to use this Taco Slaw for

Use it with taco fillings that are pieces of proteins like Crunchy Chicken Taco Fingers, Fish Tacos, Chipotle Prawn Tacos, Baja Fish Tacos, Grilled Chicken for Tacos etc. rather than saucy / shredded things (too much same-same).

With this Taco Slaw, it provides a fantastic combination of crunch as well as “juiciness” so you really don’t need to go to much effort for other topping (like Pico de Gallo or Guacamole) because the taco gets too messy and too “wet”. For example, in today’s Chicken Taco Fingers, I just used a drizzle of sriracha and in the Prawn Tacos pictured below, it’s my simple pink sauce which is just sriracha plus sour cream.

You can also serve this Taco Slaw as a side salad, like regular slaw!

No video for this one, being a quick and simple side.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

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Taco Slaw

A slaw designed for use in tacos. A limey sour cream dressing that does so well with Mexican flavours, bit of crunch from the cabbage with signature slaw “juiciness” which acts like a sauce so you don't need to bother with a salsa or taco sauce.

Ideal for things like Crunchy Chicken Taco Fingers, Fish Tacos, Chipotle Prawn Tacos, Baja Fish Tacos, Grilled Chicken for Tacos (ie pieces of protein) rather than things that are shredded and saucy (too same-same). You can also serve it as a side salad, like regular slaw!

Course Mains

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword prawn taco, shrimp taco

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Marinating + Slaw Wilting: 1 hour hour

Servings 12 – 16 tacos

Calories 31cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 6 tightly packed cups green cabbage , finely shredded (about 1/4 head)
• 1 cup green onion , finely sliced on the diagonal
• 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander/cilantro leaves

Taco Slaw Dressing:

• 1/2 cup sour cream (sub plain yogurt)
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise OR 1 tbsp olive oil (ie halve amount)
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Mix the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
• Toss – Add the Slaw ingredients then toss well with hands or tongs.
• Set aside for at least 1 hour until the cabbage becomes wilted and floppy. Toss again then use in tacos!

Notes

Makes enough for 12 – 16 tacos. Keeps 3 days in the fridge, though the dressing will thin out a bit as it extracts more water from the cabbage.

Nutrition per taco, assuming 16 tacos.

Nutrition

Calories: 31cal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 88mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 141IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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The post Taco Slaw – excellent for tacos! appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a handy recipe for crispy quesadillas baked in the oven. Which means you can make 3, 4 or 8 at a time instead of pan frying one by one! Stuffed with my favourite taco beef mince (ground beef) though you can use chicken, turkey, lamb or pork. Super quick and easy!

Crispy oven baked beef quesadillas

Recipe writers “always” trumpet on about how quick and easy quesadillas are to make (yours truly included). Which they are, if you’re cooking for one or two people.

But if you’re cooking for 3 or 4 or 5 – and throw a hoard of hungry teenagers into the mix – who’s got time to pan fry them one by one? Nobody I know in the real world!

Solution: Use the oven. They are truly crispy and everything you want in a quesadilla, stuffed with a taco-flavoured meaty filling studded with corn, beans and oozy cheese. My favourite part is the edges where the melted cheese goes crispy!

Just in case you doubt me – more proof of crispy:

That’s crispy!!

Ingredients for crispy oven baked quesadillas

You can use this recipe as a template for whatever filling you want. Though to ensure it goes crispy, you need to ensure the filling isn’t too watery. Mince works well because it can be juicy without being watery, and it’s great to cook up with a tasty Mexican seasoning. Also, the surface of the quesadillas stay nice and flat (compared to, say, irregular size chunks of chicken, like in this baked chicken quesadilla) which equals crispier surface.

the beef quesadilla filling

Here’s what goes into the taco flavoured beef filling. It’s the same seasoning I used for my old school beef tacos which I adore!

• Beef mince (ground beef) – This recipe will work with any type of meat though you will find chicken and turkey is drier than beef, pork and lamb. Beef is my favourite – because I do have a very big soft spot for old school Beef Tacos (crispy taco shells and all!).

• Taco seasoning – This is the blend I use for my Beef Taco Filling, made with simple pantry staples. If you’re tempted to use a store bought packet for convenience, go ahead. But when you have time, use this homemade mix and notice how it doesn’t have that artificial edge! I think you’ll enjoy it. 🙂

• Tomato paste – This is to add a little flavour, bind the filling and juice it up a bit. Without, the beef is a little dry and crumbly, I find.

• Corn and beans – This is to add some bulk and different texture into the filling, rather than just using meat. I use canned, though you can use frozen corn as well. (Use leftovers in a salad or freeze flattered in ziplock bags so you can snap off a bit more the next time you make this!).

The quesadillas

Here’s what you need to assemble the quesadillas.

• Flour tortillas – Use flour tortillas around 20cm/8″ wide. I’ve tried this with all sorts of brands from and they all baked up lovely and crispy with the exception of Old El Paso. These tortillas labelled as “super soft and flexible!” which works against us here! They do go quite crispy but they take an extra 3 to 5 minutes, but still not as crispy as all the other brands I tried (Mission, Coles and Woolworths brands, La Banderita).

  Whatever brand you can get, I still think this is still worth making. Firstly, it’s quick. Secondly, even if not as ultra crispy as pictured, it should crisp up a decent amount and it will be a tasty trial-and-error to find the tortilla brand that works best.

• Cheese – Use any melting cheese you want. I use Colby, cheddar, tasty cheese (an Australian cheddar-like cheese) and Monterey Jack, all of which are staples in my fridge. I wouldn’t choose to use mozzarella as it doesn’t have as much flavour but if that’s all I had, it wouldn’t stop me.

• Olive oil – You need it, if you want crispy! Just 1 teaspoon to grease the tray and some for the quesadillas ( just 1/2 teaspoon each).

How to make crispy oven baked quesadillas

You will notice that there is less filling than traditional pan fried quesadillas because the more filling there is, the less it crisps up in the oven.

Also – don’t skimp on the oil drizzled on the tortillas. Oil = crisp!

1. Beef filling – Cook the beef first, breaking it up as you. Then when the red (raw) colour is just about gone, add the Taco Seasoning and cook it for 1 minute which will bring out the flavour. Add the tomato paste and stir for another 1 minute to cook off the sour raw flavour. Stir in the corn, beans and water. The water will “juice up” the filling a bit without making it watery (which will compromise crispiness).

2. Cool the filling for 15 minutes. If it’s too hot, it will steam inside the quesadillas which makes the tortilla soggy = compromises crispiness (do you see a theme in today’s recipe? 😂).

   This is what we’re after – not dry and crumbly, but it’s not watery:

3. Assemble quesadillas – Spread the filling across half of each quesadilla and top with cheese. Spread evenly to make the quesadillas as flat as possible.

4. Prepare for baking – Grease a tray with olive oil (just 1 teaspoon is enough), then place the quesadillas on the tray. Drizzle the surface with oil then spread across the surface and sides (I use my hands). Oil is essential for oven baked crispiness. Don’t be tempted to skimp on the oil!

5. Double flip bake – Bake in a hot oven (220°C / 425°F (200°C fan-forced)) for 8 minutes. Flip, bake for 5 minutes, then flip again and bake for a further 2 minutes or until it is golden and crispy. The third flip is key! The tortilla gets stained with red oil from the beef which crisps up beautifully, and it’s extra tasty.

6. Serve immediately! Cut the quesadillas in half then serve with your dipping sauce / toppings of choice. (More on this below).

Dipping sauces and toppings for quesadillas

Confession: more often than not in a I need something to eat, stat! situation, I will munch on these plain or, at best, sour cream for dunking.

Though when energy-levels and time-scrambling permit, Avocado Sauce is my dipping sauce of choice. Firstly, it’s fast. Avocado, sour cream, lime, coriander -> blitz. This easily happens while the quesadillas are in the oven.

And secondly, I like that it’s creamier than guacamole so it’s easier to dunk.

As for Pico de Gallo, it is an excellent finishing touch to add some freshness to quesadillas and to round out the meal with some fresh vegetables. But – I’ll be honest. It doesn’t usually make an appearance when I’m making quesadillas midweek, because I’m usually in a fridge clean-out or speedy meal scenario! – Nagi x

PS Just had a thought – a restaurant style smooth tomato salsa dip is also an excellent dipping option. And some more dip suggestions:

Avocado Sauce

Pico de Gallo (Authentic Mexican Salsa)

Guacamole

Restaurant Style Salsa recipe

Watch how to make it

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Crispy oven baked beef quesadillas

Recipe video above. This is a super handy method to make 3, 4 or 8 quesadillas in the oven at the same time rather than cooking them one by one on the stove. They are impressively crispy (see photos and video for proof!) and very quick to make.

Stuffed with my beef taco filling though you can switch with chicken, turkey, pork or lamb, or stuff with whatever your heart desires as long as it's not too watery because this might affect how well the tortilla crisps in the oven.

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword baked quesadillas, beef quesadillas, oven quesadillas, Quesadillas

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 364cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 250g/ 8oz beef mince (ground beef) – or chicken, turkey, pork, lamb
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/3 cup corn kernels (canned, drain, or frozen)
• 1/3 cup black beans (caned, drained)
• 2 tbsp water

Quesadillas:

• 4 flour tortillas (20cm/8"), Mission crisps best, Old El Paso the least (Note 1)
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 tightly packed cups shredded cheese – cheddar, colby, tasty cheese, Monterey jack (not mozzarella)

Homemade taco seasoning:

• 1/2 tsp EACH ground garlic , onion, dried oregano
• 1 tsp EACH cumin , paprika powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper , optional
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Serving:

• Avocado sauce or Guacamole
• Pico de Gallo
• Sour cream
• Nothing (I happily eat it plain!)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Filling – Heat the oil in a non stick pan over high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until the red colour is mostly gone. Add the Taco Seasoning and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the beans and corn, then add the water and stir. The filling should be juicy (not dry) but not watery (compromises crispiness!). Remove into a bowl and cool for at least 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan-forced). Grease a metal tray with 1 teaspoon of olive oil (I use my hand).
• Assemble quesadillas – Spread the filling on one side of the quesadilla. Top with cheese, fold to cover. Place on tray, repeat with remaining quesadillas.
• Drizzle the top of each with 1/2 tsp olive oil then spread using your hands (top and sides, not underside). Press the quesadilla down to flatten the surface.
• Bake for 8 minutes. Flip the quesadillas, bake for 5 minutes, flip again then bake for a further 2 minutes or until crispy. (Sometimes I spritz with oil to give it a helping hand)
• Serve – Cut each into half and serve immediately with dipping sauce/toppings of choice.

Notes

Recipe makes 4 but you can make as many as you can fit in your oven. Though if you cram your oven full they will likely take longer to crisp up!

---

1. Use flour tortillas around 20cm/8″ wide. Best brand – Mission is my favourite. I’ve tried every brand I could find here in Australia and they all bake up crispy with the exception of Old El Paso, labelled as “super soft and flexible!” which works against us here. They do go quite crispy but they take an extra 2 to 3 minutes with an extra spritz of oil, but still not as crispy as all the other brands I tried (Mission, Coles and Woolworths brands, La Banderita).

Whatever brand you can get, this is still worth making because it’s quick and even if not as ultra crispy as pictured, it should crisp up a decent amount and it will be a tasty trial-and-error to find the tortilla brand that works best!

Corn tortillas don’t work as well, they tend to split when baked.

2. Make ahead – Cook filling and shred cheese, then refrigerate separate, assemble just prior to baking. Assembling quesadillas ahead not recommended as the filling will soak the tortillas = compromise crispiness. Cooked quesadillas will keep for 3 days, re-crisp in the oven.

Nutrition per quesadilla excluding dipping sauces / toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 364cal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 683mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 331IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

This week we had Dozer’s first public appearance since he got sick earlier this year – so exciting!

The event was a reader dinner at one of my favourite local restaurants, Boronia Kitchen. The evening kicked off with canapés and cocktails outdoors even though it is the middle of winter just so people had a chance to meet Dozer before we headed inside for dinner.

Unfortunately when we headed inside for dinner, Dozer was sent home. To be honest, 30 minutes of meet-and-greet is more than enough excitement for him for one day. He was ready for bed!

And, even though these photos don’t belong in the Life of Dozer section, a couple of photos of the dinner. What a night! A huge thanks to the incredible team at Boronia Kitchen – especially the restaurateur Chef Simon Sandall – for going above and beyond to put on such a special and spectacular evening. I had so much fun, and I especially loved that the event was small enough so I had time to go around and spend time at every table.

The post Crispy oven baked quesadillas appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans is a big pot of saucy, shreddable meat in a rich, spicy, chipotle sauce. Pork shoulder is slow cooked into fall-apart submission with meaty lima beans that absorbs the bold flavoured sauce. Stuff in tacos, serve over red rice, or eat like stew!

Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans

This food is me on a plate.

Well, in a pot.

Hunks of juicy meat that’s so tender, it’s barely holding together when you scoop it out. A bold sauce that’s spicy, tangy and deeply savoury. Big creamy beans littered throughout that’s absorbed the flavour of the sauce, making beans tastier and dreamier than you ever imagined possible.

That it’s straightforward to make is a (big) bonus. It’s just like making a stew. In fact, that’s my favourite way to serve this – ladled into bowls like stew, except with tortillas on the side for dunking instead of serving it over the usual mash!

Ingredients in Mexican Chipotle Pork and Bean

Here’s what you need to make big pot of Mexican deliciousness!

Seasoned pork

This dish is made with pork shoulder which is an economical tough cut of meat that needs to be slow cooked to fall-apart tenderness. I just use cumin to flavour it before searing because the pork absorbs so much flavour while it’s slow cooking, it really doesn’t need much on the surface!

The chipotle sauce (and beans!)

And here’s what you need to make the rich chipotle sauce that the pork is braised in. Flavour to the max!!

• Chipotle in adobo (photo below) – The hero ingredient, I adore this Mexican sauce! It’s made with chipotles which are rehydrated and canned in a tangy, spicy red sauce that packs a load of flavour. (Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeños).

  In this recipe, we’re using both the chipotles and sauce (some recipes only use one or the other) and pureeing the chipotles for maximum flavour release and to make a smooth sauce.

  Where to find it – Those of you in the States are lucky enough to find chipotle in adobo virtually “everywhere”! In Australia – find it in the Mexican aisle of large grocery stores (Coles, Woolies), Harris Farms, as well as independent grocers. I use La Morena which I buy from Harris Farms – $3.29 for 200g/7 oz (we use the whole can).

• Butter beans (aka lima beans) – The big, fat, meaty beans you always see at the store that you wonder what to do with. Well, now you know! 😂 Feel free to substitute with other beans, though I do think creamy beans work better than smaller, firm ones like black beans, chickpeas etc.

  Why canned instead of dried beans? I find that the cook time for dried beans (especially large ones like butter beans) can vary quite drastically depending on the age, size and quality of the beans. Which means for dishes like this, sometimes the beans are done before the pork is, sometimes they are still hard when the pork is done. It’s not too bad pulling the pork out and leaving the beans to cook for longer. But it is a pain to take the beans out to continue cooking the pork! So, canned is my preference here.

• Orange juice – Yes! A secret ingredient used in Mexican cooking to add sweetness and more flavour than just adding sugar into things (eg carnitas, fajitas). Doesn’t make it taste orangey because once it’s slow cooked, the flavour completely transforms.

• Chicken stock – For the braising liquid. Low sodium please, otherwise your dish might end up too salty.

• Tomato paste – For flavour and thickening. It’s sautéed to cook out the raw, sour flavour before mixing into the braising liquid.

• Herbs and spices – Nothing unusual here! Oregano, coriander, allspice, bay leaves.

• Onion and garlic – Flavour base.

How to make Chipotle pork and beans

This recipe starts off by searing the pork on the stove before transferring to the oven to braise until the pork is fall-apart tender, giving the sauce time to develop fabulous deep, savoury flavour.

1. Puree the chipotle in adobo using a stick blender. The chipotle is really soft so it literally takes seconds.

2. Season pork – Cut the pork into 6 equal pieces, for ease of handling to sear, more surface area for browning and so they cook faster than a whole pork shoulder. Then sprinkle with the cumin, salt and pepper.

3. Brown the pork in two batches, using a heavy based oven-proof pot. Rotate the pork to brown all over. Remember, colour = flavour! Once done, remove the pork onto a plate.

4. Sauté sauce flavour base – Using the same pot, sauté the garlic, onion, dried herbs and spices. Sautéing dried herbs and spices is a neat trick for getting extra flavour out of them – it makes them “bloom”.

   Next, cook off the tomato paste followed by the pureed chipotle in adobo. Cooking off pastes is a great flavour trick as it intensifies flavour as well as taking off the raw, sour edge. It also depends the savoury flavour so you get more out of less!

5. Braising liquid – Add all the remaining ingredients except the beans into the sauce – the orange juice, stock, spices and bay leaves. The beans are added later else they will overcook and become too mushy.

   Give it all a good mix then place the pork in, along with any juices pooled on the plate (never waste free flavour!). Arrange the pork as best you can so they are submerged under the liquid. But don’t worry if there’s some of the surface poking above because it will steam-cook and also the pork will shrink as it cooks so it will eventually sink below the surface.

6. Slow cook – Put the lid on and transfer to the oven to slow cook for 2 hours at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). This temperature might sound high for slow cooking but it equates to a gentle simmer on the stove, which is suitable for slow cooking meats.

   Other cook methods – 6 hours in a slow cooker on low or 2 hours on the stove.

7. Beans – Remove the pot from the oven. The pork should be pretty much fork tender by this stage. Add the beans and push them in as best you can under the liquid.

8. Bake uncovered – Return the pot to the oven to bake uncovered for 30 minutes to caramelise the surface which adds extra flavour. Also by this stage, the pork should be tender enough so you can pry it apart using two forks without any effort at all.

   If you used your slow cooker or the stove, I do recommend doing this final step in the oven because the caramelising of the surface does add extra flavour!

And that’s it! To serve, just scoop up pieces of pork and beans, and ladle into bowls or onto a plate for serving. See below for ways to eat this pot of fall-apart-spicy-meaty-beany deliciousness!

How to serve Chipotle Pork and Beans

As I mentioned at the beginning, my favourite way. to serve Chipotle Pork and Beans is in a bowl like stew. Just use a spoon or fork to cut off bits of pork (which takes barely a touch!) then get a big scoop with beans and plenty of sauce.

I like to add a bit of avocado and sprinkle of coriander/cilantro for freshness, and tortillas for dunking / bowl mopping is essential in my world.

Having said that, here are some other options – all dish worthy!

1. Served over Mexican red rice – or put a big Mexican plate together with Mexican corn cobs (pictured above).

2. As a taco filling with your toppings of choice! It’s pictured above with avocado slices, finely chopped white onion, fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and lime wedges. There’s no need for a separate sauce – this is saucy enough as is!

3. Burritos to die for! Switch the chicken in this burrito recipe.

4. Shred up the pork and mix it up into the sauce with the beans. Then use it to make a giant nachos (switch out the chicken in this nachos recipe), as an enchilada filling, make tostada or simply scoop up with corn chips.

5. Turn it into a hearty soup – Add extra chicken stock/broth to thin the sauce and make it less intense, so it becomes suitable to be a soup broth. Then serve it as soup!

So many possibilities! What do you think? Which serving option appeals to you? – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Mexican Chipotle Pork and Beans

Recipe video above. This is a big pot of saucy, shreddable meat in a rich, spicy, chipotle sauce. Pork shoulder is slow cooked into fall-apart submission with meaty lima beans that absorbs the bold flavoured sauce.

Stuff in tacos, serve over red rice, eat like stew!

SPICE NOTE: This sauce is spicy. Not off-the-charts spicy, but it has a good kick! If you're concerned, remove half the chillis from the can of chipotle in adobo (as the chillies are where the spiciness is). If you're still worried, best to give this a miss because chipotle in adobo IS spicy!!

Course Mains

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chipotle pork, mexican pork

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 – 8 people

Calories 323cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Pork:

• 1.5kg / 3lb pork shoulder (skinless, boneless), cut into 6 equal pieces (Note 1)
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin powder

Sauce:

• 200g / 7 oz chipotle in adobo – the chillis + sauce (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion , finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup orange juice (real, not reconstituted sweetened stuff – Note 3)
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 2 bay leaves (fresh, else dried)
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 3 x 420g / 16 oz canned butter beans / lima beans , or other of choice (Note 4)

Dried herbs & spices

• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp allspice powder

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• SPICINESS – Read note above about spiciness!
• Puree chipotle in adobo until smooth using a stick blender or similar.
• Sprinkle pork all over with salt, pepper and cumin.
• Brown pork – Heat all the oil in a large oven-proof pot over high heat. Brown the pork all over in 2 batches, the remove onto a plate (~ 1 minute each side).
• Sauté – Cool the pot slightly then return to medium heat. If the pot looks dry, add 1 tbsp oil. Sauté onion, garlic, the herbs & spices for 3 minutes.
• Cook off tomato & chipotle – Add tomato paste and cook it off for 2 minutes. Add chipotle puree and cook for 2 minutes.
• Slow cook 2 hours – Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT beans. Stir, then bring to simmer. Place pork in – arrange so its submerged as best as possible. Cover with lid. Place in oven for 2 hours. (Note 6 other cook methods)
• Add beans, cook 30 min – Remove lid, add beans. Return to oven for 30 minutes without lid to caramelise the surface. The pork will be fork-tender!
• Serve like stew over Mexican red rice or with tortillas for dunking. Or make wickedly food tacos with finely chopped white onion, fresh coriander/cilantro, avocado slices and a squeeze of lime. More serving options above the recipe video.

Notes

1. Pork shoulder – Tough cut of meat made for slow cooking into fall apart submission. Chuck beef and boneless beef ribs will also work great!

2. Chipotle in adobo – smoked, dried jalapeños (chipotles) that are rehydrated and canned in a tangy, spicy red sauce that packs a load of flavour. In this recipe, we’re using both the chipotles and sauce (some recipes only use one or the other) and pureeing the chipotles for maximum flavour release.

3. Orange juice is used sparingly like stock in Mexican cooking. It doesn’t make it taste orangey, it adds a touch of sweetness and more flavour than just using sugar.

4. Beans – I realise butter beans are not authentic but I love how big and meaty they are, it just works with the succulent pork! Pinto or black beans would be a more strictly authentic choice for Mexican cooking, though honestly, any type of beans will work here.

5. Other cook methods: Slow cooker 6 hours on low or 2 hours on the stove on a low heat, stirring every now and then to ensure the base doesn’t catch.

However, the final 30 minutes in the oven is recommended no matter what slow cook method you use as it caramelises the surface (flavour boost!) and reduces the sauce.

6. Store in the fridge for 4 days, or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition per serving assuming 8.

Nutrition

Calories: 323cal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1079mg | Potassium: 820mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 5mg

Life of Dozer

The Coronation of Prince Edward Dozer Maehashi the first.

The post Mexican Chipotle Pork & Beans appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.