Take Out Fake Out: Crispy Chicken Tacos with Honey Chipotle Glaze

So I have a confession to make. I am a high maintenance taco eater.

I am a big fan of tacos. Fish or prawn tacos are my favorite, but I also love the basic old ground beef taco that my mom makes. In the last few years, lots of non-Mexican restaurants have been adding tacos to their menu, which in my mind can be both good and bad.

Good, because sometimes a couple tacos, washed down with a cold cerveza, is just what you want to eat. Also, I find that they tend to be on the more inexpensive side of the “entree” options at most restaurants that offer them. Which is awesome if you’re looking for a cheap option when eating out.

Unfortunately, there is a bit of bad luck that comes along with this whole thing. As is common when a restaurant is trying to ride the popularity of a certain dish by adding it to their menu, there can be some super lame attempts at coming up with their own in-house rendition of the most recent food craze. I actually find that with tacos, this is especially so. Maybe this is just my whole high maintenance self being extra picky, but I have had some bad tacos lately. Which is kind of sad, because a taco isn’t a hard thing to make.

Fortunately for you, tacos are a cinch to make at home. They are also super customizable and allow you to use up whatever protein you have lying around, as well as an infinite number of different topping combinations. I am a big supporter of coleslaw on tacos, so that’s what I did here, but you could use shredded lettuce, or even spring mix, just something to freshen it up a little. I also whipped up a quick chipotle and honey glaze, which is a nice way to switch things up, but of course you can always use the old standby of salsa/guacamole/sour cream.

Make these tacos tonight, they’re easy and fairly quick to put together!

As usual, comment below if you have an idea for something you would like to see on Take Out Fake Out!

See you all next week.

Honey Chipotle Glazed Chicken Tacos:

Serves 4

Total time: 60 minutes

Total time where you’re actually doing things: 30 minutes

What you need:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 cups coleslaw mix
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp water
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tin chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1/4 cup liquid honey
• Coconut oil for frying
• Salt for seasoning
• Flour tortillas
• Cilantro for serving

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon, vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Add the coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate.

To setup your breading station, grab three shallow bowls. In the first, add the flour and season with salt and pepper. In the second, mix the beaten egg and water together. And in the third add the panko.

Grab a cube of chicken and toss in the flour to coat, then the egg wash, and then the panko, pressing the panko onto the chicken to coat completely. Place each piece onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat with the rest of the pieces of chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4-5 hours. This helps the breading stick.

When you’re ready to cook, in a small sauce pan, add the chipotles in adobo, and the honey, and warm over medium heat until glossy and quite thin, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the chipotles and discard, so you are just left with the sauce. Keep warm over low heat.

In a large heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat, add enough coconut oil to come about an inch and a half up the side of the pot, it will start melting immediately. Heat until a crumb dropped into the oil starts bubbling and frying without dropping to the bottom. Start frying the chicken in batches, until it is a deep golden brown color. About 3 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil, and season thoroughly with salt. Repeat with more batches until all the chicken is fried.

Warm some tortillas in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Grab a tortilla and add a few pieces of the chicken and drizzle with some of the warm honey chipotle glaze. Top with a scoop of coleslaw and some cilantro leaves.

Enjoy!