Celebrating this taco Tuesday the right way! Went all out preparing and cooking FOUR DIFFERENT tacos today!

This was part of a challenge that I had to post, so was quite tight on timings and had to work with specific ingredients, some of which I would’ve liked to maybe change.. will talk about that later 😉

The tacos you’re seeing here are: shredded bbq beef (my personal favorite), fried chicken, honey Dijon roasted beef & Mexican chicken tinga (which we can consider a shredded chicken taco as I sort of winged this one because I simply didn’t have all the ingredients).

Here are the recipes!

Shredded BBQ beef

Ingredients:

• 1tbsp vegetable oil
• 1medium sized beef fillet piece (makes 1-2 tacos)
• 1 garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 1 tbsp steak sauce (or Worcester sauce)
• Salt & pepperto taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in an oven-safe nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the uncooked beef fillet and sear on all the sides.  You’ll notice color changes super fast, so don’t leave too long on each side.
3. Add in the garlic and onion and sauté for about 2 minutes.
4. Add in the BBQ sauce, salt, pepper and steak/Worcester sauce; mix everything together until it’s all combined and beef fillet is fully coated.
5. Cover and cook in the oven at 170°C for 1 hour, making sure to mix everything together halfway through the baking.
6. Let beef rest for a few minutes, then shred with 2 forks. Pour some of the sauce from the pan on it after shredding!

Fried chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup breadcrumbs or panko crumbs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Cut chicken breasts into long tenders, lightly season with salt & pepper.
2. Prepare 3 bowls (as your breading station), one with the flour, one with the breadcrumbs mixed with salt, chili powder & garlic powder, and last one with the beaten egg1.
3. Dip each chicken slice into the flour, then the egg, and finally in the breadcrumb mix, making sure that all sides are well coated.
4. Let rest on a wire rack as the oil heats up.
5. Start frying your chicken tenders in batches (until golden brown).

Honey Dijon roasted beef

Ingredients:

• 1 medium beef fillet piece
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp dry/fresh thyme
• 1/2 onion sliced
• Salt & pepper to taste.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place sliced onions in as a base in a baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, stir together Dijon mustard, honey, and thyme.
3. Season beef with salt & pepper on all sides, and place on sliced onions in the baking dish.
4. Brush half of the honey & mustard mixture all over the beef.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes (don’t let the foil touch the beef).
6. Uncover then brush with the remaining honey & mustard mixture.
7. Broil for 5-7 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Shredded chicken (Mexican Tinga)

Disclaimer: This is NOT the traditional Mexican tinga recipe, however, it is sort of my twist on it. Using easy & more attainable ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast
• 1 onion, diced (divide into 2 bowls)
  
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled & smashed
  
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp peppercorns (optional)
  
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 cup tomato purée
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp dry thyme
  

Method:

1. Place chicken breast with 1/2 of diced onions, smashed garlic cloves, bay leaf, salt, peppercorns, and enough water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil, removing anything that floats to the surface.
3. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken from pot and allow to cool. Then shred with 2 forks.
5. Remove the bay leaf and peppercorns, keeping the now softened onions, garlic and chicken broth.
6. In a blender, combine tomato purée, softened onions, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the chicken broth.
7. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining diced onions and cook until softened.
8. Add blended tomato sauce, vinegar, cumin, and oregano. Bring to a simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Mix in shredded chicken and continue to cook for about 7 to 10 minutes.
10. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Here’s one final shot of all tacos together 🙂 All the recipes make 1-2 tacos, so feel free to multiply if you’re making more 😉

As always your feedback is appreciated! Let me know if you make any of these!