Fried Shredded Chicken Tacos

Okay, I’ll be perfectly honest here. This is totally an adaptation of The Pioneer Woman’s totally deliciouso Chicken Taco recipe! I read it on her blog a few days ago but just couldn’t get past the idea of making tacos with chunks of chicken breast instead of shredded chicken. It just seems so un-Mexican-food-ish.

So, that being said, I’ll reference her recipe here and just change what I changed! This is also her photo (click on the photo to go to her post with this recipe):

What you need:

• 16 whole Corn Tortillas (small Size)
• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 packet Taco Seasoning
• 1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilis)
• 1 or 2 tsp. lime juice
• Salt (to taste)
• 1-½ cup Finely Grated Cheese (Cheddar or Cheddar/Jack Mix)
• Sour Cream
• Hot Sauce
• 2 cups Thinly Sliced Romaine Lettuce (or Any Lettuce)
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• Canola Oil, For Frying Tacos

The chicken: Place chicken breasts (can be frozen) in the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour Rotel (with juice) over the top of the chicken, then sprinkle the packet of taco seasoning over that. Sprinkle (or squirt) lime juice over the chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (after about 3 hours, turn the breasts over). When it falls apart when you try to pick up a breast with a fork, it’s ready! Pull the chicken out of the slow cooker and shred it. Salt it to taste.

The tacos: Get out a frying pan and put enough oil in it to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat to your “medium” setting on the stovetop. Take a corn tortilla, stick a few forkfuls of shredded chicken in the middle, fold, and use tongs to lay the folded “taco” in the oil. Hold it there for a few seconds until it holds it’s shape by itself, then you can move on to assembling the next taco. Fill up your pan, then move back to the first taco and flip it. On medium heat, it took me less than a minute to cook each side. When the tortilla is slightly browning and getting crispy, it’s time to turn! Cook the same length on the other side then remove to a paper towel covered plate, being sure to hold the taco sideways over the pan to drip out as much oil as you can first!

If there is someone there to help you, have them wrap each taco in a few paper towels to “blot” the rest of the oil off the outside of the taco. It will be crisper and less greasy (aka. “healthier”)!

Once you have all your tacos fried, carefully pry open each one just wide enough to fill with your other toppings – we used sour cream, cheese, guacamole, hot sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes!