Harissa Soft Chicken Tacos
Here to fancy up your Taco Tuesday
Time: 45 minutes
Pans: 3
Serves: 4
While I used my instant pot for this recipe, you can absolutely cook your chicken in the oven instead!
The #1 successful GF dinner for my kiddo in recent months has been tacos. While she would be happy simply eating hard shells, black beans and cheese (perhaps with a little GF Siete taco seasoning mixed in) I decided it was time to dress up our weekly taco game, and see if we can impart a little more flavor - and a few more veggies.
I love the concept of using a ‘flavor bomb' in every meal I cook. No matter how quick or simple the recipe is, if I include something like GF soy sauce, fresh herbs, salsa (or in this case, harissa) it gives the meal a certain *wow factor*.
While I included a flavor bomb, I did violate one of my rules, which is I dirtied a lot of pans. I cooked my thighs in the instant pot (8 minutes), sauteed my veggies in a pan, and warmed up the assembled tacos in the oven on a baking sheet. Oh and I used a cutting board. If you wanted to streamline things, you could do one of the following:
1) Roast the thighs on 425 for 20 minutes (until internal temp is 165) on the baking sheet, which you will later use to warm up the assembled tacos. This is a great option if you don’t have an instant pot or slow cooker.
2) Use the saute setting on your instant pot to cook the garlic/onions/peppers, set aside, cook the chicken, then assemble your tacos on the baking sheet (eliminating the need for the saute pan).
3) Buy pre-chopped veggies to eliminate the cutting board.
4) Get a rotisserie chicken!
Cooking things in one unit is challenging (but so satisfying!) so I promise there will be more of those recipes soon! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these tasty, flavor-packed GF tacos!
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can of course use a different cut, or different type of meat, just double check appropriate cook temps/times!)
One bell pepper, sliced thin
One onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Harissa
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup shredded cheese, I used a Mexican blend
GF Tortillas, or hard taco shells
1/2 cup cilantro chopped, for garnish
These are pretty full tacos, but if you want to bulk things up, you can add:
Cooked rice
Refried beans
Guacamole/Sliced avocado
Instructions
First things first, cook your chicken. If you are using an instant pot, drizzle a little olive oil inside, place the thighs evenly on the bottom of the pot, and season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a sprinkle of pepper. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin as well. Then spoon 1 cup harissa evenly over the top of the chicken thighs, pictured below. Put the cover on and set for 8 minutes on the pressure cooker setting. Once the chicken is done, allow to cool, and shred with two forks. Set aside. (Sometimes with thighs there will be some fatty pieces - I just toss those aside or save for a stock.)
While your chicken is cooking, take the sliced onion, pepper, and 2 cloves minced garlic and saute with about a tablespoon of olive oil for roughly 10 minutes, until the onions start to caramelize.
Arrange 4 soft taco shells (or hard, whatever you’re using!) on a baking tray and set oven to 375 degrees. Put a small smear of harissa (about 1/2 a teaspoon) on the base of each shell, then add chicken and the sauteed veggie mixture. Pop in the oven for about 5 minutes. If your ingredients were prepped in advance or you’re reheating leftovers from the fridge, you'll need a little extra time to warm everything through. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese across the tocos and warm for another 2-3 minutes. Garnish with 1/2 cilantro and avocado/guacamole, if using, and enjoy!