Roasted Chipotle Chicken Taco Stacks.
If I could do one thing right now it would be to crawl inside these cheesy layers and take a nap.
Really it’s just because last night (at midnight) we decided to wash our new sheets and make our new bed that finally came in because OMG it’s king-sized and truly a miracle that we have not killed each other in our sleep in the last six years. So much so that we literally could not go ONE MORE NIGHT without sleeping in this new space that is large enough to stretch every limb and maybe, just maybe, because if we spent one more night – or heck, one more minute – sleeping in the now-guest bed, we just wouldn’t survive. Convinced that marriage happiness is directly proportional to how large your bed is. Euphoria = king sized.
So yeah, nap needed, but also – the softest layers of juicy chicken, melty cheese and soft tortillas. I’m just gonna close my eyes for sec.
It’s been FOR-EV-ER (sandlot style) since I shared a chicken recipe. Like really. Forever and ever. Or, precisely one and a half months. And another whole month before that. Let’s not sugar coat things: chicken has been the last thing I’ve wanted to eat. I’ve picked pork or beef over chicken lately – not to mention having some ahmayzing dishes made of those two glorious meats – and have done everything humanly possible to ignore my husband’s favorite main dish. Have completely lost count of how many rotisserie chickens we’ve bought over the last six months as it’s been my easy way out. I’m like… oh let me just toss some of this chicken (after I certainly refuse to shred it off the bone!) with pasta and sauce and here’s your dinner! That’s been my motto.
But. I think I’ve turned a corner, or at least this chicken here made me turn the corner. Hallelujah for corners.
I’m nuts over this recipe, if only for the chicken. Which is crazy, since tacos are my life. But the chicken is marinated and then roasted with a ton of flavors and beer and peppers, then shredded. And it stays moist (nope, I cannot use another word) and tender when shredded. It can be used in ANYTHING.
I chose to put it in these tacos stacks. And no, I can’t really call them enchilada stacks or an enchilada bake (um hello, remember this old school version? Please don’t even look back that far again.) because I feel that using those words warrants some actual enchilada sauce. Which is not here. You can add it if you like, but I totally love dipping these perfect white corn tortillas in a hearty salsa verde. It gives them a bit of flavor and then you just pour the rest of the green stuff over top.
And the chicken has lots of cheese in it too.
And the topping is just a rip-off of my favorite easy taco topping – like you know those super juicy pork or short rib tacos you get from the best food truck in your area and they just have a sprinkle of diced sweet onion and cilantro and crumbled quesa fresco? Yeah that. Simply perfect!
I love that topping.
It almost doesn’t mesh with the chipotle chicken – I mean, it definitely does but at first you may not think so. It does though, it does I say. Complete flavor explosion.
Aren’t these also fun to eat? I think so. You could use 8-inch tortillas and make one large one, cutting it into triangles to serve. Or you can slice these tinier ones in half. Or you can eat them whole like the gluttonous fools that we are! So worth it.
Roasted Chipotle Chicken Taco Stacks
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 chipotle peppers, chopped
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 8 ounces beer, ginger ale or chicken stock
- 8 (4-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 cup salsa verde
- 6 ounces monterey jack cheese, freshly grated
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
- 1/3 cup freshly torn cilantro
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
Instructions
- In a baking dish or ziplock bag, combine the chicken, salt, pepper, paprika, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, olive oil, lime juice and garlic. Marinate for 2 to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- When ready to cook, heat and oven-safe skillet (I like my cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Pour in the beer (or other liquid and add the sliced bell peppers on top. Cover the skillet and place in the oven, roasted the chicken and peppers for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the skillet cover, letting the chicken cool slightly. Shred the chicken with the peppers (I like to do this in my kitchen mixer) and place it in a bowl.
- Add 1/2 cup of the salsa verde on a plate. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and dip a tortilla into the salsa verde, just so it covers both sides, letting excess run off. Place the tortilla on one side of the baking dish and repeat with another tortilla – placing it next to the first. This begins your two stacks! Cover the first two tortillas with the chicken mixture, add a bit of monterey jack on top. Repeat with another tortilla, dipped in salsa, on both stacks. Add more chicken and cheese – repeating two more times. You want four tortillas stacked, with 3 layers of chicken and cheese. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the baking dish and pour the remaining salsa over the stacks. Cover with the onions, cilantro, jalapeños and cotija cheese. Serve immediately!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
say yes to cheesy stacks.
52 Comments on “Roasted Chipotle Chicken Taco Stacks.”
YES! These are so pretty and they look absolutely delicious. Plus, I have approximately 2 dozen jalapenos that need to be used from the veggie garden.
Ok, so now you’ve got me craving cheese! I love your bit about the king sized bed. Got a laugh out of that! I agree. My hubby is 6 foot 1, I’m only little, but boy…do you need a big bed!
I think the only king size bed I’ve ever slept in is in a hotel, but yes, happiness in general is partly dependent on just how wide one is able to starfish out in one’s bed! Like you, I haven’t really eaten a ton of chicken this summer (it’s been all about the grilled fish instead), but I’m up for chipotle anything!
Right after my husband and I got married, we decided it was time to be grown ups and buy some real furniture for our house, which included a bedroom set. We live in an older house (built in 1976) so obviously we don’t have a large master bedroom. My husband measured a dozen ways and times to make it so we could fit a King in our room. I thought it was silly, said lets just get another Queen but he insisted. I’m glad I listened to him, and it’s now to the point where whenever we book a hotel, I will not book it unless it has a King size bed… Or two doubles/queens. Once you go King, you never go back. :) I swear, a happy marriage needs a King size bed, haha.
Excuse me while I go wipe the drool off from my face.
Too beautiful to eat! but I have to for that dip
How do you shred in a mixer? With the paddle attachment?
I’m so happy that you finally got a king size bed! You will love it! Thank goodness for corners…this looks amazing!
My husband and I are currently waiting for our king-sized bed to arrive and I couldn’t be more excited!! The only thing better? Yes, taking a nap in these taco stacks :)
YES to cheesy stacks!! Delicious!
I think you deserve a nap today! On that king sized bed of course!
You are wonderful. This looks wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful. Yum.
Dying over here, this is now my plan for dinner
You are totally calling my name with these taco stacks… they look amazing!! Pinning :)
And looking forward to meeting you at the BHG Style event in NYC in a few weeks!
The chicken sounds so amazing but its still too hot in the midwest to think about having the oven on for an hour. What do you think about a slow cooker option? Would you still sear the chicken or just dump it all in and let it go?
Oh my gosh, this look so perfect! I just ate tacos last night but now I want/need them again.
Holy moly! That looks amazing. Definitely will be trying this recipe soon.
ohmygah i love The Taco Stack!!!!! my man is obsessed with them :-O
and welcome to your new life as a king sized bed owner!! i had the same reaction when we got ours, i had no idea how i had slept in a double for so long. hallllllelujah.
I will go right down to “Market Basket” and buy some of these beautiful vegetables and limes! So inviting, so yummy looking! I’m hungry!
Tell me…… how messy is this to eat? What do you recommend?
These are the prettiest little things I’ve seen all week! I’d want to take a nap in them too! :)
we’re still in a queen, but…newlyweds…
get back to me in 5 years. things may be different
Salsa verde, beer and peppers = that is going to make anything taste amazing in my book! I don’t even eat chicken and I want this :) Pinned!
OMG I am literally drooling right now… these look AMAZING!!!! Thanks for sharing, I am so making them! I love that you used fresh jalapenos too! YUMMY!
These look so delicious. Yesterday I tried “Dorado Tacos” portobello tacos in NY!! Girl to die for. Now I want these stacks for my lunch!!
Because food built up into a tower just tastes way better. Obviously! These look FAB, Jessica!
Yes! Yes, please. Just make this happen in my face, k?
i hate to be the one to do this…
1- “Add 1/2 cup of the salsa verde on a place.” plate?
2-“Repeat with another tortilla, dipped in salt…” salsa?
3-“Cover with the onions, cilantro, jalapeños and cotika cheese.” cotija?
sounds delicious!
Yep. Def dreaming about this chicken… and a king size bed. And a nap! After a plateful of these, naturally!
I love that you quoted Sandlot almost as much as I love this taco stack!
Oh my goodness, these look and sound amazing! yum!
xx Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
The worst mistake my husband and I ever made was downsizing to a queen bed from a king. What the fuck were we thinking?!
So when my daughter moved out two years ago, I moved her queen bed into our bedroom – our beds are side by side, but we each have our own “zone” and we both couldn’t be happier – it’s like a mega bed! I have to roll over like six times in the morning to get to his side! :D
And your dish looks amazeballs.
Sounds absolutely delish, and I definitely want to make this over the weekend, but just checking – you really roasted s/b chicken breasts for an entire hour after searing? Whenever I make them, they’re totally cooked in less than 30 min. Just wanted to make sure there wasn’t a cooking time error in the recipe…
Never tried making taco stacks…but I think you’ve convinced me!
Oh I want a king bed so badly. Our room doesn’t really fit one at the moment but the second it does I am already sold.
10 minutes until my lunch break here at work and I am basically drooling at my desk. Can I get some smell-o-vision up in this office?!
http://www.hotdgofoodblog.blogspot.com
I’m thinking I’d have a very happy husband if I made these! He loves cooking things with beer, I like using chicken stock, and I’ve never thought to use ginger ale. That’s a neat idea I need to try out!
I do not think I would come up for breath while eating this! Delish!
This looks amazing Jessica!! I’m totally dreaming of a king sized bed!
TACOS. I will eat them in a box, with a fox, or under pretty much any other circumstances. :) These taco stacks sound wonderful!
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I made these for dinner last night, and we ate the leftovers tonight…. Omg, these were so so good!! My boyfriend also agreed. I seriously want these on my menu every week…. And the shredded chicken was so good, I want to use it in everything!
So I made this chicken this weekend. OMG. I don’t even LIKE chicken – and this was DELICIOUS. Made me even more excited for your cookbook to arrive TOMORROW!!!!
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YES. A MILLION TIMES YES. Just found out that a friend of mine in LA reads your blog too (he reposted this on his Facebook page) and I knew that he was a good friend because of it.
These were delicious! The best part was the leftover chicken made for great chicken fajitas for lunch the next day!
Yum, y u m, YUM!
XO,
http://almosttheredc.wordpress.com
I am curious – by dipping the tortillas in the salsa verde (albeit excess is shaken off), don’t they go soggy? From the picture it looks like the tortillas in the stack are crisp, which is what I would have expected.
Thanks!
These were seriously OUTSTANDING. Will definitely make again. Thanks for a great recipe.
thanks anne!
I’ve been making this chicken for YEARS (probably since you originally posted it). I just put some in the fridge to marinate for dinner tomorrow and it occurred to me I should comment here! My husband and I love this chicken SO MUCH. It’s our go-to for tacos, salads, enchiladas, really anything “Mexican” at all that requires chicken go into it. It is so tender and flavorful! Just wanted you to know we’ve been loving this for years :)
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