Can we just go ahead and deem Taco Tuesday as the best meal day of the week?
When Stanley and I first got married we went ALL OUT on taco night. We would do taco bowls, homemade pico de gallo, guacamole, etc. Insert babies.
Y’all know me though. I need to clean it up even if it’s significantly scaled down. My absolute favorite thing about this meal night is that its so fresh and delicious.
For the kiddos, we always make quesadillas, and for the adults, we still go all out!
What makes it cleaner
Do I sound like a broken record yet? Fresh produce friends! Chop up some bell peppers and onions and pop it in the oven. Get creative, cut up an avocado, add fresh corn or black beans. Typically I steer away from using canned goods, however, since we use them so minimally I don’t stress about using them on taco night! Great Value actually has a decent organic black bean.
Rather than using premade seasoning with some questionable ingredients, opt for your favorite salsa. Our favorite is Newman’s Own Mild Salsa. We also use corn tortillas instead of those with bleached flour. If you can’t do corn, check out Siete grain free products. We like their almond flour tortillas (and have seen them locally at Winn-Dixie).
What makes it more simple
Cooking the chicken is so brainless. Literally add to the pan, cover in salsa, simmer. Throw the peppers and onions in the oven to roast while the chicken cooks.
You don’t even have to shred the chicken! Pop that right in your stand mixer and let it do the work for you. Although there’s a few different components everything comes together pretty quickly and easily. Precook protein and prechop your veggies for the week on Sunday to minimize your prep time! We always make enough to have leftovers, too.
Clean Salsa Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 Jar of your favorite Salsa We use Newman’s Own Mild
- 4 Chicken Breasts cut in half length ways
- 1 pack of corn tortillas (10+) or sub for Siete Almond tortillas
- 1 can organic black beans
- 2 avocados
- 1 onion sliced,
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
- 1 block cheddar or monterey jack cheese freshly grated
- 1 Tbs avocado oil
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- Optional: Your favorite tortilla chips rice prepared to serve on the side.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- While the oven is preheating, prep your ingredients if you haven’t already pre-prepped. Slice onion and bell peppers. Add to baking sheet with unbleached parchment and toss in 1 Tbs avocado oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add to oven and cook for 25 minutes. Tossing at the halfway point.
- Slice chicken in half length ways and set to the side while tall sided skillet is preheating with 1 Tbs Olive oil. Once it is warm, add the thinly sliced chicken breasts and cover with whole jar of salsa. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer, adding 1/4 C of water (if needed). Cooking for 10-12 minutes until internal temp reached 165 degrees.
- While the chicken is simmering, warm your black beans in a small pot over medium heat.
- Slice toppings like avocado or tomatoes and shred cheese.
- When the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, remove chicken from pan and add to stand mixer. Turn on and monitor to shred chicken then add back to pan that is removed from heat to soak up the remaining salsa.
- Take another large pan and start to warm tortillas for a few seconds on each side.
- Slice toppings like avocado
- Assemble tacos with chicken, roasted peppers and onions, black beans, and avocado.
For the kids:
- I usually make them quesadillas. In the same pan I warm the tortillas in, I’ll add some shredded cheese and chicken to one side, let it warm, add another tortilla, and flip for about a minute on each side (monitoring closely).