Smoky Mezcal & Árbol Chicken Tacos

Name: Smoky Mezcal & Árbol Chicken Tacos
Ingredients: test

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A smoky take on a street-style classic. We hard-sear chicken thighs to build a deep crust, deglaze the hot pan with Mezcal, and toss the chopped chicken directly in that rich pan sauce combined with Bravado Spice Árbol Chili & Garlic Hot Sauce. Served on warm, double-stacked corn tortillas and finished with a smooth, bright avocado crema.

Created By Levi Hardeman

Cooking Time

15

Prep Time

15

Servings

4

Ingredients

12 ITEMS

1 Ripe

1/4 Cup

1

1/4 Tsp

1 lb

1 Tbsp

2 oz (1/4c)

3 Tbsp

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$7

VIEW PRODUCT

8

1/4 Cup

Instructions

Blend the Crema: Drop the avocado, crema, lime juice, and salt into a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth. If it is too thick, add water a splash at a time until it is the right consistency to drizzle. Transfer it to a squeeze bottle and keep it in the fridge.
Prep the Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with a paper towel and season both sides generously with kosher salt.
The Hard Sear: Get a stainless steel skillet screaming hot over medium-high heat. Add your oil, then drop in the chicken thighs. Leave them completely alone for 5 to 6 minutes until a deep, dark brown crust forms. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, but leave all those brown bits (the fond) in the pan.
Chop the Meat: Roughly chop the rested chicken thighs into small, bite-sized pieces.
Deglaze with Mezcal: Take the hot skillet off the flame for a second and pour in the Mezcal. It will instantly bubble and hiss. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Build the Pan Sauce: Put the skillet back on medium heat. Pour in the Bravado Spice Árbol Chili & Garlic Hot Sauce and let it mix with the Mezcal reduction. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds so it thickens up slightly.
The Toss: Drop the chopped chicken directly back into the pan. Toss it around until every piece of meat is coated in that smoky, garlicky pan sauce.
Warm the Tortillas: Warm your corn tortillas in a dry skillet or over an open gas flame until they are soft, pliable, and slightly charred on the edges. Stack them in twos.
Assemble: Load the double-stacked corn tortillas with the sticky, deglazed Árbol chicken. Top with a pinch of diced white onion and fresh cilantro. Grab your squeeze bottle and hit the taco with a clean zig-zag of avocado crema right over the top. Serve with a lime wedge.