Chili Today Chicken & Bean Tacos

Serves 4-6.

Savor the richness that comes from an hour-long braise and the complex flavors of Chili Today!

If you’re not in the mood for tacos, serve the chicken over rice with your favorite toppings.

Note: Be sure not to drain the beans — their liquid along with the tomato juice adds enough moisture to braise the chicken.

For the chicken:
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 tablespoon Chili Today!
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, not drained
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup chopped cilantro 

For the tacos:
Corn or flour taco-sized (6-inch) tortillas, warmed
Sour cream
Sliced avocado
Shredded cheese, such as Monteray jack or queso Oaxaca

Season both sides of the chicken with the salt and set aside.

Put 1 tablespoon of the oil into a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add half of the chicken thighs to the pot and arrange in a single layer. Cook until the thighs are well browned and lift easily from the pot, then turn the thighs over and brown the other side. Transfer the browned thighs to a plate. (The chicken will not be cooked through at this point, it will finish cooking during the braise.) Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the Dutch oven and brown the remaining chicken thighs in the same way.

Return the thighs to the pot, along with the tomatoes, Chili Today!, and beans with their liquid. Stir to mix the ingredients. Bring the liquids to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour.  Shut the heat off.

Shred the chicken with tongs or two forks. Add the lime juice and cilantro and stir to combine. Taste and add more Chili Today!, salt, or lime juice as needed.

Serve with the warmed tortillas and toppings arranged buffet-style, letting your eaters assemble their own tacos.

Quick Tip

Chili Today! chips are a favorite Curio staff snack and are ‘stupid easy’ to make: Open a fresh bag of plain potato or tortilla chips, add a generous sprinkle of Chili Today!, then roll the bag closed and shake for  half a minute. Dump the chips into a large bowl and crack open a cold beer. You’re welcome!