Chicken Tacos Norteños

Grilled chicken quesadillas

Ingredients

Marinade

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch cayenne
• Salt
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 Tablespoons oil

Tacos

• 12 flour tortillas, warm
• 1 cup cooked refried beans, warm
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack, shredded
• 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Prepare the marinade by placing the lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, and cayenne in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add salt as needed.

Place the chicken in a non-reactive container, then pour over it the marinade. Combine the chicken and marinade until all the chicken is submerged, then refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour and no more than 24 hours.

To cook the chicken, remove it from the marinade and shake off the excess liquid. Discard the marinade.

Heat a large skillet on medium, then add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place half the thighs into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Flip again, then cook until a thermometer reads 160°F, about 1 to 2 more minutes.

Remove the chicken from the heat and place it on a plate. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat the cooking process with the remaining oil and chicken.

After the chicken has rested, cut into thin slices.

To assemble the tacos, take a tortilla and spread a spoonful of beans on ½ of the tortilla, leaving the other half bare. Sprinkle cheese over the beans, then layer on slices of chicken and avocado. Fold the tortilla in half, then repeat for the other tortillas.

To cook the tacos, heat half the butter in a skillet on medium-low. Working in batches, add the folded tacos and cook on each side, about 2 minutes per side, or until the cheese begins to melt and the tortillas are toasted. Halfway through cooking your batch of tacos, add more butter to the skillet.

Serve warm with salsa on the side.