Taco Tuesday: Chicken & Bell Pepper Tacos

Chicken tacos get a new lease on life with a bright and tangy sauce all tucked into warm corn tortillas and topped with queso fresco.  Ole!

Do you love Taco Tuesdays but are tired of the same of taco filling week after week?  Well give this tasty recipe a try!  20 minutes and a handful of ingredients is all you need to have a new fast and fresh take on tacos on the table!

CHICKEN & BELL PEPPER TACOS

These Chicken & Bell Pepper Tacos are made with shredded leftover chicken, or you can use a rotisserie chicken for convenience.  Add in some bell pepper, bold tomatillos, onion and a poblano pepper to make a zesty sauce.  Put them all together by tucking the mixture in warm corn tortillas and top them with some queso fresco and you have one heck of a delicious taco!

We make these whenever we have some leftover shredded chicken and a craving for Mexican food.  The saucy veggie mixture takes this ordinary chicken taco over the top, so don't skip this part.  If you've never cooked with tomatillos you are in for a treat.  This if a fruit that is bright green and covered with a paper husk.  Make sure to look for tomatillos with a firm texture.  If they are soft they are already overripe.  Oh, and be sure to remove the paper husk prior to cooking!  You don't want those in there.  Once they heat up during the cooking process the tomatillos break down much like a tomato.  I know you are gonna love these!

Be sure to serve this with some fresh salad, Mexican corn (coming soon) or rice and beans for a complete meal.  

Enjoy your Taco Tuesday, or any other day for that matter!

Chicken & Bell Pepper Tacos

serves 4

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
5 fresh tomatillos, (husks removed) washed and diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups shredded chicken (leftover or from a rotisserie)

1 cup red bell pepper, diced (1-2 bell peppers)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 lime
8 6" corn tortillas, lightly charred
crumbled queso fresco

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, tomatillos, poblano pepper, and garlic. Cook , stirring often, until soft and saucy, about 5 minutes.   

Add in chicken, bell pepper, salt, cumin, and chile powder. Stir to combine. Cook about 5-8 minutes until bell pepper has softened and the chicken is warmed through.  Zest 1/2 of the lime and add it to the pan. Cut lime in half and squeeze the juice from the zested half into the chicken mixture. Stir to combine. 

Serve in warmed and charred tortillas and top with crumbled queso fresco. Cut the remaining 1/2 lime into wedges and serve with the tacos.