Poultry: Charred Chili-Marinated Grilled Chicken Tacos

By SharonE

Ingredients

• 6-8 chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• Marinade:
• 6 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 5 medium-sized dried guajillo chiles (abour 1.25 oz.)
• 3 medium-size dried chiles de arbol
• 4 whole allspice
• 2 small white or yellow onions (about 1 pound), cut into 1" wedges with root ends left intact
• 1 1" cinnamon stick
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup water

Details

Level of difficulty Average
Cost Average budget

Preparation

Step 1

Make the marinade:
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add garlic and chiles; cook, turning occasionally, until chiles are blackened (1-3 min) and garlic is charred in spots (5-7 min). Remove from heat. Remove and discard stems from chiles; place chiles in blender. Set garlic aside to cool. Add allspice to skillet, cook over medium-high, stirring often until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add to blender.

Step 2

Return skillet to medium-high. Arrange onion wedges, cut side down in a single layer; cook until blackened on both sides, about 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove and repeat with remaining onions. Transfer onions to blender. Peel garlic and add to blender along with cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Step 3

Secure lid on blender; remove center piece to allow steam. Place clean towel over opening. Pulse chile mixture until roughly chopped-2 to 4 pulses. Add 1/2 cup water to blender; process until smooth, about 1 minute. Unocver and let marinade cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

Step 4

Place chicken in large bowl and pour marinade over chicken. Using hands, spread evenly over chicken. Cover and marinate in fridge for 1 hour or up to 5 (do not go longer as it will get bitter).

Step 5

Remove chicken from marinade; let excess drip off and transfer to baking sheet. Discard remaining marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt. Set aside to get to room temperature.

Step 6

If using bone-in, grill skin side down on oiled grates 6 minutes a side until charred. Transfer, skin side up, to side with no heat and cover. Cook until thickest portion registers 165 F (18-24 min). Transfer to cutting board 10 min. If using oven, bake at 375 F, skin side up, for 25-35 min. If using boneless chicken, grill 5 minutes a side over heat.

Step 7

Remove and discard bones from chicken. Chop meat into 1/2" pieces. Top tortillas with chicken. Add salsa fresco, avocado, queso fresco, etc.