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Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos

Shanna
Easy Shredded Chicken Tacos Super quick to make chicken tacos for a fast healthy weeknight dinner
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 -10

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt divided
  • 1 – 15 ounce can organic chopped tomatoes with green chilies Trader Joes Brand
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 6 ” corn tortilla shells 100% gluten free and or butter lettuce leaves
  • Coconut oil or olive oil
  • 1 C Salsa green or red, homemade or store-bought
  • Pickled red onions (I used this recipe here
  • Sliced black olives
  • Cotija cheese or other crumbly cheese like Feta
  • Limes

Instructions
 

For the Chicken

  • Rinse the chicken breasts and place in a saucepan. Fill with cold water so its 1” over the chicken and place on medium-low heat. Add in ½ teaspoon salt and poach until just done, about 20 minutes. The water will be clear until they are close to being cooked and then it will have a white film on the water. Check the thickest and thinnest breasts by removing them and slicing through their thickest parts. Keep checking every few minutes until they are done. You don’t want to overcook them. Drain the chicken using a colander in the sink and then place the chicken in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment in place. Season the chicken with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, the cumin and ground pepper and add in the can of tomatoes with chilies. Start the mixer and bring up the speed to medium-low and mix until the chicken is shredded, about one minute. If there are still some larger pieces remaining, remove the more shredded chicken and leave the larger pieces and turn the mixer back on for another 30 seconds. Keep chicken warm until ready to assemble. It can be kept in a glass bowl in a low oven, 200 Deg F, if desired.

To assemble: Heat the taco shells with either a little coconut oil or olive oil to make them more pliable. Place about ¼ cup (or 2 ounces) of chicken mixture on the shell and top with a tablespoon or so of salsa, some pickled red onion, a few olive slices, and a tablespoon of crumbled cotija cheese and shredded lettuce.

  • These can also be served in lettuce leaves, such as butter lettuce, if going the lower-carb route.