Bell Pepper

Pulled Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

May 11, 2015
3
2 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I discovered this method of cooking chicken a few years ago and have used it countless times since. Make a simple, spiced tomato sauce speckled with sweet bell peppers and red onion. Cut some chicken breasts in half and sink them into that sauce to simmer for 30 minutes. By that point, it should be tender and easily shredded with two forks into bite-sized pieces. Either reduce the sauce left in the pot can to make it even more thick and rich, or just stir the chicken straight back into the sauce. It’s a one-pot meal if you eat it as I do: wrapped in a stove-charred tortilla with salsa, sour cream and some fresh cilantro. Keep leftovers for the next day to reheat and serve over rice with more sour cream, shredded cheese, and a few slices of avocado. —Izy Hossack

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the tacos:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bell pepper, seeds and stem removed
  • 3/4 red onion, sliced (keep the rest for the salsa)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 15 ounces can of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lime juice
  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • sour cream, to serve
  • tortillas, to serve
  • For the salsa
  • 1 cup fresh pineapple cubes
  • 8 or 9 cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 red onion
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice or apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sriracha or other hot sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
  1. For the tacos: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over a medium flame.
  2. Cut the bell pepper into roughly 1/2-inch squares and add to the pot along with the onion.
  3. Add in the cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and paprika. Stir together until coated then cook, stirring until the onions are translucent and soft.
  4. Mix in the garlic then cook for a further minute. Pour in the tomatoes and add the granulated sugar, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Stir together well, scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure nothing has stuck and bring to the boil.
  5. Cut the chicken breasts in half then add into the pot. Submerge them in the sauce and leave to simmer on a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
  6. Remove the chicken breasts from the sauce to a cutting board, leave the sauce on the stove to stay hot. Using two forks (one to hold the meat still, the other to pull) shred the chicken. Stir the shredded chicken back in and take off the heat.
  7. To make the salsa: Chop the pineapple into small dice. Place into a small bowl with the tomato, cilantro, red onion, lime juice, sriracha and salt. Stir together then chill until needed.
  8. Warm the tortillas over the low flame of the hob then serve with the pineapple salsa, shredded chicken and sour cream.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Erin Lisbeth
    Erin Lisbeth
  • Christie Goss
    Christie Goss
  • Daniel Sedehi
    Daniel Sedehi
  • knittingbaker
    knittingbaker
Passionate about cakes, roasted vegetables and anything involving Maldon salt or maple syrup. Izy is a student living in London, UK who spends her spare time blogging and rambling on topwithcinnamon.com

4 Reviews

Christie G. July 13, 2015
I made these last week and they were a hit! Perfect for a quick weeknight meal. I did increase the spices a bit based on the comments below and thought it was perfect. Fed us for two nights and I've already shared the recipe with a number of people.
 
Daniel S. May 25, 2015
Good flavors, but missing depth. Next time I make it (super easy, and really, quite good, but just needed a bit more richness....) I'll throw in a few chopped up chipotles in adobo with a bit of the adobo sauce. The salsa was delicious!
 
Erin L. May 23, 2015
I made this for dinner tonight and it's absolutely delicious. I doubled the amount of pineapple salsa for a really heartily filled taco. Easy and quick cleanup.
 
knittingbaker May 16, 2015
I made this for a mid-week dinner, and it was great. Simple prep and the pineapple salsa goes really well with the cinamon and cumin flavors in the braising sauce. I added a third chicken breast and upped the spices a bit. It was the perfect amount to make two meals for two adults and a toddler with a good appetite.