Achiote Grilled Chicken Tacos Recipes

ACHIOTE GRILLED CHICKEN TACOS

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a large, heavy duty zip top plastic bag. Add the apple cider vinegar, orange juice, annatto, Mexican oregano, salt, chile powder, agave nectar, allspice, turmeric, and garlic. Seal the bag closed and massage the contents of the bag to coat both sides of the chicken evenly with marinade. Alternatively, put the chicken in a glass or ceramic bowl, add the spices, turn the chicken to coat evenly, and cover with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight, turning the chicken a few times to marinate evenly.
• Prepare a medium fire for direct heat cooking in a grill. Bring the chicken to room temperature and remove from the marinade.
• Place the chicken, on the grill rack directly over the fire and cook, turning after about 5 to 7 minutes for breasts or tenders or after 10 minutes for thighs. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes (or 10 minutes for thighs) on the other side. If the chicken is starting to burn or cook too quickly, move to a part of the grill with indirect heat and continue to cook. The chicken is done when an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Serve the chicken with the warmed tortillas, salsa, and toppings of your choice.

YUCATáN CHICKEN WITH ACHIOTE

Steps:

• Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch-wide strips. In a large bowl, mix together the orange juice, oregano, garlic, chile, achiote paste, salt, pepper, allspice, and olive oil to make the marinade. Add the chicken strips to the mixture and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• To cook the chicken, remove the strips from the marinade and drain off any excess liquid. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken strips, turning once or twice, until thoroughly cooked (cut one to test), about 9 minutes total.
• Remove from the heat, squeeze fresh lime juice over the strips, and serve immediately or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.
• To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with salsa and pickled onions. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with salsa and pickled onions, fold, and eat right away.