Sous Vide Shredded Chicken Tacos
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 5, 2018
Time
Sous vide: 3 to 5 hours; active cooking time: 50 minutes
Yield
Serves 6
Sous Vide Temperature
180°F/82°C
Ingredients
Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmedSalt and pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, halved and sliced thin2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained½ teaspoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juiceTacos
12–18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (½ cup)6 scallions, mincedminced fresh cilantro Lime wedgeBefore You Begin
Be sure to double bag the chicken thighs to protect against seam failure. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.
Instructions
- Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 180°F/82°C in 7-quart container.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of chicken, 3 to 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in chipotle, garlic powder, cumin, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer mixture to blender and process until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.
- Place chicken and any accumulated juices and sauce in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and toss to coat. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag into second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until chicken is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 3 hours or up to 5 hours.
- Transfer chicken and sauce to large bowl, let cool slightly, and then shred chicken into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. Stir in lime zest and juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon chicken into center of each tortilla and serve, passing avocado, Cotija, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges separately.
- Chicken and sauce can be rapidly chilled in ice bath and then refrigerated in zipper-lock bag after step 4 for up to 5 days. To reheat, return sealed bag to water bath set to 150°F/65.5°C for 20 minutes. Proceed with step 5.
for the chicken
for the tacos
to make ahead
Time
Sous vide: 3 to 5 hours; active cooking time: 50 minutesYield
Serves 6Sous Vide Temperature
180°F/82°CIngredients
Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
½ teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
Tacos
12–18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
6 scallions, minced
minced fresh cilantro
Lime wedge
Ingredients
Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
½ teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
Tacos
12–18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
6 scallions, minced
minced fresh cilantro
Lime wedge
Ingredients
Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
½ teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
Tacos
12–18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
2 ounces Cotija cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
6 scallions, minced
minced fresh cilantro
Lime wedge
Why This Recipe Works
Tinga de pollo is typically made by poaching and then shredding breast meat, preparing a tomato-chipotle sauce separately, and then combining the two at the end—but our sous vide approach takes advantage of a greater opportunity to build flavor. First, we skipped the chicken breasts and opted for thighs: They're juicier, more flavorful, and those pockets of fat and collagen are better suited for a long, extended cooking time. Searing the thighs at the start gave extra flavor to the sauce, which we blended before bagging it all up. Circulating the meat and sauce together allowed the flavors to marry and develop over a long period of time without having to stand over a simmering pot or carefully watch an oven. But the best part of this recipe? All the work is done up front, so at the end of the sous vide cooking time, all you have to do is empty the bag into a big bowl, shred the meat, and serve it to all of your family and friends.
Before You Begin
Be sure to double bag the chicken thighs to protect against seam failure. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.
Instructions
- Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 180°F/82°C in 7-quart container.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of chicken, 3 to 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in chipotle, garlic powder, cumin, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer mixture to blender and process until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.
- Place chicken and any accumulated juices and sauce in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and toss to coat. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag into second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until chicken is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 3 hours or up to 5 hours.
- Transfer chicken and sauce to large bowl, let cool slightly, and then shred chicken into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. Stir in lime zest and juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon chicken into center of each tortilla and serve, passing avocado, Cotija, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges separately.
- Chicken and sauce can be rapidly chilled in ice bath and then refrigerated in zipper-lock bag after step 4 for up to 5 days. To reheat, return sealed bag to water bath set to 150°F/65.5°C for 20 minutes. Proceed with step 5.
for the chicken
for the tacos
to make ahead
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