Name: Cast Iron Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce; 3/4 cup orange juice (2 oranges); 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon yellow mustard; 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

Why This Recipe Works

While we love braised, slow-cooked taco fillings when time isn't an issue, weeknights are reserved for simple, relatively quick fillings. Building flavor is still important, however, and we had a few tricks in mind. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts were a convenient place to start. We first seared the breasts quickly in our piping-hot cast-iron skillet to create savory browning, then built a flavorful poaching liquid and cooked the browned chicken through gently to imbue it with flavor. For our poaching liquid, we started by sautéing chipotle chile in adobo and garlic for a smoky, aromatic flavor base. We then added orange juice for citrusy freshness, cilantro for a pleasant herbal note, and Worcestershire for savory depth. Once the chicken was finished cooking, our poaching liquid pulled double duty: We reduced it to a sauce, which took only a minute with our heat-retaining cast-iron skillet. A bit of mustard thickened the sauce and provided a sharp counterpoint to the sweet orange juice. Finally, we shredded and sauced the chicken, which was then ready to be spooned into warm tortillas.

Before You Begin

Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Instructions

Pound thicker ends of chicken breasts as needed to create even thickness. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add oil and heat until just smoking. Brown chicken, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.

Add garlic and chipotle to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in orange juice, ½ cup cilantro, and Worcestershire and bring to simmer. Nestle chicken into skillet along with any accumulated juices. Reduce heat to gentle simmer, cover, and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 4 to 8 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Transfer chicken to carving board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks. Meanwhile, increase heat to medium-high and simmer cooking liquid until reduced to ½ cup, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in mustard.

Stir shredded chicken into sauce and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ¼ cup cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm tortillas.