Spicy Chicken Cheese Quesa Tacos
Tender, spicy stewed chicken stuffed in crispy tortillas with melty mozzarella cheese. A fiery, cheesy, full-flavored taco inspired by Korean home cooking. You can also swap chicken with low-fat beef!
Equipment
- Pot (for stewing chicken)
- Frying pan (for grilling tortillas)
- Blender or Food Processor
- Tongs
Ingredients
For the Spicy Chicken Filling:
- 336g chicken breast (about 2 breasts)
- 169g white part of green onion (about 1 stalk)
- 120g onion (half a medium onion)
- 45g garlic (about 8 whole cloves)
- 175g tomato (1 whole tomato) (or substitute with tomato paste)
- 24g dried chili peppers (4 whole) (adjust for spice level)
- 2g (1 tablespoon) oregano
- 10g (1 tablespoon) curry powder (or cumin powder)
- 12g (1 tablespoon) chicken stock powder or bouillon
- 16g (1 tablespoon) tomato pasta sauce
- 500ml water
- A little salt (to taste)
Tortilla and Toppings:
- 7 tortillas (6 inches / 15 cm)
- Mozzarella cheese (as needed)
- Chopped onion (for topping)
- Fresh coriander (optional, for topping)
Instructions
Stew the Chicken
- In a large pot, add the chicken breasts, green onion, onion, garlic, tomato, dried chilies, oregano, curry powder, chicken stock, and water.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
Prepare the Filling
- Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Transfer all the remaining vegetables and broth to a blender and grind into a smooth paste.
Shred and Mix
- Shred the chicken into small pieces by hand or using forks.
- Return the chicken to the pan, add the ground paste, a little salt to taste, and tomato pasta sauce.
- Cook together briefly for about 30 seconds to combine flavors.
- Turn off the heat.
Grill the Quesa Tacos
- Heat a little oil in a frying pan.
- Place a tortilla in the pan, add the spicy chicken filling on one side, top generously with mozzarella cheese and a sprinkle of chopped onion, then fold the tortilla over to form a half-moon shape.
Cook Until Melty
- Cook over medium-low heat until the bottom is crispy and golden, then carefully flip and cook the other side until the cheese melts completely.
Serve
- Serve hot with optional fresh coriander on top. Use any leftover spicy sauce as a dipping sauce!
Notes
Tips
Spice Control: 4 dried chilies = very spicy đŸ”¥ 2 dried chilies = medium spicy 0 chilies + 1 extra tomato = mild (no spiciness) Substitute with 3 tablespoons of chili powder if dried chilies aren't available. Cheese Balance:Melty mozzarella balances the spiciness perfectly, making the taco rich but not overwhelming. Beef Version:
Swap chicken for low-fat beef and simmer for 1 hour instead of 30 minutes. Freezing Tip:
The stewed chicken freezes well! Cool completely before storing in freezer bags.