Sweet Chicken Tacos

My husband and I love this one Mexican restaurant in our town because it serves a really delicious sweet pork quesadilla. I loved the way the restaurant did the sweet pork because it had cinnamon in it. My recipe might not be exactly like their recipe, but  I think it is delicious.  My husband thinks my recipe is better, but he might be trying to get some brownie points!

I love making this meal after I roast a chicken or have a pork roast for dinner because I get to use the leftovers and make a completely different meal. I am the type of person that can't stand eating the same food over and over again. Plus, this will help use your leftovers without your family complaining that it is the same meal. I have included two recipes: 1) the sweet chicken, and 2) the tortillas. The directions along with pictures on how I make this entire dish can be found after the recipes for those you like to see how I prepare this dish.

RECIPES:

1) Sweet Chicken by Christina Howell

*Note: this recipe can be used for pork too

Ingredients:

• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (or pork)

Steps:

1. In a large saucepan or even a frying pan, mix the tomato sauce, brown sugar, paprika, apple cider vinegar, and cinnamon together. 
2. Then add the shredded chicken. Heat until the chicken is hot. 
3. You can also mix all these ingredients together several hours earlier to let the chicken marinate in the sauce! If you forget, then don't worry. It will still turn out great. 
4. While the chicken is warming up, prepare the garnish for the tacos.

Garnish:

• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Cilantro
• Whatever you like to put on your tacos, etc.

2) Tortillas by Ryan Lee (makes 15 large tortillas)

(Worldwide Ward Cookbook - Mom's Best Recipes by Deanna Buxton, pg. 42-43)

*note: I cut this recipe in half and make about 10-12 small medium tortillas

Ingredients:

• 8 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup oil
• 3 cups boiling water

Steps:

1. Stir together flour, salt, and baking powder. 
2. Mix in oil; there will be small lumps of oil in the dough. 
3. Stir in the boiling water (hot water makes it easier to mix). The dough should be soft and pliable, but not sticky of stiff.
4.  When the dough cools down, finish mixing it with your hands. It is okay to still have lumps from the oil (don't over mix). 
5. Take a piece of dough about the size of a small apple and the roll the dough out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Roll in one direction first, flip the dough over and around, and roll in the other direction. Do that a couple of times. It is okay to not have a perfectly round tortilla. 
6. Bake the tortilla over medium-low heat on a DRY pan (no oil)! 
7. When the tortilla bubbles up, flip it over and bake the other side for a few seconds.

DIRECTIONS (How I prepare this meal):

Because I forgot to marinate my chicken, I just threw all the ingredients together and let the chicken gently simmer on low while I made the tortillas.

I like to start the tortillas about 45 minutes before dinner so it gives me ample time to make the dough and roll out the tortillas. I find this is a great opportunity to have my toddler help me out because he can't get into too much mischief and he loves to roll out the tortillas. As I am making the dough, I start preheating my pans so they are hot when I want to start cooking the tortillas. You will finish cooking the tortillas quicker if you have two pans going.

Here is the step by step process of making the tortillas with pictures (remember, I cut this recipe in half). After you mix the dry ingredients together, you add the oil. You will get lots of clumps in the flour mixture, and that is okay.

Next, add the hot water to the oil/flour mixture and stir. You will need to finishing mixing the dough with your hands. This is how the consistency of my dough looks.

Once my dough is made, I separate it into small golf ball sizes.I like doing this so I can make sure I get the amount of tortillas I want.

Then I roll them out using a rolling pin and flour. I make sure to flip the tortilla over and around (basically flip and switch directions) as I roll so I can get my tortillas to have "round" shape.

 

And, then I place the tortilla into a dry pan. I flip it over once it bubbles. After it sits on the pan and bubbles again, I remove it from the pan and sit it on a plate to cool.

This is how my oven looks as I am cooking the tortillas, the sweet chicken, and the rice.

Spoon the sweet chicken into a tortilla, top with your favorite garnish (such as pico de gallo), and serve with rice and beans.

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family does. We love the fresh tortillas before and during dinner!