Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Soft Tacos Copycat Recipe
Chicken simmered in seasoned tomato broth, wrapped in warm flour tortillas with pico de gallo, iceberg lettuce, and purple cabbage.
Servings 8
Calories 213kcal
Ingredients
Pico de Gallo
- 3 Roma tomatoes finely diced
- 1/2 cup finely diced white onion
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cantina Chicken
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 4 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG (Accent) (optional but accurate)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast finely chopped (1/4-inch cubes)
Taco Assembly
- 8 soft flour tortillas (6-inch)
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
Instructions
- To make the pico de gallo, combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make the cantina chicken, combine the chicken broth, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, smoked paprika, salt, MSG (optional), and nutritional yeast in a pot over low heat. Mix well. Add the finely chopped chicken and simmer over medium-low heat for at least 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds.
- To assemble the tacos, spoon the chicken down the center of each tortilla. Top with shredded lettuce, purple cabbage, and a spoonful of pico de gallo.
Recipe Tips
- Chill the chicken breast in the freezer for 15 minutes before you cut it. Firm breast holds its shape under the blade, which makes an even quarter-inch dice much easier and keeps every piece cooking at the same rate.
- Drain the chicken before it goes in the tortilla. Sauce is what turns a soft taco into a wet, torn mess halfway through eating it. Keep the extra sauce in the pot for spooning over rice later.
- Taste the sauce before the chicken goes in. Once raw chicken is in the pot, you cannot taste and adjust until the whole batch has cooked through.
- Leave the pot uncovered for the full simmer. The open pot lets the broth reduce into a sauce that clings to the meat, while a lid traps steam and leaves the chicken sitting in thin liquid.
- Make the pico first, before you touch the chicken. It needs the full 30 minutes cold, and that window is exactly how long the chicken takes to cut and simmer.
- Do not add the lettuce and cabbage until the moment you serve. Cold shreds against a hot tortilla will wilt within a couple of minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1019mg | Potassium: 535mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 652IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg
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