Blackened chicken tacos

Tom Kitchin’s Blackened Chicken Tacos (Marc Millar/Absolute Press/PA)

Print Recipe

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving

Calories 224 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 28mg9%

Sodium 98mg4%

Potassium 736mg21%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 4696IU94%

Vitamin C 20mg24%

Calcium 54mg5%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

An easy spicy dinner

Prep Time15

Cook Time4

Marinade chicken30

Total Time49

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Servings:

Calories: 224kcal

Author: Tom Kitchin

Equipment

Non-reactive bowl
Saucepan
Bowl
Blender or food processor
Sauté or frying pan

Ingredients

4 free-range chicken breast fillets each cut into 5 strips
100 g Cajun spice mix
olive oil
sea salt

For the avocado and pea guacamole

200 g frozen peas
olive oil
1 lime finely grated zest and juice
3 ripe avocados
2 small green chillies deseeded and very finely chopped
2 spring onions finely chopped

For the tomato salsa

200 g cherry tomatoes chopped
1/2 green chilli deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot

To serve

1 Baby Gem lettuce shredded
100 g crème fraîche
12 small tacos shells
sunflower seeds

Method

Place the chicken strips in a non-reactive bowl and add a good sprinkling of spice mix and a splash of olive oil – the spicier you like your food, the more spice mix you should use. Season lightly with salt, then set aside for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the guacamole. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and set a bowl of iced water in the sink. Add the frozen peas to the boiling water and blanch for 3–5 minutes until tender. Drain them well, then tip them into the iced water to stop them cooking and set the colour.
Drain the peas again and transfer to a blender or food processor with about 2 tablespoons of oil, the lime zest and juice and a splash of water. Season with salt and blend to make a chunky purée. Set aside.
Halve the avocados, remove the stones and peel them. Put the flesh in a non-reactive bowl and use a fork to coarsely mash. Add the pea purée, green chillies and spring onions, and season with salt. Cover the surface closely with clingfilm and chill for up to 2 hours until required.
To make the tomato salsa, put all the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until required.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a large well-seasoned sauté or frying pan over a medium-high heat, then brush the surface with oil. When it is hot, add as many chicken strips as will fit without over-crowding the pan and fry, turning once, for 4 minutes, until they are cooked through and tender. Cook in batches, adding a little extra oil, if necessary. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep hot.
To serve, divide the shredded lettuce among the taco shells. Top each with a couple of spoonfuls of guacamole, followed by chicken. Add the tomato salsa and a dollop of crème fraîche to each, then sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.

Nutrition