I think I should invest in stock for chipotles in adobo. It seems to be one of those ingredients that I always have in my house and I use it often. Never did I think, though, to add it to guacamole! And I love guacamole, too, so what an awesome pairing!!
Making these tacos takes a few steps…to make the chicken, the quinoa, the beans, and the guac…BUT as long as you have enough burners on the stove, it can all pretty much be done at the same time. Which makes the total time to prepare about 15-20 minutes. You know how much I love those quick dinners!!
Although, I did wind up making this for lunch on Saturday. J went fishing with a friend all day on Saturday and I wanted to have something that would be quick to throw together when he got home. This was definitely a good pick. And there was plenty for leftovers the next couple of days, too.
Quinoa, Chicken, and Black Bean Tacos with Chipotle Guacamole
Adapted from Taste and Tell
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 ripe avocados, seeds and skin removed
- 1 Tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce (I use the crushed chipotle in adobo)
- 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (I use non-fat)
- juice of 1 lime
- handful of cilantro leaves
- 6-8 tortillas
- Shredded Mexi-blend cheese (or shredded cheese of your choice)
Preparation
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray (or use 1 teaspoon of olive oil to just coat the bottom.) Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. (If the chicken breasts are thick, consider slicing them in half to make thinner pieces, which will cook more quickly.)
- Remove from heat and place in the bowl of a stand mixer and allow to cool for a few minutes. Once cooled a bit, use the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, on medium speed, to shred the chicken. (If you prefer to shred the chicken the two-forks-way, just place the chicken in a large bowl and use to forks to shred it once cooled.)
- Meanwhile, heat the vegetable or chicken broth in a sauce pan over high heat. Once boiling, add the quinoa and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for about 5 minutes. Add lime juice and cilantro and stir to mix.
- Place the black beans in another sauce pan over medium heat, add garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to coat and cook until warmed through, about 2-3 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to mash the avocados until almost smooth. Stir in the chipotle in adobo, Greek yogurt, lime, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Combine the shredded chicken, quinoa and black bean mixtures in a large bowl (I just mixed mine together in the stand mixer bowl.)
- Warm your tortillas, then spread a generous amount of the chipotle guacamole down the center of each tortilla. Top with about 1/4 cup (or more!) of the chicken, quinoa, black bean mixture, and a tablespoon or two of shredded cheese.
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