These Adobo-Inspired Chicken and Kale Tacos are an easy and satisfying meal I love to serve wrapped in homemade chickpea and cassava tortillas, but feel free to use any tortillas you prefer.
The idea for this dish began during my Natural Chef course, when I was tasked with creating a healthy, grain-based recipe using preparation techniques like soaking and sprouting to improve digestibility of grains. I ended up making cauliflower leaf tacos with homemade kamut tortillas for which I soaked, dehydrated and ground the kamut grains, as well as sprouted mung beans. While that version was nourishing and fun to make, it was not a recipe that made sense for everyday cooking.
That’s where these tacos come in; a more practical version built on bold flavor and simplicity. Tender chicken (or vegetables such as cauliflower or root veggies, for a vegetarian twist) is tossed in a flavorful, adobo-inspired sauce, paired with wilted greens, and wrapped in a warm tortilla. A simple and deliciously nourishing meal.
While store-bought tortillas work just fine, I love the process of making my own. Give these chickpea and cassava tortillas a try for a grain-free version or make homemade corn tortillas!
Step by step instructions for adobo-inspired chicken and kale tacos
Gather all ingredients: Chicken, kale, yellow onion, dates, garlic, diced tomatoes, fine sea salt, ground cloves and cinnamon, ancho chili, extra virgin olive oil and lime.
Gently toast the ancho chili and garlic cloves in a dry pan.
Soak the ancho chili, together with the dates, in very hot water for 15 minutes.
Combine all ingredients for the adobo-inspired sauce in a blender.
Blend until smooth and store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge until ready to use.
Add 2 Tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil to a large pan and sauté the chicken on medium heat until just cooked through; about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl or plate and set aside.
Turn the heat to medium low, wipe the pan out if too much liquid has accumulated and add the additional Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil along with the sliced onions and finely chopped garlic, if using. Sauté until very soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan along with the adobo-inspired sauce and cook for 5 more minutes. Toss in the chopped kale and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the leaves begin to wilt. Season with fine sea salt to taste.
To serve, place a tortilla on a plate, top with the chicken mixture and add optional toppings, such as a small scoop of coconut or Greek yogurt (if using), chopped cilantro and a drizzle of fresh lime juice.
Adobo-Inspired Chicken and Kale Tacos
These Adobo-Inspired Chicken and Kale Tacos are an easy and satisfying dinner I love to serve wrapped in homemade chickpea and cassava tortillas.
4
servings25
minutes30
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- For the adobo-inspired sauce with ancho chili
1 dried ancho chili* (+ very hot water for soaking)
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup crushed or diced tomatoes
a pinch of each, ground cloves and cinnamon
2 dates, pitted (I like Medjool) or 1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp fresh lime juice (or apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp fine sea salt
- For the chicken
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic**, finely chopped (optional)
1-1.25 lb chicken (thighs or breasts) cut into bite-sized chunks
1/4 tsp fine sea salt to taste
4 cups roughly chopped kale leaves, lightly packed (thick stalks removed)***
- Suggested toppings (optional)
chopped cilantro, coconut/Greek yogurt, goat cheese, lime juice
Directions
- To make the adobo-inspired sauce, heat a small pan over medium high heat and toast the ancho chili and garlic cloves (in their skins) on all sides, being careful to soften the chili without burning it. Once toasted, soak the ancho chili, along with the dates in very hot water for 15 minutes. Remove the stem and seeds from the soaked chili and tear into pieces. Add all or part of the chili* to a blender, along with the tomatoes, roasted and peeled garlic cloves, dates, ground cloves and cinnamon, lime juice and fine sea salt. Blend until smooth. Transfer the sauce to an airtight glass jar and store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil. Add the chicken and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just cooked. Transfer the chicken to a bowl or plate and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and carefully wipe the pan with a paper towel if too much liquid accumulated, which can happen if you are using chicken thighs. Add the additional Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to the pan, followed by the thinly sliced onions and chopped garlic, if using. Cook until the onions are translucent and very soft; about 10-15 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan along with the adobo-inspired sauce and cook for 5 more minutes. Toss in the chopped kale and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the leaves begin to wilt. Season with salt to taste.
- To assemble, place a tortilla on a plate, top with the chicken mixture and add a small scoop of coconut or Greek yogurt (if using), garnish with chopped cilantro and drizzle with fresh lime juice.
Notes
- *The heat level of hot peppers, even mild ones like ancho (the dried version of poblano), can vary. If you are sensitive to spice, start slowly and only add half the pepper to start. It is always easier to add more later than to try to make up for too much heat. Gently toast the pepper until it softens, but do not burn it, as this can cause it to taste bitter.
- **The adobo-inspired sauce already contains roasted garlic, but I like to add more when sautéing the greens. This is optional.
- *** Feel free to substitute other greens such as spinach, chard or even cauliflower leaves, depending on what you have on hand!
