Guajillo chili salsa chicken tacos

This tacos use guajillo salsa as an easy and flavorful marinade.

This weeks post is part of my ongoing series with Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative. They recently posted an article “Is Pasture-raised chicken better than conventional?” Spoiler alert! It is! I highly encourage you to read the entire article, but here are the top 3 reasons why pasture-raised chicken is better than conventional are: 

1. Pastured chicken has more good fat.
2. Pastured chicken less bad fat.
3. Pastured chicken supports a healthy immune system.

I discussed in a previous post how important it is for me to know where my meat comes from. Grass Roots works with small farms that pasture raise their animals. I’ve been receiving a monthly box for them for a while now. This month I added chicken thighs in my box.

I’ve been in Seattle the past few months and haven’t found a really good Mexican restaurant. I decided to whip up a big batch of guajillo salsa. I keep chiles like guajillo and árbol in my pantry because they are an easy way to add flavor and a little heat to sauces and marinades. 

Although guajillo salsa is usually served with chips, I decided to use it as a marinade for the chicken thighs. It kept the meat moist and added a delicious smoky flavor. To serve I kept it simple with whole wheat tortillas, avocado, cilantro and more salsa. You can use your favorite tortillas and toppings. 

Guajillo chili salsa chicken tacos

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• Author: Brandi

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Description

Although this salsa is usually served with chips, I decided to use it as a marinade for the chicken thighs. It kept the meat moist and added a delicious smoky flavor. To serve I kept it simple with whole wheat tortillas, avocado, cilantro and more salsa. You can use your favorite tortillas and toppings. 

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Ingredients

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1 pound Grass Roots chicken thighs (skin on or off)
12 guajillo chiles, stemmed
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled
½ medium onion, chopped
1 cup hot water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon high-heat oil (I use avocado)
canola or avocado oil for grill
8 tortilla shells (I used whole wheat but any kind works!)
2 avocados, chopped with a squeeze of lime added
cilantro
lime wedges for serving

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Instructions

1. Lightly toast the guajillo chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, about 30-60 seconds, making sure not to burn them. Remove chilies from pan and put in a blender with the hot water and apple cider vinegar Let stand for about 5 minutes to soften the chiles.
2. Heat the oil in the same skillet and add the onion. Cook until onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Add the cooked onion and garlic, sugar and salt to the blender. Blend on high until smooth and thick. Taste and add more salt, sugar, or apple cider vinegar if needed. Add more water if needed to achieve a salsa consistency.
4. Add chicken thighs to a large bowl or container and season with salt and pepper. Add about 4 tablespoons to of the salsa and massage into the chicken. Reserve the remaining salsa for serving. Seal the container and marinade in the fridge for 2-8 hours.
5. Heat a grill (or pan) on medium heat coated in canola or avocado oil. If using skin on chicken, add to the grill skin side down and cook until done, about 20 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes.
6. Remove chicken from grill and let rest for 5 minutes then chop, leaving skin on.
7. Add chicken, avocado, cilantro and guajillo chili salsa on tortillas. Enjoy!

Notes

You can buy guajillo chiles at Mexican grocery stores or on Amazon. 

• Cuisine: Mexican

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This post is part of a partnership with Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative, but all opinions are my own. Right now you can get $50 off your first box with code FarmBox50.