Now that’s a long title for a taco, right? I love every element of this recipe, so I really wanted to put them all in the title to entice you to take a closer look. Fried chicken is the star of the show, but it’s not complete without the collard green slaw, and of course, the chipotle ranch dressing is icing on the cake.
I’m calling this recipe Fried Chicken Tacos, but you might quibble with the “fried” part. The chicken is actually oven-fried, but it’s as crispy as any chicken fresh out of a pot of grease. So with the fresh greens, a light vinaigrette, a spicy and creamy topping, and whole wheat tortillas, they’re practically health food! And, what’s more southern than fried chicken and collard greens?
I’ve used panko bread crumbs for oven-fried chicken before with mixed results. The bread crumbs browned unevenly, with some not browning at all. I tried something different this time, and it worked like a charm. I mixed olive oil with the bread crumbs and browned them in a skillet before cooking the chicken. Browning the bread crumbs goes pretty quickly, and you must stir them regularly to avoid burning and to achieve even browning. The chicken comes out of the oven beautifully golden brown and crispy.
This recipe might look a little involved, but you can prepare the vegetables and the vinaigrette for the slaw and the ranch dressing ahead of time. Marinating the chicken in buttermilk is optional, and if you’re in a hurry, feel free skip this step. I can assure you that these tacos are worth the effort.
Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon paprika, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
1 teaspoon onion powder, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 large boneless chicken breasts (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), sliced into 8 strips
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced collards (thick stems removed)
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup julienned red bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons sliced scallions, green part only
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, seeded and roughly chopped (more or less to taste)
8 whole wheat tortillas
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer chicken to bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a shallow dish, combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. In another shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using your fingers, mix oil into bread crumbs thoroughly. Transfer mixture to a small skillet and heat over medium high heat. Stirring continuously, cook bread crumbs for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Remove from heat and return to shallow dish.
4. Remove chicken from buttermilk, wiping off excess. Reserve buttermilk.
5. Place a rack on a large baking sheet. Set up flour, buttermilk, breadcrumbs, and baking sheet in that order from right to left. Working one at a time, coat chicken strip in flour, dip in buttermilk, coat with bread crumbs, and place on baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken strips are coated in bread crumbs.
6. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Cooking time will vary according to thickness of chicken strips.
1. Combine collards, cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, and onion in a medium bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly add olive oil, whisking until oil is incorporated. Add dressing to vegetable mixture to taste.
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, onion powder, garlic powder, lime juice, scallions, cilantro, and chipotle chilis in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.
1. Heat tortillas in a small skillet. Top tortillas with slaw, a chicken strip, and drizzle with dressing. Serve immediately.
https://southernboydishes.com/2015/03/13/fried-chicken-tacos-with-collard-slaw-chipotle-ranch-dressing/You may also like:
Bill Harris
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Now that is a mouthful – both in title and bite! One taco is all I would need (that’s a big taco), but I would sit and savor every single bite. Love that chipotle ranch! That would have been perfect on my salad tonight.
They were a little on the large side! Thanks for stopping by, MJ!
BEAUTIFUL photos here Bill. So glad we’ve connected. I immediately was taken with this recipe as San Diego is like the fish taco capital and these chicken ones look incredible. Love that they’re baked, too. As for that collard slaw, I need to try that one.
Thanks so much, Kevin! I’m glad we’ve connected as well. Look forward to following your blog!
What a great way to think outside the box, for chicken tacos. The collard slaw is brilliant– and the whole dish looks full of rainbow colors. This looks healthy and delicious.
Thanks, Debby. I had to put my “southern” spin on it!
Oh man! The colors and the flavors! These look amazing!
Thanks so much, Jen and Emily! I appreciate you dropping by SBD!
Mmmm, tacos! Everything about this recipe looks wonderful. I know that trick about prebrowining the bread crumbs (although I’m usually too lazy to use it!). It really does work wonders, doesn’t it? Really nice post — thanks.
Thank you, John!
What’s really making me want to devour these tacos is that INCREDIBLY crispy, golden and crunchy chicken. I can definitely tell how good these tacos must have tasted just by looking at the images!
Thank you, Thalia! I was a little surprised at just how crispy they were! Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend!