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Spiced Chicken Tacos with Chilli Sauce

by Jo Scarratt-Jones from Eat Well For Less: Every Day

As seen on hit BBC series Eat Well For Less, these easy chicken tacos with a lip-smackingly tasty chilli sauce are guaranteed to go down well in any household. This fuss-free recipe is great for family feasts and won't break the bank.

From the book

Introduction

Home-made chilli sauce is a revelation – you can make it as hot and fiery or as mild and fruity as you desire (leave the chilli seeds in for more of a kick).

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Ingredients

For the tacos:
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp medium chilli powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tsp rapeseed oil
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
100g 0%-fat natural yoghurt
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 Little Gem lettuces, shredded
4 tomatoes, chopped
60g light mild Cheddar cheese, grated
4 medium wholemeal tortilla wraps
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the chilli sauce:
1 small bunch spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
½ large ripe mango, peeled, stoned and chopped
4 tbsp cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ small bunch coriander, chopped
80g mixed chillies, chopped

Method

1. For the tacos, tip the cumin, coriander, chilli powder and smoked paprika into a medium bowl. Add the garlic, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of cold water and the rapeseed oil and mix together really well.

2. Add the chicken thighs and toss in the spice mixture until coated. If you have time, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, make the chilli sauce. Tip all the ingredients, except the chillies, into a blender, add 2 tablespoons of cold water and blitz until as smooth as possible. Add the chillies, just a few at a time, and blitz until well combined, then check the flavour and heat level – if you like it hotter, add more chillies, if not, stick with just a few milder chillies. Spoon the chilli sauce into a sterilised jar or bottle and seal, then store in the fridge and use as required.

4. Preheat the grill to medium and line the grill tray with foil. Transfer the marinated chicken thighs to the foil-lined tray, then grill for 5–6 minutes on each side until just charred and cooked through (cut a chicken thigh in half – if it’s white and hot all the way through, it’s cooked).

5. Meanwhile, pour the yoghurt into a serving bowl, add the lime zest and juice and season to taste with black pepper. Put the lettuce, tomatoes and cheese into separate serving bowls, so that people can help themselves.

6. When the chicken has 5 minutes left to cook, heat a frying pan over a medium heat until hot. Add the tortilla wraps, one at a time, and cook for 30 seconds on each side until just golden.

7. When the chicken is ready, cut it into thick slices. For each serving, lay a warm wrap on a serving plate, top with some lettuce, tomatoes, chicken and cheese, then drizzle over some lime yoghurt and chilli sauce. Serve immediately.

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From the book: Eat Well For Less: Every Day

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