Dinner Tonight
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[Photograph: Nick Kindelsperger]

About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is the editor of Serious Eats: Chicago. He loves tacos and spicy food. You can follow him as @nickdk on Twitter.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: serves 4
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Guacamole
  • 2 avocados, cut in half, pits removed, flesh scooped out and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 small white onion, diced, rinsed under water, and drained (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 2 teaspons)
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
  • small handful fresh cilantro, stems removed, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice from 1 to 2 limes
  • Kosher salt
  •  
  • For the Taquitos
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
  • 1/2 small white onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 1 medium garlic clove, peeled
  • one 15-ounce can tomatoes, drained
  • 1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken, shredded
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 head Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
  • 8 small radishes, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
  • Mexican crema or sour cream

Procedures

  1. For the guacamole: Combine the avocados, white onion, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice in a large bowl. Use a spoon, and stir until everything is creamy, but there are still some chunks of the avocado. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.

  2. For the Taquitos: Heat one tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium high-heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic clove and cook, stirring often, until the onion and garlic are beginning to brow, about 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove, leaving as much of the oil as possible behind. Transfer to a blender along with the tomatoes, jalapeños, and salt. Blend until mixed, but still with some texture.

  3. Add another tablespoon oil to Dutch oven and heat until shimmering. Add contents of blender. Stir well, and cook until the sauce has reduced into a thick sauce-like consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add the shredded chicken, and stir well. Taste and add more salt if needed.

  4. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add one tortilla and let it bubble in the oil until soft, two to three seconds. Flip and give it another couple seconds, and then remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat process with remaining tortillas.

  5. Working one tortilla at a time, spoon 2 tablespoons chicken mixture down center, then up like a cigar. Secure each rolled tortilla with a toothpick. Make sure the toothpick runs parallel to the tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

  6. Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add as many of the rolled up tortillas as fit in one layer. Cook, flipping occasionally, until each is browned on top and bottom, three to five minutes. When done, drain on paper towel-lined plate and season immediately with salt. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

  7. Divide the taquitos between four plates. Top each with a lettuce, radishes, and a drizzle of crema. Add a quarter of the guacamole to each plate. Serve.