Recipe: Crispy Chicken Tacos with Avocado Ranch

Recipe: Crispy Chicken Tacos with Avocado Ranch

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Chicken tacos are a great weekday standby and making your own chicken strips really makes all the difference. The cornflake crumbs I use create a super crunchy coating that’s easy to bake in the oven – no soggy chicken, guaranteed! Ramp up the flavours in the crumb to suit your tastebuds – add chilli and lime zest or warming, smoked paprika.

The Avocado Ranch adds tangy, soft avocado and fresh coriander all in one. The lime juice in the dressing keeps the avocado from going brown too, so you can make it ahead of time. Just warm your tortillas, add a lettuce leaf, crispy chicken, drizzle some dressing and you’re good to go.

Tips
• If you have any chicken strips leftover they are great for packed lunches (or after work snacks, straight from the fridge)
• Make a whole box of cornflake crumbs at once and keep them in a container for next time – they’ll stay fresh for ages in a sealed tupperware
• You can make the chicken strips in advance and keep them in the fridge to bake when ready
• You can double-up on crunch by putting a crisp corn tortilla inside the soft flour tortilla
• A drizzle of sweet chilli sauce and a squirt of mayo is a good sauce alternative if you don’t fancy the avocado ranch

Ingredients

For the crispy chicken
1 chicken breast per person
Plain flour
Salt and pepper
Spices (optional): chilli, smoked paprika, flavoured salt, lime zest
Cornflakes (a large bowl)
1-2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons of melted butter

For the avocado Ranch
Ranch dressing
1 ripe avocado
A squeeze of lime juice
Coriander

To serve
Small flour tortillas
Lettuce leaves
Lime wedges

Method - chicken

1. Slice chicken breasts into mini-fillet-sized pieces

2. Season a small bowl of plain flour with plenty of salt and pepper and any other spices you like

3. Whisk 2 eggs lightly with a tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt

4. Crush up a large bowlful of cornflakes in a food processor or in a zip-lock bag with a rolling pin

5. Dip the chicken pieces into the flour then the egg, then the cornflake crumbs

6. Place the chicken onto a baking sheet covered in non-stick foil

7. Drizzle with melted butter (refrigerate at this stage if you want to make these ahead and bake later)

8. Bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes turning once

Method - dressing

1. Mash an avocado, mix well with a generous serving of ranch dressing

2. Add a handful of chopped coriander leaves and a squeeze of lime juice

To assemble

1. Warm the flour tortillas in a dry frying pan for 10 seconds each side

2. Fill with a lettuce leaf, a crunchy chicken fillet, some avocado ranch and a squeeze of lime