Hot Honey Garlic Chicken Tacos

Crispy cheese-fused tortillas stuffed with sticky hot honey garlic chicken and drizzled with creamy jalapeño ranch.

Details

Source	Social media recipe
Cuisine	Tex-Mex / American
Servings	4 (8 tacos)
Prep Time	20 minutes
Cook Time	25 minutes
Storage	Fridge 3 days (store chicken, ranch, and toppings separately) • Reheat chicken in a skillet and re-crisp tortillas

Ingredients

Chicken

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric
Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces	1½ lb	680 g
Olive oil	1 tbsp	15 ml
Smoked paprika	1 tsp	2 g
Garlic powder	1 tsp	3 g
Onion powder	2 tsp	5 g
Chili powder	½ tsp	1 g
Salt	½ tsp	3 g
Black pepper	¼ tsp	0.5 g

Sticky Hot Honey Garlic Sauce

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric
Honey	½ cup	170 g
Hot sauce	2 tbsp	30 ml
Garlic, minced	3 cloves	3 cloves
Butter	1 tbsp	14 g
Soy sauce	1 tbsp	15 ml
Red pepper flakes	½ tsp	1 g

Creamy Jalapeño Ranch

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric
Ranch dressing	½ cup	120 ml
Jalapeño, finely chopped	1 small	1 small
Lime juice	1 tbsp	15 ml
Cilantro, chopped	2 tbsp	6 g

Tacos

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric
Small flour tortillas	8	8
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded	1½ cups	170 g
Lettuce or cabbage, shredded	1 cup	70 g
Tomatoes, diced	½ cup	90 g
Red onion, diced	¼ cup	40 g
Fresh cilantro, for garnish	to taste	to taste
Lime wedges, for serving	to taste	to taste

Instructions

Season and Cook the Chicken

1. Toss the chicken with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

Make the Sticky Sauce

1. Lower the heat slightly. Add the butter and minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 20-30 seconds, until fragrant.
2. Stir in the honey, hot sauce, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Let it bubble for 1-2 minutes, until glossy and slightly thickened.
3. Toss the chicken until every piece is coated. Remove from the heat.

Mix the Jalapeño Ranch

1. Stir together the ranch dressing, chopped jalapeño, lime juice, and cilantro. Keep it slightly thick so it drizzles rather than runs.

Crisp the Tacos

1. Wipe out the skillet and set it over medium heat.
2. Add a little Monterey Jack to one half of each tortilla, then top with the hot honey chicken.
3. Fold each tortilla closed and toast in the dry skillet for 1-2 minutes per side, until golden and crispy and the cheese has melted.

Finish

1. Open each taco slightly and add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and red onion.
2. Drizzle generously with the creamy jalapeño ranch, then finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Notes

• Dry the chicken first. Pat the thigh pieces dry before seasoning so they brown instead of steaming.
• Sauce the chicken off-heat. The honey glaze scorches quickly. Once it is glossy, pull the pan from the burner before tossing.
• Cheese is the glue. Laying the cheese directly against the tortilla before the filling melts it into a seal and keeps the taco from falling open while toasting.
• Heat control. Adjust the burn with the hot sauce and red pepper flakes. Removing the jalapeño seeds tames the ranch considerably.
• Cold toppings go in last. Adding lettuce and tomato after toasting keeps them crisp and the tortilla dry.