Chicken Tacos With Slaw

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This recipe for fried chicken tacos with slaw takes only 20 minutes to make and is a delicious combination of flavors for a quick dinner or lunch. You'll be wanting to eat this every day—but don't.

Hot Chicken Tacos With White Sauce Slaw
Photo: Greg DuPree
Hands On Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Yield:
4

Seriously, what could be more tantalizing than tacos filled with fried chicken, creamy and bright slaw, and dill pickle chips? We'd argue that the meal is family-friendly: The fried chicken only has a hint of spiciness, which you can adjust to suit your tastes (a tablespoon of light brown sugar balances out the spiciness too). If you're short on time, you could use store-bought chicken tenders and pre-shredded cabbage, but frying your own chicken is, of course, tastiest. To test that your oil is hot enough for frying, add a pinch of flour to the hot oil; it should bubble up immediately upon hitting the surface.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup mayonnaise

  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided 

  • ¼ head red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 8 oz.)

  • ½ cup canola oil

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 pound chicken breast tenders

  • ½ cup buttermilk

  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 

  • ½ teaspoon paprika

  • 1 - 4 teaspoons cayenne pepper

  • 8 6-in. flour tortillas, warmed

  • Dill pickle chips, for serving

Directions

  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl. Set aside ½ cup of the white sauce for serving. Toss remaining sauce with cabbage.

  2. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high. Combine flour and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in buttermilk and dredge in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Working in batches, add chicken to oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.

  3. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in sugar, paprika, and 1 teaspoon cayenne, tasting and adding more cayenne to reach desired heat preference. Add chicken and toss to coat; transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch pieces. Build tacos with slaw, chicken, and pickle chips. Serve drizzled with reserved white sauce.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

975 Calories
67g Fat
57g Carbs
36g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Calories 975
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 67g 86%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 100mg 33%
Sodium 1471mg 64%
Total Carbohydrate 57g 21%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 36g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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