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Smoked and Shredded Chicken Taco Recipe

1 hr 20 mins - Prep 20 mins / Cook 1 hr
Intermediate

This Smoked and Shredded Chicken Taco recipe begins with a spatchcocked chicken. It’s seasoned with a hot paprika dry rub and smoked over apple wood. Then, the chicken is shredded and spiced up with a taco seasoning with guajillo peppers and pasilla chiles. Topped with homemade pico de gallo, queso fresco, avocados, jalapeno, cilantro, lime wedges and hot sauce, it’s served on a flour tortilla.

About the Cut:

A spatchcock or spatchcocked chicken is a whole chicken with the backbone removed to lay flat, which makes it cook more quickly and evenly.

6-8 Servings

Ingredients

Dry Rub
  • 1 tablespoon hot paprika
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
Chicken
  • 1 whole chicken (3-5 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3 apple or cherry wood chunks
Taco Seasoning
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 tomatillos
  • 2 guajillo peppers
  • 1 pasilla chile
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 1 garlic clove
Pico de Gallo
  • 6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, partially seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Toppings
  • 6 corn or flour tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cup queso fresco, crumbled
  • 2 avocados, diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
  • > fresh cilantro
  • > lime wedges
  • > hot sauce
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