This is a sponsored post by Oléico High Oleic Safflower Oil. For more information on their amazing products, please visit their website at: http://www.Oléico.com. All recipes, reviews and opinions expressed in this post are deliciously my own!
How did you learn to cook? Do you remember the first dish you ever made successfully? How did those first few bites taste? And how did it feel when the people you were cooking for told you how amazing it tasted, and how proud of you they were? I remember all of these things, and today I’m sharing with you the very first dish I ever made successfully.
When I was in my early 20s, I lived with a Central American family with ties to Nicaragua and Mexico. We lived in Southern California, so all of the ingredients that they loved were readily available to us. They never bought anything processed, premade or canned. Even their salsas were made with hand peeled and roasted tomatoes, blistered Serrano chilies, and the freshest vegetables they could find.
The one thing they didn’t teach me, that I added to the mix years later, was ALWAYS frying my foods in a high-quality Safflower oil, like Oléico.
With its high oleic acid content, Oléico has a high smoking point of 450°, so there is no cloud of smoke in the kitchen, no smoke alarms going off, and the entire house doesn’t smell like oil the next morning.
Oléico is also odorless and flavorless, so my fried foods don’t have a heavy aftertaste, and you can cherish every fresh ingredient in these rolled chicken tacos.
But why is Oléico my favorite and why is a high oleic content so important to me? Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid, also known as a “healthy fat”. It’s also a good source of omega-9 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation and protect against heart disease. And finally, since Since Oléico oil is expeller pressed, no chemicals are used to process or extract the oil. It basically takes the guilt out of eating fried foods, and fits right into a healthy lifestyle with a balance of diet and exercise! Visit their website at http://www.Oléico.com for more information.
Now, let’s talk tacos. Back in the day my host family made EVERYTHING from scratch, but not all of us have now time to slow roast chicken or fire roast tomatoes and chiles to make our own salsa. But, there are some new and improved cooking methods that save time, as well as some salsa brands that come pretty darn close to that true, authentic flavor. Use the best methods that work for you, and your favorite brands that suit your busy lifestyle.
I started today by browning both sides of three large chicken breasts in 2 tablespoons of Oléico oil.
After that I transferred them to my instant pot and added some fajita seasoning, a diced green pepper, and some green enchilada sauce. I let that pressure cook for about 35 minutes, released the steam and shredded the chicken with a fork.
Next, I added the rest of my 32oz. Bottle of Oléico oil to my frying pan and brought it up to 350 degrees.
While that was warming, I heated up some corn tortillas and rolled them up with the chicken inside to make my tacos.
I fastened the tacos together with a toothpick to hold the shape, and when my oil was heated, I fried them up in the Oléico oil for about 3 minutes on each side. The Oléico oil held up perfectly, frying all the tacos up in several batches, until they were perfectly crispy and golden brown.
After the tacos were fried, drained and cooled, I pulled out the toothpicks, plated them up on a serving dish, and prepared them for my favorite part, the garnishes! For these I ALWAYS use freshly cut shredded leaf lettuce, a really authentic, store-bought salsa fresca, some Mexican crema, queso fresco and lots of fresh lime!
I can’t even tell you how delicious these tacos are, and how the Oléico oil makes it all come together. They’re crispy, flavorful, light and just a little bit spicy with all that seasoning and salsa! Find out where you can purchase Oléico High Oleic Safflower oil here: http://www.Oléico.com
Rolled Chicken Tacos with Oléico Safflower Oil
Prep Time: 15 minutes/Cook Time: 45 minutes/Servings: 12 rolled tacos
Ingredients:
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
32 oz. Oléico High Oleic Safflower Oil
2 tbsp. fajita seasoning
1 green bell pepper, diced
28 oz. green enchilada sauce
2 cups chicken broth
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded leaf lettuce
8 tbsp. salsa fresca
8 tbsp. Mexican crema
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
2 limes, quartered
Steps:
Heat 2 tablespoons of Oléico oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken breasts and brown them for about four minutes on each side.
Transfer all of the contents of the frying pan to an electric pressure cooker. Add the fajita seasoning, green enchilada sauce, diced green pepper, and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Lock the top of the pressure cooker and seal the vent. Pressure cook the contents for about 35 minutes and then manually release the steam.
Remove the chicken breasts from the pressure cooker, shred them with a fork, and then return the chicken to the broth until ready to make the tacos.
Heat the corn tortillas in the microwave on high heat for about one minute. Let them steam in the microwave for about one minute before removing them.
Heat the remainder of the oil in the frying pan to 350°.
While the oil is heating, drain the chicken from the broth and place 2 to 3 tablespoons of shredded chicken into the center of each of the tortillas. Roll the tortillas up around the chicken and insert a toothpick into the tortilla to hold its shape.
Place 2 to 3 tacos in the hot Oléico oil and fry them for about three minutes on each side, until crispy and golden brown. Drain the tacos of any excess oil before placing them on a paper towel to cool.
When the tacos are slightly cooled, placed them on a serving dish and top them with the shredded lettuce, salsa fresca, Mexican crema, and queso fresco. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.