Spicy Chicken Tacos with Avocado Cream

Ground chicken is cooked with onion, garlic, and taco spices, then tucked into warmed tortillas and topped with a quick avocado-lime cream, cilantro, and optional jalapeño. The taco filling stays juicy and lightly sauced, while the avocado cream adds richness and acidity.

By Julienne

Cook time: 18 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 piece ripe avocado peeled and pitted
• 60 g plain yogurt
• 1 piece lime juiced, divided
• 1 g kosher salt
• 15 ml water
• 15 ml neutral oil
• 120 g yellow onion finely diced
• 5 g kosher salt
• 9 g garlic minced
• 4 g chili powder
• 2 g ground cumin
• 2 g smoked paprika
• 1 g black pepper freshly ground
• 450 g ground chicken raw
• 45 ml water
• 1 piece lime juiced, divided
• 8 piece corn tortillas small, 15 cm
• 15 g fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 piece jalapeño thinly sliced
• 4 piece radishes thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Make the avocado cream: in a medium bowl, mash the avocados with the yogurt, the juice of 1 lime, and 1 g of the salt until mostly smooth. Loosen with up to 15 ml of the water if needed so it drizzles; set aside. This uses the full yogurt and 1 lime. The cream is smooth, thick, and spoonable with a pale green color.
2. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then the onion with the remaining 5 g salt. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the onion starts to soften. The onion is translucent at the edges and fragrant.
3. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the ground chicken. Cook, breaking it up, for 5 to 6 minutes until no pink remains. The chicken is no longer pink and the spices smell toasted.
4. Add the remaining 45 ml water and the juice of the second lime. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the liquid lightly coats the meat rather than pooling in the pan. Taste and adjust with a little more salt only if needed, using from the measured total if you held any back. The filling is juicy but not wet, and the chicken is fully cooked to 74°C at the center.
5. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over low flame, about 20 seconds per side, until pliable and lightly blistered. Keep them covered in a clean towel. The tortillas are warm, flexible, and speckled with light toast marks.
6. Assemble the tacos: divide the chicken among the tortillas, then top with avocado cream, cilantro, and the sliced jalapeño and radishes if using. The tacos are assembled and ready to serve with the avocado cream visibly spooned on top.