secret recipe club: mojito chicken tacos

for all of my regular readers, you've probably noticed i haven't been around these parts much in the last couple months. yes, i've been cooking - and even photographing a lot of it - and no, i don't have any big life announcement to make that sucked up all my time and would provide a reason for my absence. it's really quite simple: i've been spending a lot more time with the kiddo (and in less than three weeks, he turns one. my god time flies.) and jason and a lot more time away from the computer. and as much as i've loved it, i have been looking forward to my secret recipe club eats, as they give me a great excuse to get back on here, reminding me how much i enjoy sharing here.



my last two src choices were sweet, so this month i definitely wanted to go savory. i stopped dead in my tracks when i spotted these zesty margarita chicken tacos with creamy chipotle lime drizzle over at the weekend gourmet. while i'm not a huge fan of margaritas (drinking way too much tequila once in college has scarred me forever), i love love love mexican food and set off to make the margarita tacos.

until i got to the grocery store. because i don't drink margaritas, we don't have margarita mix at home. while staring at the bottle of it in the store, i noticed the mojito mix next to it. my first thought was to buy both and make up some mojitos to drink with the tacos. half a second later i decided to simply sub the mojito mix for the margarita mix in the recipe. mojitos are my favorite alcoholic drink - there are few things better on a hot, humid summer day - and i knew the flavor of mint and lime would be delicious in tacos. to further the mojito flavor, i swapped chopped cilantro in the marinade with fresh mint. while the chicken was delicious and the tacos as a whole really good, we were split on the sauce. jason really liked it, i could have done without it. honestly, i think this recipe taught me i'm not a fan of the smoky chipotle pepper flavor, because it was that smokiness i didn't care for. none the less, these were a great way to mix up our weekly mexican night.

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!
 
check out my previous secret recipe club posts: maple glazed whole wheat spiced apple pizza, pig out cookies, pasta with blistered tomatoes & arugula and iced grapefruit cookies, mushroom barley soup, scalloped ham and potato bake & andes mint cake, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

mojito chicken tacos
adapted from the weekend gourmet
serves 6-8

the sauce makes a relatively large amount - slightly over a cup. if you aren't a huge fan of sauce on your tacos or the flavor of chipotle chilis, consider halving the sauce recipe. leftover chicken is also delicious on a taco salad.

for the marinade:
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup mojito mix
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts

for the sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon puree from chipotle peppers in adobo
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

tortillas, avocado, grilled onion, cheese, and pico de gallo for serving

1. combine the marinade ingredients in a gallon size zip top bag. add the chicken, seal the bag, and coat the chicken with the marinade. marinate at least two hours.
2. combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl. season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until serving.
3. grill your chicken breasts, tent with foil and let them rest for a few minutes while preparing any other fillings for your tacos. slice the chicken and build your tacos. i like avocado, chicken, cheese, grilled onion, pico de gallo, and sauce layered in a tortilla.