Can we recreate this?

[little_bopeep]

Y'all, I've been seeing commercials for Taco Bell's new spicy chicken burrito. I know theirs would only give me indegestion, so does anyone have a recipe for chicken that is basically stewed in Mexican spices and can then be used in burritos or chicken tacos? If you Texas BBers have ever eaten at Taco Cabana (and who hasn't eaten there at 4am after partying??), their chicken taco filling is something I've wanted make for a long time...it looks pretty similar to the Taco Hell chicken.

Can anyone help me? TIA!!

[knunes]

I know there is a website that gives "just like the real thing" recipes for "famous" items....I'm blanking on the name, but I bet someone else will remember. For example, they'll give a recipe to make shortbread cookies "just like Girl Scout cookies".....if someone can help with the name of the website, perhaps they will have the Taco Bell chicken burrito filling....Good luck!

[knunes]

I remembered! It's topsecretrecipes.com.
Don't know if it will help you, but give it a try!

[beacooker]

Originally posted by little_bopeep
If you Texas BBers have ever eaten at Taco Cabana (and who hasn't eaten there at 4am after partying

No help, as usual, but I will say that there is no better or cheaper hangover remedy than two Taco Cabana bean and cheese tacos and an iced tea! Mmmmmmmm...

[KristinK]

Found this at CD Kitchen: Taco Bell Grilled Chicken Burritos (http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/529/Taco_Bells_Grilled_Chicken_Burritos31474.shtml).

It's not "spicy" and the chicken is marinated not stewed, but it might be close.

[little_bopeep]

Awesome, Kristin!! Thank you!!

[KristinK]

You're welcome, Susan. I hope it works out!

[little_bopeep]

I'm making this tonight, so I'll let ya know. :cool:

[little_bopeep]

OK, so I made this recipe last night, and while it was good, it wasn't what I was looking for. In the interest of time, I didn't marinate and grill...I "stewed" my chicken breasts in the marinade for a couple of hours, and it came out moist and tender and darn tasty. :cool:

HOWEVER, what I want is something like you can get at Taco Cabana. Help me out fellow Texans! (As far as I know, they don't have TC outside of Texas.) Isn't the chicken for tacos in something of a light tomato base? It reminds me of tortilla soup (with the chilis and onion) that's been drained of most of the liquid. Maybe that's the approach I should take with it...

Anyway, my thanks again to you, Kristin. While the Taco Hell recipe was good, I'm still on a quest. :)

[Peggy C.]

little bopeep I'm certainly not a texan and I've never seen a TC, but I've used lindrusso's sante fe chicken as a taco filler and it is yummy. I spice it up a little bit and add cheese etc for the taco. I'm thinking the salsa in that might add that stewed tomato flavor you are looking for.

[little_bopeep]

Could very well be, Peggy...thanks for the suggestion! I've done an exhaustive search, however, and can't seem to come up with the recipe. :confused: I thought I had it in my files, but 'tis nae there. Help me out? :)

[KristinK]

Since I didn't help much with the first recipe, here's lindrusso's:

Easy Chicken Santa Fe

Recipe By: lindrusso
Serving Size: 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories: Chicken , CrockPot

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 can black beans -- (15 ounce) rinsed and drained
2 cans whole kernel corn -- (15.25 ounce) drained (or frozen)
1 cup bottled thick and chunky salsa
5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves (5 to 6)
1 (8 ounce) brick cream cheese (can use less-fat variety)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a 3.5 or 4-quart electric slow cooker, mix together beans, corn, and 1/2 cup salsa. Top with chicken breasts, then pour remaining salsa over chicken.

2. Cover and cook on high heat setting 2.5-3 hours or until chicken is tender and white throughout. Do not overcook or chicken will be tough. Remove chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add back to slow cooker.

3. Add cream cheese (cut into cubes to melt faster) and turn cooker to high heat. Heat until cream cheese melts and blends into sauce. Serve over rice. Top with shredded cheese. Serves 4.

[ellamay]

Mmmmm...Taco Cabana...many fine drunk memories coming back to me...actually there is one just down the street from our house, and we eat there pretty frequently. Excellent cheap breakfasts. I am in NM (Albuquerque specifically) and we have two TC's.

I have actually gotten pretty close to Taco Cabana chicken filling by cooking whole chicken breasts in broth in the crockpot (I spice it with dried cumin and chili powder) and then shredding it with two forks.

[little_bopeep]

Do you put any onions or green chilis in, ellamay? Or any kind of tomato sauce or paste? It just seems that there's a very slight tomatoey-ness to it. Maybe not. There's just nothing like eating one of those chicken tacos, so greasy that they soak through the taco shell and the juice running all down your arm, with salsa de fuego and sour cream. Oh, my... it's not a good thing that we have TCs all over Dallas!

:D :rolleyes: :eek:

Oh, and more thanks to you, Kristin, for posting the Santa Fe Chicken recipe for me. :cool:

[sneezles]

I have to recipes to share and would have been here sooner but didn't see the thread. That said, it's been years since I've eaten at TC so these might not be what you want...
This is part of a recipe that Gail posted ages ago.

CHICKEN FILLING For Tacos or Enchiladas

1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 mashed clove of garlic
2 chopped green chiles, roast and peel first
2 cups tomato puree
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
Salt to taste

Pretty simple recipe and it's great for leftover chicken. Just mix all ingredients together in a bowl.


Sloppy Chicken
This is part of another recipe but I've used the chicken for tacos and enchiladas as well.

5 ancho chiles, seeds and membrane removed
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 (3-inch) stick of cinnamon
4 whole cloves
4 black peppercorns
1/2 tsp each dried roegano and thyme
3 tbs oil
3 large ripe tomatoes
6 boneless skinnless chicken breasts (or you can use bone-in)
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
2 tbs chopped parsley

Roast the chiles in a cast iron skillet (or in the broiler before seeding, place in bag to sweat and then peel). In the same skillet roast together the onion, garlic, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorn, oregano and thyme. Transfer to a blender with the chiles and purée.
Heat 1 tbs oil in a large heavy saucepan. Add the purée and boil vigorously, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Roast the tomatoes, peel and purée in the blender. Add to the chile purée, lower the heat and cook for 7 minutes, stirring constantly, set aside.
Heat remaining 2 tbs of oil in a large skillet, add the chicken and sauté until browned. Add the water, salt and parsley. When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the chile sauce and continue cooking slowly another 25 minutes.
Adjust seasonings as needed.

This recipe is great for a whole chicken and just serve it with the sauce, rice and beans. Be sure to include large napkins! The Spanish name for this dish is Manchamanteles which means 'tablecloth stainer"!

[ellamay]

I have not added tomato to it in the past, but I imagine if you were going to add anything, I would add a small amount of canned chopped tomatoes rather than paste, because as I recall the tomato flavor is faint and the consistency of the chicken is liquidy. Maybe just using chopped canned tomato liquid would work.

I agree there is nothing like it. One time I was sick with stomach flu for four days and afterwards all I wanted to eat in the world was a chicken taco plate from Taco Cabana.

I wonder if you could just walk into a TC and ask what was in that chicken...I wonder if they would tell you?