WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Much of the appeal of traditional tacos is their essential simplicity. While we love braised, slow-cooked taco fillings, sometimes we want simple chicken tacos that we can make at home any night of
the week. Boneless, skinless breasts were a convenient place to start, and poaching proved to be the easiest way to imbue them with flavor. To build our poaching liquid, we started by sautéing chipotle chile in adobo and garlic for a
smoky, savory flavor base. Sautéing our aromatic ingredients in butter instead of oil added richness to the lean breast meat. We then added orange juice for citrusy freshness, cilantro for a pleasant herbal note, and Worcestershire for savory depth. Once the chicken was finished cooking, our poaching liquid pulled double duty: We reduced it to a sauce. A bit of mustard thickened the sauce and provided a sharp counterpoint to the sweet orange juice. Finally, we shredded and sauced the chicken; warm tortillas and a few basic toppings completed our tacos. Serve with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, diced avocado, and Mexican crema or sour cream.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
• ¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
• Lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in ½ cup cilantro, orange juice, and Worcestershire and bring to simmer.
3. Nestle chicken into sauce. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
4. Transfer chicken to plate and cover.
5. Increase heat to medium-high and cook liquid left in skillet until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes.
6. Off heat, whisk in mustard.
7. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces and return to skillet.
8. Add remaining ¼ cup cilantro and toss until well combined.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve with warm tortillas and lime wedges.
11. Serve with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, diced avocado, and Mexican crema or sour cream.