We are pleased to introduce Food Comics from The Chopping Block where our resident Cartoonist Tom O'Brien illustrates his cooking adventures. Here, he shows us how to make Chili Lime Chicken Tacos with a Corn Salad. This dish can be prepared on either the grill or stove so it's a perfect fit for any season!
/OBrien_chili_lime_chicken_taco_page1_update.jpg?width=700&name=OBrien_chili_lime_chicken_taco_page1_update.jpg "Hello fellow Food Fans! The weather is getting warmer and it's time to start thinking about summer foods and cooking on the grill. Today I'm bringing you a wonderful summer combo of two of my favorite recipes that can be done on the grill or on the stove. Chili Lime Chicken tacos with a warm corn salad Each of these dishes is great on their own, but they make a heck of a combo. The marinated chili lime chicken is wonderful in tacos, pasta or on its own. You name it, this chicken is good! The corn salad is nice when mixed into a dish, as a side or as a light meal by itself. In addition to the ingredients for the chili lime chicken and the corn salad, you'll also need tortillas and your favorite taco toppings. The chili lime chicken and corn salad should be enough to serve 4. Chili Lime chicken For the chili lime chicken, you'll need: 1 pound chicken breasts 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon onion powder 1 clove minced garlic ¾ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon brown sugar Zest and juice from 1 lime Start by pounding the chicken breast until it's about half an inch thick. Mix all of the ingredients together in a zip-topped bag and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. If you want, you can marinate overnight in the refrigerator, but I don't usually have that much foresight when cooking. If you do refrigerate the chicken as it marinades, make sure to allow it to come back to room temperature before cooking it. Feel free to add chipotle powder, red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper as you see fit to make the chicken spicier. If you're cooking the chicken on the grill, you're going to want to preheat the grill to medium heat, between 375 and 450°F. Cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Don't move it or mess with it. Just let it sit and cook. Once the chicken is done, allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before you slice it up. If you're cooking on the stove top, get a skillet nice and hot over medium-high heat. I love my cast iron skillet for both the chicken and the corn in this recipe. Cook the chicken undisturbed for 3 to 5 minutes, then lower the heat to medium and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes on the other side. Again, allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before you slice it up. Corn salad For the corn salad you're going to want on hand: 4 ears of corn, shucked 1 red bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup finely diced red onion Juice from 1 lime 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, roughly chopped ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon ground cumin Cooking the corn makes for a wonderful flavor, but if you want to make this recipe on the stove top, a can of sweet golden corn or a cup of defrosted frozen corn will do nicely. I like to make the corn salad while I let the chicken marinate. This corn salad can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. Working on the grill, preheat the grill to medium heat, between 375 and 450°F. Wrap the diced onion and pepper in tin foil and put it on the grill. Then, put the corn on the grill, and cook it for around 4-5 minutes. You want some of the kernels to become a little charred. Turn the corn and keep cooking it for another few minutes, again until charring starts. Rotate again if needed until all sides have slightly charred kernels. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Remove the tin foil packet at the same time as the corn. Allow the corn to cool for a few minutes, then cut the kernels off each cob. Add the corn and contents of the foil to a large bowl, along with the rest of the ingredients. Mix it all up. Add some more salt and pepper to taste. If you're cooking the corn salad on the stove top, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the onions and red pepper. Again, I love my cast iron skillet for this recipe. If you're using a can of corn, drain it. If you're using frozen corn, make sure it is properly defrosted. Once the onion is soft, add the corn to the skillet. Heat the corn through. Once that is done, add the other ingredients and remove from heat. Once the chili lime chicken is sliced and the corn salad is ready, place a spoonful of corn salad and a few slices of chicken into a tortilla along with your favorite taco toppings. Happy eating!")
If you want to learn more grilling techniques for Mexican food, don't miss our Grilling Fiesta hands-on grilling class at Lincoln Square on Friday, June 23.
Love our food comics but want a text-only version for easy reference in the kitchen? Download a PDF of the recipe here.
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