I was recently in the mood for both buffalo wings and Mexican food. My philosophy has always been, "Why choose one when you can have both?" and I put that to good use by making Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Blue Cheese Corn Salsa and Chili Lime Crema along with the perfect beverage to wash it all down. Needless to say, this more than satisfied my dual cravings and I even ended up with a bonus accompaniment out of it! Here are the recipes.
Add one package of chicken tenderloins to a bowl with one large sliced shallot and six large cloves of garlic, sliced in half.
2. Pour enough cold buttermilk over the chicken to cover and add one tablespoon hot sauce, one teaspoon salt, and one half teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to overnight. (I did this the night before.)
3. Make the crema by combining one cup sour cream with the juice and zest of one lime, one teaspoon chili powder, a small pinch of ground cumin, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.
4. Make the buffalo sauce by combining one half cup hot sauce with two tablespoons butter, one half teaspoon salt, one quarter teaspoon black pepper, a pinch of cayenne, and one teaspoon honey. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and keep warm.
5. Make the salsa by combining one 15oz can corn (drained), one half yellow onion diced, one bell pepper diced (I used orange), three sliced scallions, one half cup crumbled blue cheese, and one quarter cup of the chili lime crema. Combine, taste for seasoning, and add additional salt and black pepper if needed. Cover and set aside.
6. Make the flour dredge by combining three cups all purpose flour with one tablespoon salt, one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon garlic powder, one teaspoon onion powder, one teaspoon smoked paprika, and one half teaspoon celery salt. Working in batches, dip each chicken tender into the flour mixture, coating completely, then back into the buttermilk, and finally back into the flour for a second time.
7. Carefully lower each tender into several inches of 360 degree neutral oil such as canola. Cook until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165 degrees, approximately five to seven minutes. Remove to a rack set over a sheet pan and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all chicken is fried.
8. BONUS side - (Usually I discard the shallots and garlic after I fry the chicken, but this time I decided not to waste them.) Dredge the garlic and shallots in the flour and fry until golden brown.
I had a bag of McCain Smiles (mashed potato patties) in the freezer which I thought would make a fun accompaniment as well so I air-fried them according to package instructions and sprinkled them with salt and chili powder.
9. Warm small corn tortillas in a hot dry skillet for a minute on each side and then cover with foil to keep warm.
10. Brush each chicken tender all over with the buffalo sauce.
11. Build the tacos by starting with the chili lime crema on two tortillas.
12. Add one tender per taco.
13. Add a heaping spoonful of the blue cheese corn salsa.
14. (Optional) Add sliced pickled jalapeños.
15. Finish with fresh cilantro leaves, chopped green onions, and more blue cheese crumbles if desired.
16. Serve with the potato smiles and the fried shallots and garlic.
Need a great drink to accompany? Try my Spicy Michelada which is basically a Mexican version of a Bloody Mary and very refreshing.
1. Combine Tajin, a big pinch of kosher salt, and the zest of one lime on a small plate.
2. Rub the rim of each glass with a lime wedge, dip into the Tajin mixture, and fill halfway with ice.
3. Add two tablespoons lime juice to each glass.
4. Add one and a half teaspoons Worcestershire and soy sauces, and one teaspoon hot sauce to each glass. (Add more if you want it spicier.)
5. Add one and half cups tomato juice to each glass and stir to combine.
6. Top each glass with a light Mexican beer, (I used Modelo) or omit the beer if you want a virgin version. Finish with a lime wedge.
I hope these recipes help to satisfy some of your cravings as they did mine!
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