Ingredients
- 1/2 cup local honey
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 whole (approximately 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 2 medium zucchini (or summer squash), trimmed, sliced in 1/4-inch lengths
- Kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch radishes, washed, trimmed and coarsely grated
- 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
- 1 medium sweet onion, coarsely grated
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
- 8 soft corn tortillas
About this recipe
Summertime Tacos, Spice Them Up with Sriracha
Endlessly adaptable, soft tacos can make meals that lend themselves to myriad interpretations, including my favorite honey-sriracha tacos. Here both chicken and zucchini are marinated in a blend of local honey and sriracha sauce, grilled, then combined with a refreshing slaw of grated radish, carrot, onion and jalapeño pepper. Be certain to start the slaw at least an hour before serving time to avoid soggy tacos later.
The honey-sriracha sauce is simple to make and it’s then divided in half: One half is combined with olive oil to create the marinade, the other half is reserved to use as a sauce for the finished tacos.
If you’re hosting a get-together, make a double or triple batch of sauce, marinade and slaw. Grill assorted marinated meat and veggies, such as sirloin tips, swordfish, white fish, shrimp, pork, eggplant, peppers or mushrooms, then allow your guests to make their own soft tacos from the smorgasbord.
- Give meat a less prominent role with 1 or 2 ounces per taco and increase the amount of zucchini or other grilled veggies.
- Substitute sesame oil in place of the olive oil.
- Use my honey-sriracha sauce on grilled vegetables, meat or seafood kabobs; grilled, roasted or mashed sweet potatoes; atop steamed rice; or as a salad dressing for both grain or green salads.
- Locally produced Poblano Farm’s Hot Chili Plum Sriracha is my go-to. Go ahead and substitute your favorite hot sauce, but in either case, start with 1 teaspoon at a time until your desired level of heat is reached.
Total cost:
$18.45 for 4 servings; $4.56 per serving.
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey and sriracha sauce. Divide in half. Refrigerate half of the sauce in an airtight container until ready to serve.
In another medium bowl, make the marinade by combining the other half of the honey-sriracha sauce with the olive oil and whisk until the oil is completely incorporated into the sauce.
Place the chicken breast in an airtight container. Place the zucchini in a separate airtight container and season each with salt and pepper. Divide marinade among containers, tossing with separate forks to avoid contamination. Refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Meanwhile, combine remaining vegetables in a fine-mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl and allow to drain for 1 hour, pressing down occasionally with a spoon. (May be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.)
Preheat grill to medium-high heat or prepare coals.
Grill the zucchini until cooked through and lightly charred, approximately 6 minutes per side. Grill the chicken until its juices run clear when pierced with a fork, approximately 5 minutes per side. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing, then chop into 1/2-inch cubes.
When ready to serve, warm the corn tortillas on the grill, approximately 30 seconds per side. Serve 2 corn tortillas per person, topped with zucchini, chicken and slaw. Season and drizzle reserved honey-sriracha sauce over top and serve them forth.
