Jul 09 2026
Restaurants›The Original Carolina's Mexican Food›Chicken (crisp Or Soft) Recipe

Chicken (crisp Or Soft) Recipe

Inspired by The Original Carolina's Mexican Food
Time40m
Serves4

Make Chicken (crisp Or Soft) Recipe in just 40m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Soft TACOS

Crisp TACOS

Method

Soft TACOS

  1. 1

    Prepare seasoned chicken

    In a large bowl, combine chicken with olive oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Toss to evenly coat.

  2. 2

    Cook aromatics and chicken

    Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add seasoned chicken and cook 6-8 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned. Stir in lime juice and cilantro at the end.

  3. 3

    Warm tortillas

    Warm soft corn tortillas in a dry skillet or on a griddle, about 15-30 seconds per side, until pliable.

  4. 4

    Assemble soft tacos

    Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Serve with extra lime wedges.

Crisp TACOS

  1. 5

    Prepare seasoned chicken

    In a bowl, toss chicken with olive oil and the same seasoning blend as the soft version.

  2. 6

    Fry tortillas to crisp shells

    Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 350°F (175°C). Fry each hard taco shell until crisp, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels.

  3. 7

    Cook chicken

    In another skillet, cook the seasoned chicken with onion and garlic until fully cooked, 6-8 minutes. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

  4. 8

    Assemble crisp tacos

    Fill each crisp shell with chicken, then top with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

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