Lately I have been on a mission to use the bottled condiments and marinades that have been stockpiled in my pantry. For a while, I would clip coupons from the Sunday paper, and then I felt compelled to use them. I would buy 3 bottles of marinade just to save a dollar, even though I could have made my own marinade at home for much, much less. I have since stopped buying these products, but a few still linger in my pantry as a reminder of my old ways.
One day last week, I was hunting through the kitchen trying to come up with something to make for dinner and I came across a bottle of Lawry’s Baja Chipotle Marinade in the back of my pantry. I also wanted to use up a head of cabbage that was hanging out in the refrigerator. To me, the logical conclusion was Baja chicken tacos! Why do I associate cabbage with tacos? Because I love the fish tacos at Houlihans, and they are made with cabbage instead of lettuce. I didn’t have fish, nor do I like to deep fry, so I decided to make chicken kebabs with the chipotle marinade instead.
If you don’t have a bottle of marinade living in your pantry, you could make a delicious one using a chipotle chile (diced) with some of the adobo sauce that it is packed in. Just add some olive oil and lime (or lemon) juice. That’s what I’ll do next time – super easy!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
- 1 bottle Lawry’s Baja Chipotle Marinade (or make your own marinade)
- 1 small head green cabbage
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, sliced on a diagonal
- 2 tablespoons light sour cream
- 2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons jalapeño pepper sauce (look for this in the deli section if you can’t find it in the condiments aisle – mine is made by Boar’s Head)
- Flour tortillas
- Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Directions:
Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Add the marinade and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, cut the cabbage into quarters, remove the core, and thinly slice and place in a large bowl. Add the bell pepper and scallions to the cabbage. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, and jalapeño pepper sauce. Whisk to combine evenly, and then pour over the cabbage mixture. Use a pair of tongs to toss the cabbage mixture with the dressing and evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat the grill (or a grill pan) to medium heat. As the grill preheats, skewer the chicken on either metal or wooden skewers. (Note – if you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them prior to skewering the chicken so that they don’t burn on the grill)
Cook the skewers on the grill, for 4-5 minutes on each side (the chicken should be cooked to 165°F).
Serve the chicken on small flour tortillas topped with the spicy slaw. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired.
I love making fresh tasty tacos at home! Looks great!
Grilled tacos!! Yum! I bet grilling them imparted a wonderful flavor. How tasty!!!!
Yummy tacos, Jen! Love the char marks on the chicken. That means it’s gonna be good. To me a least. =) Now I’m craving for a taco.
I have several condiments I need to use up. Maybe I’ll challenge myself to be creative…hopefully, I’ll be as successful as you were with these yummy tacos.
The bottled sauces/marinades like this can be a time saver. These look delicious!
This chipotle marinade sounds great for the chicken!
This looks awesome. I don’t know why I buy marinades because I end up not using them and then I can’t give them to a food bank because they expire. *sigh* Anyways just curious, was the Lawry’s marinade good.. would you buying it? Or would you recommend just making one from scratch?
Alice – the marinade was actually pretty good… I was pleasantly surprised. I think that making a fresh marinade would probably be a *bit* better… especially if you like it limey and put a decent amount of fresh lime juice in the marinade. I would probably buy it again, though, especially for evenings when I’m short on time and just want to throw dinner together without too much fuss.
I love this! That’s all I can say!
Thanks Jen, I think I”ll pick a bottle up at the store.