I recently made a copycat Crazy Coyote Taco recipe, and it came impressively close to the real deal!
Crazy Coyote Tacos is one of Southern California’s most revered roadside restaurants, so much so that even Anthony Bourdain was a massive fan. We’ve been trying to duplicate the Crazy Coyote Tacos recipe for years, and I think we finally nailed it.
The secret to this Crazy Coyote Taco recipe is to stew your bone-in chicken breasts in a mixture of spices and chipotle chiles, with a smidge of chipotle sauce for good measure. Then, make sure you place it on some really big tortillas, and ladle that saucy goodness on the taco, topped with a plentiful helping of chopped onions, cilantro, sour cream and shredded cheese.
If you want to visit Crazy Coyote Tacos and see how this recipe compares, they are located at 13033 Malki Road, Banning. Give them a call at (951) 849-2000.
Crazy Coyote Taco Recipe (Copycat)
Recipe by Jason Hill – CookingSessions.comIngredients
- 3 half-breast bone-in chicken pieces patted dry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion sliced thin
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce minced
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
For the Crazy Coyote Taco Assembly:
- Large corn tortillas
- Chopped onion and cilantro
- Sour Cream
- Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
Instructions
- Measure and chop all of your ingredients before beginning.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown chicken on both sides. Transfer to a platter.
- Add a tablespoon of oil to the Dutch Oven and saute the chopped onions until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, cumin, and cinnamon and stir to combine.
- Add tomatoes, broth, chipotle and adobo sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally.
- Return the reserved chicken to the Dutch Oven and tomato mixture and lower to medium-low heat.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, flipping chicken occasionally.
- Transfer chicken to a platter or large casserole dish.
- Pour the tomato mixture into a blender and pulse for 30 seconds. Return the sauce to your Dutch Oven.
- Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces, and then return chicken to the Dutch Oven with the sauce.
- Cook the chicken and sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and everything is combined, roughly 10 minutes.
- Stir in lime zest, juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assemble the Crazy Coyote Tacos
- Brown the flour tortillas over a hot flame on your stove.
- Place shredded cheddar or Jack cheese on the bottom of the tortilla and melt in microwave.
- Top the cheesy tortilla with the chicken, onion and cilantro. Add sour cream and guacamole if desired.
