We love taco night in my family. I’m actually making tacos tonight for dinner, they’re a twice-weekly family meal for us and have been since before I can remember. Our go-to is one you’re probably familiar with since I talk about them all the time, my dad’s crispy, cheesy tacos. They’re as simple as a taco can get, but we sure do love them. Of course, by now you all know how much I love creating switch-ups for taco nights. Many times I’ll make a seafood taco. Or my brother, Red, loves when I make a crispy cauliflower taco. And sometimes we’ll do something like these. Street-food-inspired with some spicy sweet sauce. The crispy shells are my newest addition and they’re so yummy!
Details
Start with the chicken. Simply toss it with an egg white, a splash of soy sauce or coconut aminos, plus some fresh orange zest. Then dredge the chicken through cornstarch. The cornstarch gives the chicken just the right amount of breading to crisp it up. It also helps the sauce thicken nicely around each piece of chicken. When you’re dredging the chicken through the cornstarch don’t stress if it starts clumping a little on the chicken. Those clumps will get crispy and be delicious in the sweet-spicy sauce. At this point, throw the chicken in the oven to bake. Be sure to use sesame oil to coat the chicken before baking. The oil helps the chicken to crisp up nicely. While the chicken is baking, stir the sauce. This really is the heart of the recipe. Start with lots of fresh orange zest and juice. You can use already squeezed orange juice, but with citrus in season right now, I highly recommend fresh juice. Next, add soy sauce, honey or maple syrup (to lightly sweeten), chili paste, a small amount of peanut butter, fresh ginger, and garlic. When the chicken is ready, pour the sauce over the chicken, you may not need all of it. Broil until crispy. See, very hands-off and no fuss. For the taco shells, you can use store-bought or do what I do and bake homemade shells. They’re pretty easy. Just warm corn tortillas in the microwave, then place them on top of a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Use tin foil to make a “mold” for the shell to sit on. Simply mold the foil into a cylinder shape and drape the tortillas over the foil. Use my photos for reference, promise it’s not hard. Then can bake until crispy. I usually bake them at 425° for 12-15 minutes. Lastly, put the tacos together. I love to layer nori sheets (use if you enjoy), then lettuce or slaw , kimchi, and hot chicken straight from the oven. Drizzle over any extra sauce left on the sheet pan, cilantro, green onions, and a crumble of cheese. I also like to add yum yum sauce (shared my homemade recipe in the notes). Definitely not your average taco, but colorful, so flavorful, and delicious. These are the perfect tacos to switch things up any night of the week! Looking for more simple recipes? Here are a few favorites: Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili Tacos Crispy BBQ Salmon Tacos with Avocado Mango Salsa and Jalapeño Cream Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema. Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme Sheet Pan Korean Chicken Bowl Oven Fried Korean Popcorn Chicken 30 Minute Korean Beef and Peppers with Sesame Rice Lastly, if you make Crispy Sesame Ginger Chicken Tacos, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
