It was probably about a month ago when these tacos came into my life.

Our friends Angela and Nick, back in town after moving away last year, joined us for our Wednesday dinner group. When they left last winter, I knew we would miss the witty banter they always provided to the group and their incredibly sweet son Silas, who would be put to bed at our house during long dinners and wake up utterly confused by his surroundings. But, I’ll admit it, I knew another big loss to the state of Wisconsin would be Angela’s cooking.

Roasted Root Vegetable and Chicken Tacos with Chili Mayo | Things I Made Today

So, when they came to visit, instead of one of us volunteering to host the guests for dinner, we put Angela to work.

Roasted Root Vegetable and Chicken Tacos with Chili Mayo | Things I Made Today

She made these roasted root vegetable and chicken tacos with a chili mayo sauce, inspired by the West of the Andes sandwich at The Weary Traveler.

Roasted Root Vegetable and Chicken Tacos with Chili Mayo | Things I Made Today

The tacos don’t need to follow a strict recipe—you could substitute in other root vegetables like parsnips or turnips. Or use pork instead of chicken. You could skip the feta or add queso fresco, or use chipotle instead of chili powder for the sauce. Here is my version.

Roasted Root Vegetable and Chicken Tacos with Chili Mayo | Things I Made Today

And Angela, Nick, (and Silas) – come back soon. Next time, we may actually let you relax instead of spending the day shopping and cooking!

Roasted Root Vegetable and Chicken Tacos with Chili Mayo
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
For the tacos:
  • 2 large beets, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 3-4 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 lb chicken thighs
  • olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 6-8 flour tortillas, warmed up
  • 1 avocado, sliced thin
  • 4 ounces feta, crumbled
  • cilantro for garnish
For the sauce:
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • juice from ½ a lemon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Place vegetables on a baking dish in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then bake for 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
  3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then transfer to skillet. Cook on each side until nicely browned. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly, then shred using two forks.
  4. While chicken and vegetables are cooking, make the sauce. Combine mayonnaise, chili powder, paprika, and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk together. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  5. Assemble tortillas with a little bit of the vegetables, chicken, avocado, and feta. Top with chili mayo and cilantro.

 

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