Anyone who’s had a chicken taco at a restaurant knows the meat can get a little dry. Many places use chicken breast for the protein, but  our  version uses chicken thighs for a moister, more flavorful filling. Cooking the meat couldn’t be any easier. Just could I  the chicken Sous Vide. Tuck into tortillas and top with goodies like avocado and queso fresco. A chipotle sauce makes a cool, creamy, and spicy finish.

If you have difficulty finding Mexican cheeses at your grocery store, you can make an easy swap; farmer’s cheese is available at lots of regular markets, and it’s surprisingly similar to queso fresco. We guarantee it’ll be way better than any bagged, shredded mix.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 medium white onion
• 3 to 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• Olive oil

Chipotle Crema

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt

To Serve

• Corn tortillas
• Shredded cabbage
• Diced avocado
• Lime wedges
• Queso fresco
• Pickled jalapeños

Preparation

1. Set the Sous Vide Water bath  to 160ºF (71ºC).
2. Trim away any tough cartilage or bony pieces from the chicken thighs.
3. Drizzle chicken thighs with a few tablespoons of olive oil.
4. Combine paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over chicken.place in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag.
5. Peel and cut garlic cloves, then arrange on top of chicken. Roughly chop the onion, and arrange on top of chicken along with whole thyme sprigs.
6. Season the thighs with salt and pepper and place in a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the dry setting. Place in the water bath and set the timer for 1 1/2 hours.
7. Remove from the water bath and transfer to a large bowl. Discard herbs, garlic, and onion. Once cooled, shred meat with two forks.
8. Meanwhile, whisk sour cream half-and-half, chipotle sauce, lime juice, and honey in a small bowl to combine. Taste and season with salt, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
9. Warm tortillas in a dry skillet for a few seconds on each side, until pliable.
10. Top each tortilla with chicken, cabbage, queso fresco, avocado, crema, pickled chiles, and a squeeze of lime.