shredded chicken tacos

These are seriously awesome.  You will not be disappointed!  It's extremely important to have all the toppings though, because the cold guacamole really balances out the spiciness of the chicken.

Shredded Chicken

• 2 chicken breasts & 4 chicken thighs
• 1 brown onion, peeled and quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin 
• A dash of cayenne pepper
• Salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Add water to cover completely. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Partially cover and turn down to a steady simmer. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove chicken and cool.

Shred the chicken with a fork or your fingers.

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 medium brown onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 can red kidney beans (or black beans, but they don't have them in Australia)
• ~1 teaspoon mexican chili powder
• ~1 teaspoon cumin
• a few shakes cayenne pepper
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions and sauté for a couple minutes. Then add in the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes more until the onion turns translucent. Add the black pepper and oregano and sauté for 30 seconds. Add in the tomatoes, juice, chicken stock, beans, and spices. Simmer until the liquid is reduced to half, about 8 minutes. Salt the sauce. Add in the shredded chicken and stir. Cook for a minute until the chicken has warmed up.

Guacamole (mash all together in a bowl)

• 2 ripe avocados
• a dollop of sour cream
• a few shakes of lemon juice
• a few shakes of cumin
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 small tomato, chopped
• Salt (a lot of salt)
• freshly ground pepper

** Load the chicken into hard taco shells (make sure to bake taco shells in oven for a few minutes so they get nice and crisp) and top with guacamole, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and shredded lettuce.  You can also add shredded cheddar, but I forgot this and it was still amazing!