INGREDIENTS
1 whole chicken, quartered
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1⁄2 head garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
24 soft taco-size flour tortillas
vegetable oil (for frying)
DIRECTIONS
Place everything except the tortillas and oil in a crockpot or slow cooker and set to high for three hours or until meat is easily removed from the bone (the thickest part of chicken should read 180 degrees on a meat thermometer).
Remove chicken and let cool, leaving sauce in the vessel.
When cool enough to handle, pull the chicken meat from the bone and shred. Add shredded meat back into the sauce. Discard chicken skin and bones.
Reduce crockpot or slow cooker to low and simmer meat in sauce for at least one additional hour (the longer the better).
Meanwhile, pour vegetable oil into a frying pan until 1/4" deep. Heat oil to 350 degrees or until a flour tortilla "puffs" up and browns quickly.
Add one flour tortilla at a time into oil and fry one side until lightly browned.
Using tongs, fold the tortilla over so that the browned side is on the inside.
Fry the outside until lightly browned.
Remove from oil, add a pinch of kosher salt and place on a cooling rack.
Repeat until desired number of Puffy Taco Shells are done.
Note: Don't dare cut out the onion and/or garlic, as the meat will not tenderize nearly as well.
Recipe from:food.com