Name: Chicken Rojo tacos
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Olive oil; 1 Medium yellow onion, diced; 3 Cloves garlic, minced; ¾ tsp Smoked paprika; ¾ tsp Ground cumin; 1 tsp Dried Mexican oregano, crushed between your palms; ½ tsp Black pepper; 1 can (14.5 oz) Whole peeled tomatoes, hand-crushed and drained; 2–3 Tbsp Tres Cocinas guajillo chile paste, start at 2 (it is a paste, not whole dried chiles); 2 Tbsp Chipotle in adobo, minced; 2 Tbsp Cider vinegar; 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce; As needed Kosher salt, to taste (the paste is already salted); 3 lb Smart Chicken tenders; 2 Tbsp Fresh lime juice, at the very end; 12–16 Corn tortillas (such as El Milagro); 2 Green onions, sliced thin on the bias, for the top; 1 can (28 oz) Whole peeled tomatoes, drained hard, juice kept; 6 oz Yellow onion (about 1 small), half charred, half raw and finely diced; 2–3 Cloves garlic, 1 charred with the onion, the rest raw; ½ cup, packed Chopped cilantro, leaves and fine stems; 2 Tbsp Fresh lime juice; 1½ tsp Chipotle-in-adobo sauce only, no chiles; ¼ tsp Ground cumin; ¼ tsp Dried Mexican oregano, crushed; 1½ tsp Kosher salt, to start; ¼–½ tsp Sugar, only if the tomatoes taste sharp; 2 cans (25 oz) Hominy, drained and rinsed, it is packed in salted water and the rinse takes the tinny edge off; 2½ oz Mild chorizo, casing off; ½ Medium yellow onion, small dice

Chicken Rojo tacos

Shredded chicken in a rich red chile and tomato sauce, finished with fresh lime and quick pickled red onions. A little Worcestershire gives the sauce extra savory depth.

Published Sep 8, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026

Servings

Total time

About 1 hour 45 minutes, plus optional overnight marinating

Give the chicken some depth

Tres Cocinas guajillo paste does a lot of the work in these tacos. I buy mine on Amazon. A little Worcestershire helps too. Chicken tacos can taste flat, and that extra savory flavor gives the sauce some depth. That's umami, the mouth-watering taste we're after.

An overnight marinade is nice if you have the time. What you don't need is broth in the braise. The chicken releases its own liquid as it cooks. I want concentrated flavor that stays with the meat, not a watery sauce running out of the tortilla.

Put pickled onions on it

I love pickled onions on tacos, and chicken tacos might be my favorite place for them. Thinly sliced red onion, a couple of smashed garlic cloves, salt, sugar, vinegar and water. That's it.

I usually reach for rice vinegar and Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Pack the onions into a pint jar, add the brine and give them half an hour. They bring crunch and tang to that rich chicken. The recipe below makes a jar so you can put it right on the table.

Instructions

Chicken and tortillas

Cook the onion in the oil over medium heat until soft, about 15 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then the dry spices for another 30 seconds.
Add drained tomatoes, guajillo paste and chipotle. Cook until thick enough to mound on a spoon. Stir in cider vinegar and Worcestershire, then taste before adding salt. Keep the lime separate. For an overnight marinade, chill this cooked sauce completely, then coat the raw chicken with it and refrigerate, covered, for 8–12 hours.
Heat the oven to 325°F. Combine the chicken and sauce in a Dutch oven, coating the pieces well. Don't add broth, water or reserved tomato juice. Bring to a gentle bubble over low heat, stirring from the bottom so the sauce does not scorch, then cover tightly.
Bake until the thickest pieces reach 165°F, about 30–45 minutes. Begin checking at 20 minutes and gently turn the pieces. Chicken tenders are lean, so use the thermometer rather than leaving them in for a long braise. Make the pickled onions, salsa and hominy while the chicken cooks.
Move the cooked chicken to a bowl and let it rest briefly. If the sauce is loose, pour it into a wide skillet and simmer uncovered until thick enough to coat the meat. Reduce the sauce on its own so the chicken doesn't overcook.
Shred the chicken and fold the sauce through it. Finish with fresh lime and salt to taste.
Warm the tortillas. Fill with the chicken, then add sliced green onion, tomato salsa and the quick pickled red onions below.

Tomato salsa

Char half the onion and one garlic clove in a dry skillet for about six to eight minutes. Cool briefly.
Pulse the drained tomatoes four to six times for a coarse texture. Add the charred and raw onion and garlic, cilantro, chipotle sauce, cumin, oregano and salt. Pulse or stir to combine without pureeing.
Add reserved tomato juice only as needed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then add lime and taste. Add sugar only if needed to balance the tomatoes.

Stewed hominy

Cook the chorizo in a saucepan, breaking it up, until fully cooked. For raw pork chorizo, cook to 160°F. Keep the fat in the pan.
Add onion and cook until soft, about six to eight minutes. Stir in the dry spices for about one minute.
Dissolve bouillon and Worcestershire in the broth. Add with the drained hominy and stir.
Simmer uncovered about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring, until the liquid thickens slightly. Finish with lime and salt to taste.

Quick pickled red onions

Pack the sliced onion and smashed garlic into a clean wide-mouth pint jar, pressing the onions down gently and leaving a little room at the top.
Stir the salt and sugar into the vinegar and water until dissolved. Pour over the onions. If you need more liquid to cover them, add equal parts vinegar and water, keeping a little space under the lid.
Screw on the lid and shake gently. Let stand for about 30 minutes, shake again, then refrigerate. Spoon onto the tacos when ready to serve. Keep the jar refrigerated.

For the table

Put out the quick pickled red onions, tomato salsa and any other toppings you like. Pineapple, avocado, cilantro, shredded Monterey Jack and hot sauce all work here.

Chicken Rojo tacos

Give the chicken some depth

Put pickled onions on it

Watch it in the kitchen