Moroccan Chicken Tacos With Harissa Salsa and Goat Cheese

One of the great things about tacos is the endless possibilities that comes with them! I’ve always loved Moroccan food and I thought that tacos would be a great way to experience it again. The chicken is seasoned with a fragrant blend of spices and shreds easily with a fork. I always choose whole chickens for taco meat as I’ve noticed they come out perfectly tender every time. I chose a spicy salsa based on the flavors of traditional Moroccan Harissa paste. It gave the tacos a good amount of spiciness and flavor. Since preserved lemon is an important ingredient in Moroccan food I topped the tacos with a refreshing Preserved Lemon and Mint Salsa. To cool things down I garnished the tacos with creamy goat cheese.

Moroccan Chicken Tacos With Harissa Salsa and Goat Cheese
(Makes 12 tacos)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 4lb whole chicken
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 batch Harissa salsa (recipe below)
• 1 batch Preserved Lemon and Mint salsa
• 1 dozen soft corn tacos
• goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. In a glass dish, rub olive oil, salt and pepper onto the chicken.
2. In a bowl, mix the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and paprika.
3. Rub the spice blend evenly over the chicken, drizzle with honey, and fill the dish with the chicken stock or water.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 375F oven for about 1 1/2-2 hours, or until an internal thermometer reaches 165-170F.
5. While the chicken is baking make the harissa and preserved lemon salsas.
6. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes, covered.
7. Shred the meat with a pair of forks in a bowl.
8. Pour some of the juice over the meat and let sit, covered, for about a minute.
9. Meanwhile, lightly warm the taco shells.
10. Assemble each taco with a serving of chicken, the salsas, and goat cheese.

Harissa Salsa
(Makes 12 servings)
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 30 Arbol Chilies (or 2 large handfuls), dried
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground caraway seeds
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup warm water

Directions:

1. Boil the chilies for about 10-15 minutes until soft. Drain and rinse with cold water. Remove the stems.
2. Slit each chili down the center and wash off the seeds to remove them.
3. Mince the chilies by hand or grind in a food processor to a paste consistency.
4. In a bowl, mix the chili paste, olive oil, spices, salt, and garlic.
5. Stir in the water until the paste softens and becomes more of a sauce consistency (add more if necessary).