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Herbed Tomato Bread Recipe

By 22 Comments

The striking color of this Tomato Herb Bread catches everyone’s attention. And the flavor brings compliments. This is a recipe for a yeast tomato bread that’s made using a stand mixer with a dough hook. Beautifully fragrant, and savory in flavor, you’ll be wanting to make this easy tomato bread recipe over and over.

Italian Herbed Tomato Bread on a cutting board smeared with butter.

My bread making interests have now transformed into a designated once a week bread making day. And I’m having more fun.

This homemade Italian tomato bread recipe is one that we made several times in the pastry kitchen at Culinary School. And it was always popular with our group. The color alone is enough to make anyone swoon. This bread is made with tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes. There are plenty of herbs and all of the usual suspects for a beautiful loaf of yeast bread.

The recipe simply calls for “fresh herbs” so play around with flavors. I have always picked rosemary and thyme.

The kneading instructions in this recipe call for kneading until you feel resistance. So exactly how do you tell when bread dough has been kneaded enough? The Poke Test – Give that ball of dough a firm poke with your finger. If the indentation fills back quickly, you’re good to go. If it stays looking like a deep dimple, continue kneading. I also watch how the dough interacts with the Kitchen Aid Mixer bowl. If it is starting to pull away from the sides of the bowl, leaving the bowl somewhat clean, chances are it’s done. You should also listen for the dough slapping against the sides of the bowl while kneading.

Steps to make this Italian Tomato Bread:

  • Mix yeast, sugar and water in the bowl of your stand mixer until bubbly. Add tomato paste, milk, egg and oil. Mix with the paddle attachment until blended.
  • Add flour, salt and herbs and combine with the tomato paste mixture. Mix until you reach the shaggy mass stage. Let rest ten minutes. (This is called the autolyse period).
  • Switch to dough hook and knead.
  • Remove dough to a large greased bowl. Cover and let rise for about an hour.
  • Shape the dough into a loaf and cover for the second rise, about 40 minutes.
  • Bake and enjoy.
  • Once the bread has cooled a bit, slice and slather with butter. There’s nothing better than a fresh baked warm slice of bread.

Note: Since this fresh loaf of bread is completely preservative free, it will only keep for a few days. If you’ve not used it up, pop it in the freezer. Bread freezes so well, you’ll be glad you did.

Herbed Tomato Bread Recipe

Homemade herbed italian tomato bread.

I hope you give this beautiful homemade bread recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating. Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes. And if you have a favorite herbed bread recipe, let me know, I'd love to give it a try.

And I challenge you to bake at least once a week. Take the time! It’s not just for celebrating holidays or special occasion dinners. Heating up that oven  to make a fresh loaf of bread confirms the importance of understanding where our food comes from and why homemade is always better. And baking for others makes you happy and makes them very happy. That’s a win-win.

More Bread Recipes:

Italian Herbed Tomato Bread on a cutting board smeared with butter.
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4.67 from 9 votes

Herbed Tomato Bread

The striking color of this Tomato Herb Bread always catches everyone’s attention. And the flavor brings compliments. This is a recipe for a yeast tomato bread that’s made using a stand mixer with a dough hook. Beautifully fragrant, and savory in flavor, you’ll be wanting to make this easy tomato bread recipe over and over.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 12
Calories: 230kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Active dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ½ cup warm water should be around 110 degrees
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ cups tomato paste
  • 4 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup fresh herbs chopped. A combo of thyme and rosemary work well here.

Instructions

  • Combine ½ cup warm (110 degree) water and the sugar in the bowl of your Kitchen Aid mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on surface of the water and let sit until bubbly. Add the milk, egg, oil and tomato paste to this mixture. With a paddle attachment, mix on low speed until just blended.
  • In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and herbs. Add this to Tomato and yeast mixture. Mix until blended. Cover and let this rest for 10 minutes (autolyse stage)
  • Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead until resistance is felt, adding additional flour and cool water as needed. 
  • Remove dough and place it in a large bowl that has been coated with cooking spray. Turn the dough once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled. About an hour. 
  • Shape the dough into a loaf. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and set aside to rise until doubled. About 40 minutes. 
  • Bake the bread in a preheated 375 degree oven. The bread should take about 40-ish minutes to bake to a light golden brown. Watch it carefully. In my oven a boule shape was done in 20 minutes and a loaf baked in a loaf pan, 30 minutes.

Notes

To Use Instant Yeast For This Recipe: use 1 packet of rapid rise yeast (2 ¼ tsp) for this recipe and incorporate it to the dry ingredients instead of dissolving it in the water. Proceed with recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 656mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 733IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 3mg

How To Make Spicy Pickles From Store Bought Dills

By 83 Comments

This is not a recipe for pickling cucumbers, but rather a method for how to make spicy pickles from store bought dill pickles. Calling all pickle junkies. This is perhaps the easiest and best recipe for spicy pickles you can make at home. Quick, easy and full of flavor, these unique Homemade Sweet and Spicy Pickles will be a staple in your refrigerator.

Best spicy pickles. Sweet and spicy pickles in a canning jar and a small Mexican serving bowl.

My Aunt Lena always said “You can pickle a beet, but you can’t beat a pickle“.

I wish she was still alive as I’d make this recipe for spicy pickles for her on a regular basis.

She thought eating a pickle cured any worry, any ache or any pain. And I do believe she’d have loved this recipe.

Homemade Spicy Pickles

What a great way to dress up, spice up and sweeten up a big jar of dill pickles.

And when they’re done you have super delicious, crunchy, spicy pickle chips. With a flavor perfect for snacking, piling onto sandwiches, or Buffalo Burgers. Or even chopped up for potato salad or macaroni salads.

And perfect on a hot dog. Set out a big bowl of these pickles for your next back yard BBQ.

Most refrigerator pickles ask you to heat a brine with vinegar, water, sugar and salt. And add a complex mixture of pickling spices.

Do you have sugar? Do you have garlic? Do you have red pepper flakes and Tabasco Sauce? Then let’s learn how to make spicy pickles – the easy way.

And you have some of the best tasting homemade sweet and spicy pickles ever. And they keep their crunch.

A semi-homemade pickle recipe, here’s how easy it is to make Best Spicy Pickles.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make spicy pickles from jarred dill pickles.
  • Pickles: 2 – 46-ounce jars of whole Dill Pickles. Kosher or Non-Kosher will work.
  • Hot Sauce: Use your favorite brand. For us it’s Tabasco Sauce.
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Dehydrated Garlic Flakes, or Dehydrated Onion Flakes: Some brand of Kosher Dills can already have a strong garlic flavor. Whereas, pickles that are not Kosher will not. Use either garlic flakes or onion … or a little bit of both.
  • Granulated Sugar

Tip: Save That Pickle Brine. I’ve never made them, but use the pickle brine to make chicken wings. Check out my friend Nick’s recipe for Pickle Brined Chicken Wings.

Step by Step Instructions

Sliced dill pickles covered in sugar to make homemade best spicy pickles.
  • Buy two large jars of Vlassic Original Whole Dill Pickles.
  • Remove them from their brine and slice them about ½ inch thick into a large bowl.
  • Simply add sugar, a big splash of Tabasco Sauce, dried garlic or dried onion and red pepper flakes.
    A bowl of sliced dill pickles mixed with sugar and red pepper flakes for homemade sweet spicy pickles.
  • Let them sit at room temperature for two hours, stirring now and then.A bowl of sliced Vlassic dill pickles in a large bowl resting in a sugar mixture to make homemade best spicy pickles.
  • During their rest, they will create their own liquid.
  • After the two hours, and once the sugar is all dissolved, transfer to jars and let them rest in the refrigerator for three  days before eating.

Tip: The sugar liquid created from these pickles is very sticky. Use a clean damp cloth to wipe the rims of the jars before placing on the lids. This will keep the lids from sticking when ready for use.

I’ve seen similar recipes that are names Fire and Ice Pickles, Texas Christmas Pickles and Cajun Christmas Pickles.

They are great for gifts for my pickle loving family and friends, but I love having them in my refrigerator year round.

How to Make Spicy Pickles from Store Bought Dill Pickles

A mason jar filled with homemade sweet and spicy pickles made from store bought dills

I hope you take the time to learn how to make spicy pickles from dills. It’s truly an easy spicy pickle recipe. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating.

More Fun Quick Pickling Recipes

Love pickling? Ever tried pickled beets? Take a look at my step by step recipe for Pickled Beets.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Homemade spicy pickles in a ball canning jar
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4.99 from 53 votes

How to Make Spicy Pickles from Store Bought

These are perhaps the easiest and best spicy pickles you can make at home. This is not a recipe for pickling cucumbers, but rather a method for how to make spicy pickles from store bought dill pickles. Quick, easy and full of flavor, these unique Homemade Sweet and Spicy Pickles will be a staple in your refrigerator.
Prep Time15 minutes
Resting time2 hours
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Appetizer Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20
Calories: 157kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 2 46-oz jars whole dill pickles drained
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons hot pepper sauce Tabasco works well here
  • 1 tablespoon dehydrated minced garlic Or onion flakes, see note below.
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

Instructions

  • Drain and discard the pickling juice from the dill pickles.
  • Slice the pickles in thick, nice size chips, (larger than quarter-inch, less than half-inch) and place in a large bowl.
  • Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix. Allow to rest for about 2 hours. Stir from the bottom several times. The sugar will dissolve and the pickles will produce its own liquid.
  • Once the sugar is dissolved, place the chips in jars distributing the liquid among the jars. Wipe rims with a clean we cloth, seal and refrigerate for 3 or 4 days before enjoying and gift giving.

Notes

  • Dehydrated Garlic Flakes, or Dehydrated Onion Flakes: Some brand of Kosher Dills can already have a strong garlic flavor. Whereas, pickles that are not Kosher will not. Use either garlic flakes or onion … or a little bit of both.
Tip: Save That Pickle Brine. I’ve never made them, but use the pickle brine to make chicken wings. Check out my friend Nick’s recipe for Pickle Brined Chicken Wings.
Tip: The sugar liquid created from these pickles is very sticky. Use a clean damp cloth to wipe the rims of the jars before placing on the lids. This will keep the lids from sticking when ready for use.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

How To Make Spicy Pickles From Store Bought Dills … They’re The Best.

French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread, Cream Cheese and Mango

By 13 Comments

There are many things to love about this French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread. It’s a make ahead recipe that benefits from an overnight soak in the refrigerator. Pop it in the oven, then bake the next morning for a a crowd pleasing Brunch entree.

Challah bread stuffed with cream cheese and mangos for Mango stuffed french toast.

Here’s What You’ll Love About This French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread

  • Flavor: The flavors are a perfect blend of savory and sweet.
  • Mango: There are just enough mangos in this recipe to compliment the palate and a pop of color for presentation.
  • Creamy Texture: The creamy cheesy texture was divine.
  • Challah Bread: Challah bread is excellent for a French toast casserole because of it’s rich, dense and sturdy texture, which allows it to absorb the egg custard mixture without becoming soggy. Which also results in a crispy exterior and soft custardy interior.
  • Sandwich Style: This stuffed French toast is actually prepared sandwich style. There’s actually no stuffing involved. Adding filling ingredients on top of one slice of bread and then topping with another slice of challah, once baked gives the appearance of being stuffed. This is an easier way to build this recipe.
  • Entertaining: This baked French toast recipe is ideal for entertaining. No standing over the stove making them one at a time. Assembled the night before, everyone can sit down at the table and enjoy breakfast together.
  • Fairly Easy: This recipe comes together fairly easy. It’s easy enough for a beginning cook and interesting enough for the seasoned home chef.
  • Make Ahead: Prepare this the evening before. This dish benefits from an overnight soak in the refrigerator. The bread absorbs the eggy coating and the filling firms up overnight.
  • Credentials: This is a Rick Bayless recipe. Always reliable. Always delicious.

What Bread Is Best For A French Toast Casserole?

My vote goes for Challah Bread. And that’s what we used whenever we made French toast in Culinary School. Here’s Why:

  • Richness and Flavor: Challah is an “enriched” bread which means it’s made with eggs, oil and a bit of sugar. Normally bread is made using yeast and water. An enriched bread means a natural richness and a subtle sweet flavor. Which will compliment French toast ingredients.
  • Crumb: Challah delivers a relatively tight, airy crumb structure that will hold all of that custardy liquid. And prevents it from falling apart when soaked.
  • Thickness: Challah is sold in a whole, braided loaf which allows you to slice the bread thick. Thick slices are key to achieve that bread-pudding like consistency. And that’s why we all love French toast.
  • Best When Stale: Day old or slightly stale challah works very well for French toast, as it’s drier state allows for absorption of custard.
A fork cutting a slice of mango cream cheese stuffed french toast with a side of fresh raspberries

This French toast bake with challah bread includes mangos that have been sauteed in a big dollop of butter and sprinkled with sugar. Challah bread is then sliced and smeared with the cream cheese and mangos, then assembled like a sandwich. The half and half and egg mixture is poured over the top before its overnight soak.

Even though the Mangos were sauteed in butter and sprinkled with sugar, they kept that lovely tangy flavor which was a great compliment to the cream cheese. Which means it wasn’t too sweet making the warm maple syrup a welcome topping.

A slice of mango cream cheese stuffed french toast with a side of fresh raspberries

Tips For Success:

  • It’s important to choose a loaf of bread that’s not been sliced, so you can control the thickness of the slices.
  • Allow Cream Cheese to sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften.
  • Mangos can be a pain in the rear to slice. No matter how many times I’ve watched videos, practiced patience, I always end up with mangled fruit. If you use mangos frequently in your kitchen, I highly recommend this OXO mango slicer. Works like a charm.
  • My local Whole Foods carries small chunked and peeled Mango. What a convenience for this recipe.
OXO Tool to slice mangoes for mango cream cheese stuffed french toast

Variations

  • Fruit Filling: There are endless flavor combinations for Baked French Toast With Cream Cheese. Experiment! For the filling, choose fruits that benefit from cooking in butter or baking. Like apples, pears or blueberries are good examples. Save those softer fruits like strawberries and raspberries for a syrup topping or garnish. Jams and jellies are also a good choice, but fruit juices will make the whole dish way too soggy.
  • Cheese: And the choices of cheeses are so appealing. Think outside that box of cream cheese and consider mascarpone, sour cream, or ricotta. And even hard cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gorgonzola will all melt well.
  • Glaze Options: Have some jars of jelly or jams in the refrigerator? Warm them stove top for a warm french toast glaze.

Recipe For Baked French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread

There are plenty of great restaurant options in Denver for celebrating Mother’s Day, however, I can’t think of any better way to indulge than a home cooked event with family and friends. Why not skip the crowded restaurants and enjoy celebrations around the table.

And if you’re looking for more over night breakfast ideas take a look at this Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole . All perfect for feeding a breakfast or brunch crowd. And just for fun, another overnight breakfast recipe I love is this one for Overnight Hatch Chile Breakfast Burritos.

Love French Toast Recipes? Don’t miss this one for Orange French Toast with Grand Marnier Syrup. Just say Yes! 🙂

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

A slice of mango cream cheese stuffed french toast with a side of fresh raspberries
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5 from 1 vote

French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread, Cream Cheese and Mango

There are many things to love about this Baked French Toast with Cream Cheese. It's make ahead that benefits from an overnight soak in the refrigerator. Pop this mango cream cheese french toast in the oven the next morning and you've got a crowd pleasing breakfast casserole.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Breakfast Recipes
Cuisine: French
Servings: 8
Calories: 779kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon softened butter for casserole dish
  • 3 mangoes apx. 2 ⅕ pounds, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
  • 1/ 2 cup sugar divided use
  • 12 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 12 slices egg bread challah sandwich loaf
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups half and half
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Warm maple or agave syrup
  • Powdered Sugar for Dusting

Instructions

  • In a very large (12-inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the mango and saute for approximately 10 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle in a ¼ cup sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
  • In a small bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and the remaining ¼ cup sugar.
  • Butter a 13 x 9 casserole dish with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Divide the cream cheese mixture equally between the slices of bread and spread, covering the entire surface. Place 6 of the slices in the bottom of the prepared dish with the tops of the bread facing out. You may need to squeeze the slices together to make them fit. Spoon the cooled mango slices and their syrup evenly over the bread. Press the remaining slices, cream cheese side down, on top of the mango layer.
  • Whisk together the eggs, half and half, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the top of the stuffed French toast, making sure to cover all the bread with the egg mixture. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.
  • In the morning, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until lightly browned and warmed through. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar and serve with warm syrup.

Nutrition

Calories: 779kcal | Carbohydrates: 104g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 259mg | Sodium: 513mg | Potassium: 391mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 2117IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 3mg

French Toast Casserole with Challah Bread … It’s What’s For Brunch

Saucy Chicken Soft Tacos

By 4 Comments

Give these Saucy Chicken Soft Tacos a try. Looking for an easy chicken taco recipe? One that’s dripping in a luscious tomato based, taco seasoned, chile spiked chicken taco sauce? This easy recipe for Mexican Chicken Tacos using shredded chicken breasts will shake up your Taco Tuesdays.

Serve this with Gulf Coast Style Baked Rice and a Southwestern Salad for a balanced meal.

Chicken tacos on flour tortillas with radishes and avocado.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever met a taco I didn’t like.

And I really couldn’t estimate how long it’s been since we’ve been “taco people.”

I suppose since I was a teenager, and that’s like a hundred years ago. I’d like to be on record that Taco Bell was not the inspiration, but rather it was a mom and pop restaurant in my home town when I was growing up. It introduced tacos and burritos to me long before that big corporate chain.

Rick Bayless threw me over the edge with the introduction of official Mexican Street Tacos, warm soft corn tortillas filled with fresh ingredients far beyond the fried ground beef and chopped onions.

It opened my eyes that a taco shell is a canvas for about any vegetable and protein combination that one can dream up. Take for instance these Swiss Chard Tacos = delicious.

Chicken Soft tacos in a tomato sauce topped with chopped avocado and sliced radish.

The Chicken Taco Sauce

We don’t really need another reason to love chicken tacos, unless it’s this saucy chicken taco version, which is a little different than most main stream Mexican tacos recipes. Rather than using a traditional Red Chile Sauce, this sauce starts with a can of tomato sauce. Warming Southwestern spices are added along with New Mexico Chile Powder.

This sauce, cooked stovetop is extremely easy and the seasoning for the chicken faster than any quick chicken marinade. 

Boneless skinless chicken breasts coated with taco seasoning in a baking dish for Saucy Chicken Soft Tacos.

This recipe starts in the oven, by sprinkling flavorful homemade taco seasoning over boneless skinless chicken breasts and baking for thirty minutes.

While the chicken is baking, the sauce is prepared stovetop and set aside. This easy taco sauce starts with a can of tomato sauce and is seasoned with garlic, onion, cumin and chile powder.

Once the chicken is cooked and cool enough to shred, it’s added to the sauce and simmered for fifteen minutes.

The tacos are built by warming the corn tortillas and filling them with the savory spicy chicken mixture.

I’ve topped them with chopped avocado, sliced radishes, sliced romaine lettuce and grated Monterey Jack Cheese.

We truly loved the crunch of the sliced radishes and creaminess of the avocado with tomato sauced chicken. It all came together for this flavorful and exciting soft taco recipe.

Topping options for chicken soft tacos:

  • Use Muenster cheese instead of Monterey Jack.
  • Replace Monterey Jack Cheese with crumbled Queso Fresco
  • Replace thin sliced Romaine with thin sliced green cabbage.
  • Top tacos with fine diced fresh jalapeno pepper
  • Add very thin sliced rings of red onion, or Homemade Pickled Red Onions.
  • Top with sliced green or ripe olives.
  • Turn these tacos into tostadas. Fry your own or purchase store bought tostada shells.

Easy Chicken Tacos Recipe, Saucy Soft Chicken Tacos

Warm flour tortillas filled with chicken and topped with romaine lettuce, radishes and avocado for chicken soft tacos.

If you’re looking for an easy chicken tacos recipe, these will be perfect for your next taco night.

I hope you give these saucy chicken tacos a try. They may not be as rich and complex as Pulled Pork Tacos (carnitas) or Chorizo Tacos, they don’t have the sweet-savory balance of Tacos al Pastor, but they’ve got one big advantage, they’re really easy to make. And no matter how hard you try, very difficult to mess up.

Explore More Southwestern Taco Recipes

Love Mexican food as much as we do? Don’t miss my Taco Category. You’ll find lots of inspiration for your next Taco Tuesday. Including one of the most popular Taco recipes on my site for Pork Tenderloin Tacos In Chile Guajillo Sauce. And if you’re here, you’re bound to like cooking with Hatch Chile Peppers. Take a look at my recipe roundup for Hatch Chile Recipes.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Warm flour tortillas filled with chicken and topped with romaine lettuce, radishes and avocado for chicken soft tacos.
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5 from 1 vote

Saucy Chicken Tacos

This easy recipe for Mexican Chicken Tacos using shredded chicken breasts will shake up your Taco Tuesdays.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course Chicken
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6
Calories: 417kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 3 medium chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • 1 ½ tablespoon taco seasoning mix
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup onion diced
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic diced
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon New Mexico Chile Powder
  • 2 cups Romaine lettuce chopped
  • 1 ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 5 radishes sliced
  • 1 Avocado chopped
  • Soft white or yellow corn tortillas

Instructions

  • Coat chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and bake at 350 degreed for 30 minutes, or until done. 
  • When chicken is cool enough, shred chicken with fork. In a sauce pan, cook onions in remaining olive oil until tender. Add chicken and tomato sauce and remaining seasonings and simmer on medium low, covered for 15 minutes. 
  • Warm tortillas. To build tacos, scoop a spoonful of chicken into each tortilla. Add lettuce, cheese, radishes and then avocado.

Notes

Topping options for chicken soft tacos:

  • Use Muenster cheese instead of Monterey Jack.
  • Replace Monterey Jack Cheese with crumbled Queso Fresco
  • Replace thin sliced Romaine with thin sliced green cabbage.
  • Top tacos with fine diced fresh jalapeno pepper
  • Add very thin sliced rings of red onion, or Homemade Pickled Red Onions.
  • Top with sliced green or ripe olives.
  • Turn these tacos into tostadas. Fry your own or purchase store bought tostada shells.

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 728mg | Potassium: 965mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2129IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 2mg

Saucy Chicken Soft Tacos …. They’re What’s for Dinner

Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps with Lime Dressing

By 13 Comments

These Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps are refreshing with Lime Dressing are glorious in flavor. A simple dressing splashed over poached shrimp and crunchy vegetables creates a light meal or a shrimp appetizer that’s so healthy and tasty, you’ll want to make it over and over again. You’ll love this make ahead shrimp recipe for entertaining. And it’s versatile as a shrimp taco or shrimp lettuce wraps.

Shrimp taco lettuce wraps with crunchy vegetables and lime dressing.

Nothing says Summer like seafood and fresh, crispy vegetables.

This recipe utilizes fine diced tomato, radishes, red onion and it wouldn’t be a taco without cilantro and jalapeno.

Just toss the cooked and cooled shrimp together in a bowl and stir them together with the chopped vegetables. Arrange the bright green inner leaves of Romaine lettuce and pile the shrimp and vegetable mixture towards the stem end of the leaves.

Right before serving, drizzle the lime dressing over the shrimp mixture.

You can eat them by rolling up the romaine leaves and making shrimp taco lettuce wraps. I trimmed the tough ends of the romaine leaves to make them easier to roll.

Or you can have warmed white corn tortillas and a big spoon nearby to scoop the mixture to make shrimp tacos.

These healthy shrimp taco lettuce wraps are perfect for a casual fun light dinner or as an appetizer. And what makes this recipe even more appealing is that you can make this ahead of time and serve cold or at room temperature.

Tips On Buying Shrimp

High in protein, low in calories, and sweet with flavor, shrimp becomes an irresistible choice for dinner.

  • Unless you live near the ocean, and can enjoy fresh caught shrimp, as with all of my shrimp recipes, I recommend purchasing it from the freezer section. Labeled “easy peel” means the shell has been split and the shrimp should be deveined.
  • Most shrimp are flash frozen shortly after being caught and then packaged for transport and sale. I feel more comfortable buying frozen than those at the seafood counter since usually they’re just frozen shrimp that have been thawed, just like you will do.
  • When poaching shrimp, I like to cook them with the shell on. I learned in Culinary School that it preserves more flavor and they’re easier to peel after cooked.
  • And as always, look for the label indicating that it’s wild caught American shrimp and not imported farmed. You’ll be amazed that American wild caught shrimp actually tastes like shrimp.

Tips on Cooking Shrimp

  • Cook the Shrimp with shell on for more flavor and an easier peel.
  • Season the water with black peppercorns, allspice berries, bay leaves and one juiced lime to flavor the shrimp.
  • Don’t throw that juiced lime in the trash, add it to the poaching water for even more flavor.
  • To know if shrimp are cooked properly: straight shrimp are undercooked, shrimp curled into a “C” are done, shrimp closed in a tight curl are overcooked.
  • After removing shrimp from the cooking liquid, place them  in an ice bath to prevent them from further cooking.
Shrimp tacos with tomatoes, radish, red onion on romaine lettuce with lime dressing

Make Ahead and Versatile

I made this early afternoon last Sunday, refrigerated the shrimp and then brought it to room temperature before serving. I served this as an appetizer for a party of four with warmed tortillas on the side.

Half used the tortillas and half simply rolled them into easy shrimp wraps using the lettuce as the shell.

Shrimp and mixed vegetables served on romaine lettuce leaves.

Recipe for Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps

This recipe was inspired and adapted by Rick Bayless, the king of fresh and authentic Mexican cuisine.

More Light and Healthy Taco Recipes

And if you’re looking for even more taco ideas, don’t miss my category for Taco Recipes. You’ll find lots of fun ideas, including the most popular taco recipe on my site for Easy Dutch Oven Tri-tip Tacos.

Shrimp tacos with tomatoes, radish, red onion on romaine lettuce with lime dressing
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps with Lime Dressing and Crunchy Vegetables

These Shrimp Tacos with Lime Dressing are gloriously refreshing. A simple lime dressing splashed over poached shrimp and crunchy vegetables creates a light meal or a shrimp appetizer that's so healthy, you'll want to make it over and over again. You'll love this make ahead shrimp recipe for entertaining.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
Course: Main Course Seafood
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 433kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • SHRIMP
  • 1 lime halved
  • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns very coarsely ground
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice berries very coarsely ground
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 12 ounces medium shrimp in their shells
  • COMPLETING THE DISH
  • ½ small red onion cut into ¼-inch dice
  • 1 medium-small tomato cut into ¼-inch dice
  • 5 radishes finely diced
  • 1 small jalapeno deveined, seeds removed and fine diced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh cilantro fine chopped
  • 2 ½ tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil preferably half olive oil and half vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 4 leaves romaine lettuce for garnish
  • sprigs of cilantro for garnish
  • 12 warm corn tortillas for serving

Instructions

  • Squeeze the two lime halves into a medium saucepan, then add the two squeezed rinds, the black pepper, allspice, bay leaves and 1 quart water. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
  • Raise the heat to high, add the shrimp, and let the liquid return just barely to a simmer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and using a colander, drain the shrimp. Return shrimp to hot pan re-cover tightly, set aside for 5 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through, then rinse the shrimp under cold water, or use an ice bath to stop the cooking.
  • Peel the shrimp. If the shrimp need deveined then deveined run a knife down the back to expose the dark intestinal track and scrape it out. If the shrimp are medium or larger, cut them into ½ -inch bits; place in a bowl.
  • Add the red onion, tomato, radish, jalapeno and cilantro to the shrimp.
  • In a small bowl or jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the lime juice, oil and salt.
  • Shortly before serving, mix the dressing ingredients thoroughly, then pour over the shrimp mixture. Toss to coat everything well, cover and refrigerate or set aside at room temperature.
  • Line a shallow bowl with the lettuce leaves. Taste the shrimp mixture for salt, scoop it into the prepared bowl and serve, garnished with sprigs of cilantro. Serve with warmed white corn tortillas and a big spoon to make tacos. Guests have a choice of Shrimp Lettuce Wraps or Shrimp Tacos.

Video

Notes

Guests can choose to eat these as lettuce wraps or scooped into warm corn tortillas for a shrimp taco.

Nutrition

Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 214mg | Sodium: 1285mg | Potassium: 415mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2733IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 208mg | Iron: 3mg

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Shrimp Taco Lettuce Wraps … They’re what’s for dinner.