Description
Elevate your taco night with these Dill Pickle Ranch Smash Chicken Tacos, featuring seasoned smashed chicken, tangy pickles, and a crispy cheese lace for a delightful crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450 g) ground chicken, loosely packed
- 6–8 small corn or flour tortillas, warmed
- 2 tbsp ranch seasoning mix (or 3 tbsp ranch dressing for creamier sauce)
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise (room temperature)
- 1–2 tbsp pickle juice
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 3/4 cup dill pickles, finely chopped and drained
- 2 tbsp fresh dill or cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar or aged Parmesan
- 1–2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or grapeseed)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce and chicken by whisking ranch seasoning with mayonnaise and pickle juice. Season ground chicken with salt, pepper, and half the chopped pickles.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with oil until it shimmers.
- Form the chicken into 6 small balls, place one in the skillet, and press down to create a thin patty.
- Cook until caramelized on one side, about 2–3 minutes, then flip and cook for 1–2 minutes until cooked through.
- Make the cheese lace by melting small mounds of cheese in the skillet until edges turn golden and lacy.
- Assemble the tacos with ranch sauce, smashed chicken, remaining pickles, scallions, and pieces of cheese lace.
- Finish with a squeeze of lime before serving.
Notes
Store components separately for best texture. Keep chicken patties in the fridge for up to 3 days and re-crisp cheese lace in a 350°F oven before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-frying
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg