Chicken Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde

The foundation of these tacos is the salsa verde, and the secret starts with properly preparing your tomatillos. Be sure to roast them first—this step dramatically mellows their natural tartness. I typically pop them in a 400°F oven for about 15 minutes, though you can absolutely pan-roast or broil them if that fits your routine better.

For the blending process, I combine everything except the avocado and then taste-test before adjusting. Start with just a quarter to half of a jalapeño if you prefer a gentler heat profile. Want more fire? Thin-slice additional jalapeño and blend it in until you hit your ideal spice level. I went full-heat with one entire pepper for this batch, and it delivered a serious kick.

With that silky green sauce ready, you have plenty of freedom when it comes to the other components. I cooked chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, chili powder, and oil, then sautéed them with thin onion strips until golden.

To assemble, warm a light coating of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Gently rub each corn tortilla into the pan—the trace of oil helps achieve a lovely crispness and enhances that toasted corn flavor, though skipping this step is fine if you're short on time. Layer each tortilla with refried beans, cheese, and your cooked chicken, then flip when the bottom develops light golden-brown spots.