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Paleo

These Taco Chicken Sandwiches Are Like Multiple Meals Rolled Into One Easy Dish

Can’t decide if you want to have tacos, a sandwich or a slice of pizza? This meal is all three in one tasty, Paleo-approved meal.

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Taco Chicken Sandwiches: They sound pretty straightforward, like all of the fixing for a chicken taco placed between two slices of bread. But we’re upping the ante and making our version of a Taco Chicken Sandwich so much more than just a bit of meat, a few veggies and some flavorful herbs.

In this one recipe, you’ll get a whole bunch of flavor, filling fiber and a lot of protein. The chicken is seasoned with taco-inspired flavors, like cumin, chili powder and garlic powder, with a hint of lime. We’ve even topped them with your taco faves, like red onion slices and fresh cilantro (plus a little hot sauce for some extra heat).

But here’s the catch. These Taco Chicken Sandwiches don’t actually feature a tortilla, or even two slices of bread. They aren’t served with any bread at all. Instead, the sandwich fillings and fixings are served open-faced, on a “bun” made out of grated sweet potatoes. And when you cook the sweet potatoes in your waffle iron, they wind up making a soft-yet-crispy crust-like final product, taking this sandwich from typical to kind of like pizza.

And really, who doesn’t want a meal that’s all of the best comfort foods in one? Whether you’re craving all the flavors of your favorite chicken tacos, want a filling and satisfying sandwich or are hungry for a saucy slice of pizza, this one recipe has you covered. 

Oh, and did we mention it’s Paleo and gluten-free too? Since we’ve gotten rid of the bread and subbed in fiber- and vitamin-rich sweet potatoes, you don’t have to worry about your dietary constraints. Now, grab your waffle iron, because this is a meal you’re going to want to make again and again.

Taco Chicken Sandwiches on Sweet Potato Waffle Buns

Servings
4-6
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
180-480 min

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 1 lb chicken thighs
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Juice of 1 lime

Waffle "buns"

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tbsp tapioca starch/flour
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Toppings

  • 1 small red onion, sliced
  • 1 handful cilantro
  • Hot sauce, to taste

Preparation

  1. Make the chicken: In a crockpot, combine the chicken thighs, broth, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Once the chicken is fork-tender, turn the crock pot to the “warm” setting. Shred the chicken with a fork. Add the lime juice to the pot and stir to combine.
  2. Make the waffle buns: Heat a waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. Place the shredded sweet potatoes in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to wring out excess moisture. You want the potatoes as dry as possible. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, tapioca starch, and sea salt. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to combine. Add about 1/2-cupfuls of the batter to each waffle mold and cook until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove waffles to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining batter. Let the waffles cool slightly before making the sandwiches.
  3. To assemble, place shredded chicken on one waffle. Add sliced red onion, a few leaves of cilantro, and hot sauce, if using. Top with another waffle and serve.

Original recipe courtesy of Paleo Magazine