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
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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