Happy Monday! Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow and since we won’t be sipping margaritas on a patio anytime soon, why not bring the party to you. Today, I’m sharing five Cinco de Mayo recipes. And they are all in the form of nachos and margarita pairings.
Nachos are the perfect pick for at-home celebrations because they’re simple and straight forward. Margaritas are a must on this occasion. But so often, I find that we continually make the same ol’ classic margaritas recipe.
We made a hybrid of two recipes: taking the Chipotle Chicken from Half Baked Harvest and the rest of the nachos from a vegetarian What’s Gaby Cooking recipe.
My husband wanted to add the meat, but I personally love vegetarian nachos. The protein from the black beans and cheese keeps me plenty satiated.
And for our pairing, we’re pairing our nachos with Blood Orange Margarita from Cookies and Kate. The subtle sweetness of a blood orange goes perfectly with the smokiness of the chipotle peppers.
Fully Loaded Chipotle Chicken Skillet Nachos
Ingredients:
Chicken:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped, use more or less to your taste
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon honey
- kosher salt
- 1/2 cup hard cider or your favorite beer
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
Black Beans:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ red onion finely chopped
- 1 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño finely chopped
- 1 15- oz. can black beans rinsed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt freshly ground pepper
Remaining Ingredients:
- 1 bag Tortilla chips
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
- Thinly sliced radishes for serving
- 2 cups pico de gallo
- ½ cup charred corn
- Scallions thinly sliced
- Cilantro
How to Make
Chicken:
Combine the chicken, 1 tbsp of olive oil, chipotle peppers, paprika, honey and salt in a medium bowl. Toss and make sure the chicken gets evenly coated.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add chicken and sear on both sides, approximately 2-4 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low and add the beer or cider and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Partially cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Shred the chicken. Cook until 5 minutes until sauce is thickened. Add remaining 1/4 cup enchilada sauce. Remove from heat.
Black Beans:
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeño and cook. Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir often.
Transfer to a food processor and add the black beans, lime juice and 1/4 cup water. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Nachos:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Arrange half the chips in a cast iron skillet or baking sheet. Top with half of the beans, half of the chicken, half the corn and half of the cheese.
Repeat layering.
Bake until cheese is gooey, about 5 minutes.
Top with pico de gallo, sliced jalapeño, scallions, cilantro, avocado and radishes
Cinco de Mayo Recipes: Nachos and Margarita Pairings
2. Roasted Salsa Verde Chicken Nachos + Spicy Grapefruit Margarita: These Roasted Salsa Verde Nachos are the mildest in flavor and spice of the bunch with poached chicken and salsa verde. That’s why I love adding in a spicy grapefruit margarita. Somehow the grapefruit cools the spice of the jalapeño making it the perfect fruit to pair a spicy margarita with.
3. Al Pastor Nachos + Classic Skinny Margarita: Al Pastor tacos are one of favorites, but the meat can be pretty fatty. That’s why I paired it with the straightforward classic skinny margarita. This recipe also uses fresh oranges in place of a more syrupy orange liquor.
4. Sheet Pan Nachos + The Rosarita: These Sheet Pan Nachos are simple and straightforward. Isn’t everything great when it’s made on the ease of a sheet pan?! Since this is a pretty classic nachos recipe, I love the idea of pairing it with a really different type of margarita: one that includes a splash of rosé. Yummm
5. Carne Asada Skillet Nachos + Tequila-Watermelon Aguafresca: You often see steak paired with watermelon salads in summer recipes. The sweetness of the watermelon balances out the salty of a juicy piece of beef.
Recently on Haute Homebody:
A round-up of the best TV shows we’ve watched in quarantine.