TACO POCKETS

Taco Pockets image

This recipe is sponsored by Target. Taco night is the best night of the week, and this recipe makes it better than ever! Two delicious (and easy) fillings get stuffed into tortilla pockets and baked to a golden crunch. The chicken filling gets a burst of flavor from marinating in bright salsa verde and chickpeas stand in for meat when simmered with a traditional taco seasoning. Peppers and onions lend a fajita-like flavor, and everything comes together when served with plenty of tasty options for dipping.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 1h25m

Yield 12 pockets

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

1 chicken breast (8 to 10 ounces), split horizontally and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup salsa verde, plus more for serving, such as Good & Gather™️ Mild Roasted Salsa Verde
Nonstick cooking spray
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
One 1.25-ounce packet taco seasoning, such as Good & Gather™️ Taco Seasoning
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 white onion, diced
Kosher salt
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 ounces)
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños, chopped
1 small avocado, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Six 8-inch flour tortillas
Sour cream, guacamole, hot sauce and lime wedges, for serving

Steps:

Combine the chicken and salsa in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Generously spray a baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
Combine the chickpeas, taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and let simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and smash about half of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon; set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the peppers and onions, season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often and lowering the heat if needed so the vegetables don't brown, until softened, about 6 minutes.
Transfer the vegetable mixture to a plate and return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat until the oil shimmers. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the heat and fold in the cheese and half the vegetable mixture. Fold the remaining vegetable mixture into the chickpeas along with the cilantro, jalapeños and avocado. Taste both mixtures and season with more salt if needed.
Combine the flour and 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl to create a paste that is the same consistency as glue, adding more water if needed. Halve the tortillas and cover them with a damp towel. Using the back of a spoon, spread a line of the flour mixture on the cut edge of a tortilla half. Fold the opposite ends of the tortilla half up and over, overlapping slightly to form a cone. Pinch gently to seal. Cover with a damp cloth and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Fill a cone with 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture. Spread some of the flour mixture along the inside edge of the top of the cone, then pinch the two sides together to seal the pocket. Place on the prepared baking sheet seam-side down and repeat with the remaining cones, chicken mixture and chickpea mixture. (You should have 6 of each filling.)
Spray the pockets lightly with cooking spray. Bake, flipping the pockets once about halfway through, until golden and heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the pockets with sour cream, guacamole, hot sauce, lime wedges and more salsa.