Ginger Chicken & Pineapple Tacos

Tacos are fun because they are extremely versatile. Just look at Velvet Taco's menu and you'll see what I mean. Velvet was a college staple for me in Dallas and it helped me expand my taco horizons.

These tacos are tangy and fresh and will make your tastebuds dance. They're also incredibly easy to throw together!! These would be hard to mess up, I promise.

These ginger chicken & pineapple tacos are inspired by a beach in Mexico.

You'll need:

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size cubes

• 1 small box of fresh pineapple (about 1/2 lb or 1/5 cups)

• tortillas - quantity will change depending on size

• 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice (uncooked)

• 1 cup cilantro

• 1 lime, juice + zest

• 1/2 jalapeño, diced (use the other half for topping!)

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon minced ginger

• Optional: hot sauce, cucumber, extra cilantro

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon minced ginger

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil

• 1 lemon, juice + zest

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Instructions:

1. Dice your chicken, mix the marinade ingredients together in a plastic bag or bowl. Add the chicken cubes and mix until coated. Marinate in a baggie or tupperware for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

2. Cook rice according to package instructions, when its done cooking, stir in lime juice, cilantro, and diced jalapeño. You can also add a pinch of sea salt or onion/garlic salt.

3. Add the chicken + leftover marinade to a skillet and cook over medium heat. You don't want to overcrowd your skillet so you might need to cook it in a couple of batches.

4. Once the chicken is cooked through, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar and tablespoon of minced ginger. Mix it in and let it all cook until the sauce begins to thicken up. You can even pour in the leftover pineapple juice if you’re feeling excited! Remove from heat once the sauce is sticky.

5. Warm your tortillas in the microwave, over burner, or in a skillet. Cut your pineapple into ~1/2 inch chunks.

6. Plate, starting with tortilla, add a spoonful of rice, top with some chicken, pineapple, and sesame seeds. You can also add fresh cilantro, fresh jalapeño, and cucumber! I like adding a green hot sauce as well - ie Tabasco green pepper sauce or Yellowbird Serrano hot sauce.

If you have a grill (I don't have a grill) you could even grill the pineapple and chicken on skewers. I feel like that would turn out wonderfully but again I do not have a grill because - apartment life.