Turkey Soft Tacos with Mexican Rice

Mexican food is the one type of food I could eat over and over and still always be in the mood for it. In fact, I actudally had tacos for lunch before I came home and made my own.

In addition, it goes with my mini Mexican food series of posts that began with Natalie's salsa. Just wait until the desserts are posted, they were a ton of fun to make.

Back to the dish at hand: tacos and Mexican rice. I couldn't find any ripe avocado's so the guac in the picture is store bought, but I promise to throw up my chunky guacamole soon.

I know what you're thinking, tacos? Tacos are easy, why make a post about tacos. Well, this post is mainly about the Mexican rice rather than the tacos but both are included. Think of it as a two-for-one.

Background

Since I was in college, I used to make Mexican rice with most of my meals inspired from south of the border. However they all consisted of this. Fancy, eh?

Well since I began to get more into cooking, I really have been trying to use whole foods fresh rather than things from a pre-packaged box that almost cooks itself. Out goes the Rice-A-Roni and in comes doing it by scratch.

The amazing part is that it pretty much is the same recipe in terms of procedure and ingredients, the key difference being the use of fresh ingredients and your own seasoning. 

The result? A Mexican rice that is far superior to any San Francisco treat!

Process

Both of these dishes can be prepared simultaneously if you have enough bandwidth to do it. Begin with the rice by heating olive oil in a large skillet. I used an electric skillet that my Mom gave me and I love it. It works great, controls the temperature well and adds a lot of extra cooking space. Brown the rice on a high heat. Chop up the onion and garlic and add into the skillet. Leave this on high heat for three to five minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the onions have softened.

In a separate sauce pan heat up the chicken stock to a simmer. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and salt. After two minutes, pour the stock into the rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and then cover. Leave the rice for twenty to twenty-five minutes to cook. Make sure you stir every so often so the rice doesn't burn while you prepare the tacos.


In another skillet, cook the turkey meat. This will take about eight to ten minutes. Drain the fat and then mix in the taco seasoning and water and let simmer until the flavors are soaked in and the sauce is thick. This will take about five to eight minutes. 

Prep some sides and toppings. I used lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, cheddar cheese, and Natalie's salsa. It's tacos, you know the drill. If you timed it right, the rice will be ready at the same time.

Turkey Soft Tacos with Mexican Rice

Ingredients

Mexican rice
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt, Kosher

Turkey tacos
1 lb ground turkey
3/4 cup taco seasoning
1 cup water
hard or soft taco shells (flour or corn)
salsa
cheese
sour cream
lettuce
guacamole

Directions

1. Heat up oil in skillet and brown rice. Add in onions and garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. 
2. In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Add in the tomatoes, oregano and salt. Pour the broth into the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
3. In a skillet, cook the meat. Drain the fat and then add in the taco seasoning and water. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens.
4. Fill up the taco and top off with your favorite toppings.