Crispy Chicken Tortillas

These easy Crispy Chicken Tortillas are great for a mid-week dinner or a school/work lunch. There aren't many lunch ideas that get the thumbs up from my boys, but this one is a winner. I'll make these for dinner and then use the leftovers for their lunch the following day.

I usually add tomato, and even avocado sometimes, but I didn't have any on hand the day I made these ones. You can vary the sauce as well (my boys prefer tomato sauce).

The tortillas are store bought because during the week you want quick and easy options!

The Thermomix recipe for the flour and spice coating on the chicken can be found here. If you feel the mix is too spicy, simply adjust quantities or add more flour. I added more flour, but even without the addition, the recipe makes enough for a few dinners. Therefore, once mixed, set some aside in an airtight container or zip-lock bag so that it can be used at a later time. I can't stress this enough! You don't want to waste any.

This flour and spice coating can also be used for popcorn chicken. I would only recommend the popcorn chicken version if making a small amount as it is quite fiddly. It is nice to shallow-fry for the popcorn chicken, replicating the famous fast food version, however I usually oven bake the larger pieces of chicken.

Crispy Chicken Tortillas

Serves 4-6

2 eggs, beaten
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs*
Oil
Tortillas (I use Old El Paso brand)
Lettuce, shredded
Cucumber, diced
Tomato (optional)
Avocado (optional)
Tasty cheese, shredded
Sauce of choice eg mayonnaise

* I use chicken thighs because they are so tender, however you can use any cut of chicken you like. I've used tenderloins with success and the original recipe uses breast. With chicken thighs, I usually clean them of excess fat and then cut them into about 3 pieces each.

Coating**
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons of black peppercorns
1 1/2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1 tablespoon dried garlic
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
350g plain flour

** All the spices can be found in the spice section of major supermarkets.

1. Grind all herbs and spices either by hand or using a spice grinder until you have a fine powder.

2. Add flour and mix well. You may like to complete this step using a food processor, thereby replicating the consistency gained by blitzing in a Thermomix. Once you've done this, taste your flour mix and add more flour if you wish to lessen the spiciness. It will be slightly less spicy once cooked so if you wish to be super accurate, you can fry off a small coated piece of chicken to test whether it is to your taste.

3. Pour some of the flour into a plate, remembering to reserve some for another time. It's better to put less in the plate and add to it if needed than to waste your coating. You can't reserve leftover coating in the actual plate as it will be contaminated by the egg and chicken.

4. In terms of the chicken, this is the important part - double coating! It's the double coating that gives the chicken crispiness and makes it a good replica of the take away version. So, dip your chicken pieces into your beaten egg, then coat with the coating mixture and then repeat.

5. Once all your chicken has been double coated, you can either shallow fry on a medium heat on your stove top or place in a 180 degree Celsius oven until cooked (the time will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken pieces - just keep an eye on it and remember to turn chicken over half way through).

6. All that's then left to do is assemble your tortillas with your choice of fillings and sauce.