🔥🌮 Happy Taco Thursday, Team! 🌮🔥

Today we’re switching it up in the best way possible. We’ve seared tuna. We’ve seared steaks. We’ve seared chicken. All taco legends. But today? We’re searing queso fresco and officially inducting it into the Taco Tuesday Topping Hall of Fame.

Golden edges. Salty crunch. Melty-adjacent magic that hits every taco craving at once.

Scroll on down for the technique, the crunch, and the heat.

Cheers & hot sauce,
~ The Taco Tuesday Crew 🌶️✨

🌮 Recipe by: @ryanmichaelcarter

🌶️🔥Fun Fact: Chile de árbol means “tree chili” in Spanish. Small but fierce, these bright red peppers bring sharp heat and smoky flavor to salsas that don’t mess around.

WATCH the VIDEO!

CHICKEN
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 TBSP honey

SPICY ORANGE SAUCE
12 Garlic cloves, lightly smashed
10 Arbol peppers
1 Lime
1/8 tsp Dried oregano
¼ White onion
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ TBSP Chicken bouillon powder
2 Roma tomatoes
1 TBSP Sesame seeds
1/3 cup Canola oil

TACO
Grilled chicken
Seared queso fresco
Salsa (Orange Sauce)
Diced onion and cilantro
Corn tortillas
Lime

For the chicken:
1️⃣ MARINATE
Whisk the marinade, coat the chicken, and let it hang out for 2–6 hours. Flavor needs time to show up.

2️⃣ SEAR
Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high. Pat the queso fresco completely dry. Add neutral oil and sear until lightly charred on both sides. Chill to firm, then slice.

3️⃣ GRILL
Grill the chicken over medium-high until browned and lightly charred, about 10–15 minutes. Pull at 170°F, rest for 10 minutes, then chop.

4️⃣ DICE
Dice the onion, chop the cilantro, mix it together, and set aside. Freshness matters.

5️⃣ TACO TIME
Warm tortillas on a hot pan, griddle, or over the flame. Layer sliced queso fresco, grilled chicken, salsa, and the onion-cilantro mix. Finish with lime and get after it.

For the sauce:
1️⃣ BROIL
Add onions and tomatoes to a foil-lined baking tray, cut-side down. Broil on high, 5–7 inches from the heat, until soft and lightly charred, about 10 minutes.

2️⃣ COOK
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low. Add garlic cloves and cook slow and steady until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. If they start moving too fast, lower the heat.

3️⃣ PEPPERS
When the garlic is almost there, add the peppers. Cook just until fragrant and slightly darkened, then pull immediately. Burnt peppers get bitter. Don’t let them win. Add garlic and peppers to the blender.

4️⃣ SESAME SEEDS
Kill the heat and add sesame seeds to the hot oil. Let them steep for a few minutes as the oil cools and gets nutty.

5️⃣ BLEND
Add lime juice, water, cooled sesame oil, chicken bouillon, salt, and oregano to the blender. Blend until creamy, smooth, and dangerously good.

Drizzle generously. Tacos will thank you. 🌶️✨

We’re serving up cozy, crave-worthy recipes, smart splurges that actually hit, travel ideas worth bookmarking, and just the right amount of indulgence. No fluff. All flavor. Grab a drink, bring the heat, and scroll on. 🌶️