Happy Wednesday friends! Wait, is it Wednesday? My days are all screwed up, which isn’t anything new. The perks/drawbacks of working from home are that I never really know what day of the week it is. That’s ok though. I enjoy living a life of suspense, and it doesn’t get any more suspenseful than these sweet and smoky bacon tacos with Mexican crema. I looooove tacos…love, love, love them. I’ve never met a taco I didn’t like and Zach and I incorporate them into our dinners all the time. This recipe is extra special though because it pays tribute to the most glorious ingredient of all time: bacon!
The thing I most enjoy about tacos is that with a flip here and a roll-up there, they can quickly go from a super easy weeknight dinner option paired with a side of brown rice and a salad of fresh greens, to a glorious finger food at your next dinner party. Another great way to serve them is to just leave the tortilla flat. Crisp it up in the oven or on the stove-top and top it with a drizzle of sauce, a layer of meat and a fresh salad on top. Tostadas anyone?
Yum…I’m drooling just thinking about it. I think I should probably wait until at least noon before I start thinking about devouring some tacos, unless of course I’m thinking of having some breakfast tacos this morning…hmmmmm…
…but I digress…
This recipe for bacon tacos is super duper easy. Bacon is fried up in a heavy-bottomed skillet and transferred to a bowl with onions that have been sauteed in bacon fat, some spicy seasonings and sauces, honey and salt. A whisk here and a toss there, and it’s like bacon candy. I swear it.
Roll it up in a warm corn tortilla and drizzle it with a refreshing Mexican crema and top it with a fresh pico. Dinner is served!
Pair these bacon tacos with a smoked porter (Stone makes a great one) or a smoked stout. Recipe is below! See you guys tomorrow! xo
Yields 8-10 tacos
This recipe requires at least 6 hours of inactive time, so plan ahead.
20 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
50 minTotal Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons chile powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 teaspoon sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo
- salt
- 8-10 corn tortillas, warmed slightly
- 1/2 cup store-bought pico de gallo or chunk salsa
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Stir the buttermilk into the heavy cream in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 6 hours or up to overnight until thickened. Once thickened, place in the refrigerator where it will keep for about a week.
- To a large skillet, add the bacon and cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving the bacon fat in the pan and leaving the pan set over medium heat. Transfer the bacon to a plate that has been lined with paper towel. Set aside.
- To the skillet with the bacon fat, add the onion. Cook until the onion has caramelized about 8 minutes, then remove the onion with a slotted spoon, transferring it to a medium bowl. Add the bacon to the bowl with onion. Reserve a teaspoon or two of the bacon fat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chile powder, chipotle chile powder and sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo. Add a teaspoon of the bacon fat to the bowl and whisk again.
- Pour the sauce over the bacon and onion mixture and toss to evenly coat. Season with salt to taste.
- Assemble your tacos, by adding a couple of tablespoons of the bacon mixture to each warmed tortilla shell. Top with pico, a drizzle of Mexican crema and chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
Sour cream or creme fraiche are good substitutes for Mexican crema.
For an extra crispy taco, roll up your tacos when assembling and line them up on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil. Spray with a non-stick spray and place them under the broil for a minute or two until brown and crispy.
