Try a new take on the traditional Mexican dish for less than $20.

Image: Maya Visnyei

Ingredients

Quick pickle slaw

• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded green cabbage
• 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 mini cucumbers, sliced
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Spicy mayo

• 1/2 cup best-quality real mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sriracha hot chili sauce

Crispy chicken

• 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup panko
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Extra

• 8 small corn tortillas
• 8 sprigs fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

1 To prepare the quick pickle slaw, place the red and green cabbage, carrot, green onions and cucumbers in a medium bowl. Toss together with the rice vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar and salt; set aside.

2 To prepare the spicy mayo, stir together the mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl; set aside.

3 To prepare the crispy chicken, cut each chicken thigh into four pieces of roughly the same size. Place the chicken in a bowl and add the garlic, lime juice, ginger and salt, stirring to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for an hour to let the chicken marinate.

4 Place the flour, egg and panko in three separate shallow bowls. Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge each piece first in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the panko to cover completely.

5 In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1" of the vegetable oil to 350°F (it’s best to use a thermometer, but the oil is ready when a panko crumb sizzles and toasts in the hot oil). When the oil is at temperature, add the coated pieces of chicken, six at a time, and fry until golden, turning carefully with tongs until all sides are crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Ensure that the pieces are cooked through by cutting into one and checking that it is no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken from the oil and place on paper towels to drain while the remaining pieces are cooking.

6 To assemble each taco, pile some of the quick pickle slaw on a tortilla and top with two pieces of crispy chicken. Drizzle with some of the spicy mayo and garnish with a sprig of fresh cilantro.

Prep and cook time: 2 hours
Serves 4