Chicken Taco Braid
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #YesYouCAN #CollectiveBias
This Chicken Taco Braid recipe is just the right amount of cheesy, spicy, taco goodness wrapped up in a flaky, puff pastry.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and purchase a product we may receive a small commission. Thank you!
Football season’s main event is right around the corner. Our team didn’t make it to the big game this year but that doesn’t mean we won’t be having a PAR-TAY, and you know what that means, I’ve got to break out my game day recipes A-game! I’m making this super cool, super tasty Chicken Taco Braid to keep my hungry crowd happy.
My husband isn’t the only one who enjoys a good game so on game day I really don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen hearing everyone else in the living room yelling and cheering. To make my chicken braid a little easier I used the shredded chicken in a stand mixer hack. What? You haven’t heard of this one? This is my go to hack for making any recipe that uses pulled or shredded chicken. All you have to do is boil your chicken until it is fully cooked and then put it in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the bread hook attachment turn on the mixer and let it go until your chicken is shredded. So much easier than shredding it by hand and it comes out perfect every time!
You can get everything you need for this recipe from fresh veggies to Ro*TEL tomatoes can at Walmart and you know I’m all about one stop shopping! I know you think this is going to be complicated but I promise it just looks that way. It is so easy to make, fresh veggies give the chicken mixture a great flavor and the Ro*TEL spices everything up in a cheesy sauce without the need for a bunch of extra ingredients. All you have to do is wrap it all up in a puff pastry and you’ve got the perfect game day snack!
While your chicken is being shredded you can dice up the fresh veggies. Saute them in a pan with a little olive oil for 2 – 3 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Then add your shredded chicken and half of a packet of taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water. Cook all of it together until the water is absorbed. At this point you have a pretty tasty combination of flavors but I take it up a notch with creamy, Ro*TEL cheese dip.
This cheesy dip with spicy Ro*TEL tomatoes is one of my family’s favorites. My mom made it for us all the time when I was growing up and I have carried on the tradition now that I have a family of my own. I love it with tortilla chips and it is the perfect cheesy addition to my chicken taco braid. I make the full recipe, 16 ounces of american cheese and 1 can of Ro*TEL diced tomatoes It makes more than you need for the recipe but that just means you have extra to dip chips in on game day! You don’t even have to turn on the stove for this party just microwave the cheese and Ro*TEL together and you have a cheesy sauce.
Now the fun part, braiding all that cheesy taco goodness into a flaky puff pastry. Puff pastry sheets are folded into thirds so when you open one up it has handy creases that are perfect guides for making your braids. You cut 1 inch strips on each side leaving the middle third of the pastry untouched.
Then you fill the middle with the chicken mixture. Doesn’t that look good?!
It gets better though because next you pour the Ro*TEL cheese dip over the chicken. Seriously, this is amazing!
Then you “braid” the puff pastry strips together over the chicken and cheese. It looks complicated but it is really easy. Just fold up the end piece and then start on the left, fold a strip in, then fold another strip inwards from the right side making them touch in the middle. Continue doing that until you get to the end.
To get a beautiful golden brown crust brush the braid with a simple egg wash, then pop the whole thing in the oven for about 20 minutes.
And this is what you end up with. It looks awesome, and tastes even better. You know I’m a sucker for recipes that are so easy to make but look like I must be a pro to have pulled it off. The Ro*TEL tomatoes and fresh veggies give the chicken so much flavor and that puff pastry crust is irresistible. I cut mine up into strip so guests can grab a piece to munch on while they watch the game. Oh, and don’t forget to put the extra Ro*TEL cheese dip on the table so guests can eat it with chips, or drizzle a little extra over their chicken braid…you really can’t have too much cheese.
Chicken Taco Braid
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- ¼ cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Onion, diced
- ½ packet Taco seasoning
- ¼ cup Water
- 10 ounces ROTEL Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
- 16 ounces American cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry, thawed
- 1 Egg
- 3 tablespoon Water
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Add peppers and onions and cook until they begin to soften 2-3 minutes.
- Add shredded chicken, taco seasoning, and water.
- Cook mixture until the water is absorbed, another 5 minutes.
- In a separate,microwaveable, dish add cubed cheese and Ro*TEL diced tomatoes.
- Microwave until cheese is melted, stirring it together with the Ro*TEL.
- Unfold thawed puff pastry sheet and roll it out into a rectangle that is 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut 1 inch strips down the left and right thirds of the puff pastry, leaving the middle section untouched.
- Add chicken mixture to the middle of the puff pastry and then pour the cheese dip over it. You will not use all of the cheese dip just enough to cover the chicken. Save the rest for later!
- Fold the end of the puff pastry up and then fold the first left strip into the middle, then a right strip, letting the pieces meet in the middle. Continue down the length of the puff pastry.
- Make a simple egg wash with an egg and water and brush the egg wash over the puff pastry.
- Place in a 400 F oven to bake for for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve with the remaining cheese dip.
Nutrition
To get ready for the Big Game make sure you swing by Walmart and get some fresh vegetables, and a can of Ro*TEL, and use my easy shredded chicken hack to make you and your guests a winning game day recipe!
This looks super tasty. I might even add in a little jalapeno to give it more kick!
Ooo that does sound good!
Looks good …since we keep cooked chicken I can almost just throw this together! I’ll have to go and see how much the puffed pastry costs. Visiting you from the Thrifty Couple and I hope to see you at Frugal Friday this week. Blessings, K
I hope you like it. The best thing about puff pastry is that there are two sheets in a pack so you can make one and put the other one in the freezer for another day.
Yum! I’m drooling right now! Pinned and tweeted! Thank you so much for sharing this with us at our linky party. We hope to see you next Monday @ 7 because we can’t wait to see your new creations! Happy Wednesday! Lou Lou Girls
This looks like such a wonderful recipe but is there anyway to make it ahead of time and bake the second day?
I would do all of the steps (cook chicken and veggies and make cheese sauce) and stop right before assembly. Keep everything in the fridge overnight and warm it up a little in the microwave when you are ready to use it. When you are ready to make it put your meat and cheese in the puff pastry and bake!
Hello ladies! I’m stopping by to let you know that your chicken taco will be featured at our party that starts tonight at 7 pm. Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you tonight! Lou Lou Girls