A delicious make-ahead appetizer, baked mini Sesame Chicken Taco Boats make a great snack or game day treat. Whip up a batch of these tasty treats in the Instant Pot for a speedy healthy app.
These Old El Paso Taco Boats are so cute that you’ll use the same “awwww” tone that one would use when seeing a kitten riding in the pouch of a kangaroo. With a koala snuggled around its neck. That cute.
These came about after seeing this recipe but not wanting to use beef because I had a bunch of chicken already. I also decided to make it in my Instant Pot because that is how I roll. Don’t worry though, non-Instant Pot instructions are also included. Cause that is also how I roll.
This recipe for Chicken Chicken Taco Boats has multiple layers but all are super easy to pull off. In fact, to make this dish even easier, I used bagged shredded cabbage and carrots from the salad mix section of the produce department.
Thanks to that secret weapon, you’re making this slaw in about two minutes tops. You’re welcome.
Where Do You Get Affordable Organic Free-Range Chicken?
I’m blessed that we have a local butcher for buying organic meat, but we also have a monthly Butcher Box subscription. Butcher Box sources only organic and free-range meat for their customers and ships them to your home once a month.
The meat is super high-quality and we’ve always had an amazing selection sent each month. In addition to what they pick for you, you’re able to add specific cuts and types of meat to your box. And yes, they have Whole30 compliant bacon!
Even with our local source, we still look forward to our monthly Butcher Box delivery.
Step 1: Cook the Chicken
If you are new to pressure cooking and the Instant Pot, check out this post on recipes for Instant Pot beginners.
Instant Pot: I placed the chicken and 1/2 cup of water in the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then do a quick pressure release. Shred with some forks and celebrate your awesomeness.
Stovetop: Cover chicken with water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the chicken is cooked through. 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts. Shred with some forks and celebrate your awesomeness.
Step 2: Make the Sauce…Like a Boss
While the chicken is cooking, heat sesame oil in a medium saucepan. Add ginger and garlic and saute until it is fragrant and smells like joy and sunshine. Which ironically smells just like sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Imagine that.
Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and orange zest. Bring to a boil stirring often and cook for 2 minutes. Lower temp to medium and allow the sauce to reduce by almost half – about 5 minutes. Pour over shredded chicken and toss to coat.
Step 3: Make the Slaw
Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and add rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Toss to mix.
Step 4: Taco Boat Crispage (<— that is a word. Maybe.)
Place taco boats on a baking sheet and bake for 2-5 minutes at 350 degrees until the edges are just slightly browned.
Step 5: Assemble
You put it all together. Then end.
Ok, legit, you’re going to place some chicken in the taco boat, top with the slaw, more cilantro if needed (it’s always needed), avocado if you have it, and definitely you’ll need some Sriracha Vegan Aioli. Because you respect your taste buds and want them to be happy.
And yes, I put vegan spicy sauce on chicken. I’m a complex person with complex needs and desires. Do I have to remind you I add bacon to my veggie burgers?
More Recipes Like This
Say it with me now: “awwwwwwwww. They’re so cute”.
CHOMP.
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 1 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Sesame Chicken Taco Boats (Instant Pot, Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 cup water
- 20 taco boats
Sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp ginger minced
- 1/2 cup soy sauce reduced sodium
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp orange zest
Slaw
- 1 bag shredded cabbage and carrots (about 6 cups)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
Chicken
- Instant Pot: place chicken and 1/2 cup of water in the Instant Pot. Cook on high (manual) pressure for 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then do a quick pressure release. Shred with some forks and celebrate your awesomeness.
- Stovetop: Cover chicken with water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the chicken is cooked through. 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
Sauce
- While the chicken is cooking, heat sesame oil in a medium saucepan. Add ginger and garlic and saute until it is fragrant and smells like joy. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and orange zest. Bring to a boil stirring often and cook for 2 minutes. Lower temp to medium and allow the sauce to reduce by almost half - about 5 minutes. Pour over shredded chicken and toss to coat.
Slaw
- Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl and add rice vinegar, sugar, olive oil, sesame oil, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Toss to mix.
Taco Boats
- Place taco boats on a baking sheet and bake for 2-5 minutes at 350 until the edges are just slightly browned.Fill boats with shredded chicken, top with slaw, more cilantro, avocado, and any sauce of your choosing.
Notes
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So good! I was looking for something different to do with chicken and this hit the spot. The family loved it and went back for seconds. It is definitely a keeper. I did use Trader Joe’s Cruciferous Crunch, instead of cabbage and carrots, and it was super yummy!
So glad you enjoyed this one, KG! It’s pretty old recipe but you’ve inspired me to make it again, soon.
I made it! Just skipped the taco boats and made it like a big salad. Delicious!
Oh, I love that you made it into a salad! Great changes Kelly.
I made these delicious little treats for dinner and for a work potluck and they were a hit!
Since I had to prep everything the night before for the potluck, I did a test batch for dinner. Yummm! While delicious, I found them a tad salty, so for my potluck batch a week later, I squeezed the orange into the sauce and used a tad less low sodium soy. I actually used half low sodium soy and half tamari. Soo goood!
‘Cause I can never follow a recipe without changing things up, I also sliced up the remaining little ginger nub and threw it into the instant pot with the chicken and water, and added a chopped garlic clove, a little sesame oil and a tablespoon of Tamari.
I served them with (optional) sriracha mayo.
The little Ortega boats are genius! When I browned them for dinner they were sooo good! The boats I saved to see how they were the next day got chewey over night, so for the potluck batch, I left them in the oven until they were totally browned and crispy. Everybody loved them! I sent the few remaining taco boats with a coworker for his boys and they loved them too!
I’m definitely adding these to my rotation for dinners, and I’ll make them with the homemade taco bowls you showed us on a different post. Those are ridiculously easy and delicious!
Thanks you!
So glad you and your coworkers liked them, Hollie! I love that you changed up the recipe to fit your needs and turned it into a one-pot meal.
RE: the taco boats I think the next step is to figure out some sort of yummy dessert filling for them!
How much rice wine vinegar in the sauce? I see how much in the slaw but not in the sauce.
Sorry about that Hollie! It should be 2 tbsp. The recipe has been updated. Thanks for catching that.
I made this and it was great!
This looks so good!