South of the Border Taco Platter

ABK’s Quick and Easy South of the Border Taco Platter is fun, it’s festive, and takes Taco Tuesday up a notch from traditional tacos!

Spice up your usual taco dinner with this simple but tasty mixture of chicken, fresh red pepper, corn, onion and cilantro. If you’ve got leftover ground beef or turkey or cooked chicken in the fridge, feel free to improvise (and speed things up a bit) by making use of leftovers. This recipe is definitely easily adaptable to repurpose almost any type of previously cooked meat or poultry!

The big question with tacos is usually corn or flour? I love using corn tortillas, but flour will work as well. Anything goes in this recipe. The last time I made our South of the Border Taco Platter, I used an Artisan tortilla with blue corn. It was SO good. They were small-ish tortillas with a dark color that made the perfect backdrop and base for this easy to make dish.

If you’re wondering if your kids will like red peppers, think positive! Surprisingly, ABK’s recipe for Turkey and Fresh Veggie Chili is LOADED with onions, peppers and (not so spicy) spices, and is a HUGE hit with kids. I’ve received lots of comments on Instagram from readers who made the turkey and veggie chili and said their kids loved it, and even asked for seconds!

Ingredients needed to make South of the Border Taco Platter:

• 4 cups of chicken  (about two large chicken breast halves, one cooked rotisserie chicken or 1.5 lbs chicken)
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 red pepper
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
• 1 fresh lime juiced or about 3 tablespoons bottled lime juice
• 2-3 cups grated cheese
• fresh cilantro 
• sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, 
• tortillas flour or corn

How to make South of the Border Taco Platter:

• Cook the chicken in olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for about 4-5 minutes just until chicken is done and onion begins to turn translucent. Add the minced garlic and let cook for one minute.
• Add chopped red pepper, frozen corn and juice from lime.
• On a griddle warm the tortillas, sprinkle a little cheese on top.
• Serve tortillas with filling mixture immediately.
• Taco platter may be served a few different ways: roll up the filing in the tortillas, or serve open on a platter, or make a buffet line with the tortillas, filling, salsa, sour cream, guac, etc. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.

What to serve with South of the Border Taco Platter (each of these recipes takes 5-10 minutes to make):

This recipe can be adapted to your family needs. Use a corn tortilla for GF meal, leave out the meat if you’re a vegetarian. I am convinced if the kids help cook, they usually love the meal. So let them stir and add ingredients to their little hearts content!

South of the Border Taco Platter originally published in 2016, recipe and photos updated October 2023

South of the Border Taco Platter

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin

Author: Si Foster

Course: Dinner

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8 -10 servings

Ingredients 

• 4 cups of chicken chopped, about two large chicken breast halves, one cooked rotissere chicken or 1.5 lbs chicken
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, not thawed
• 1 fresh lime, juiced or about 3 tablespoons bottled lime juice
• 2-3 cups grated cheese
• fresh cilantro, chopped about 1/2 of a bunch
• sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes,
• tortillas, flour or corn

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Cook the chopped chicken in olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. After about 1 minute, add chopped onion, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for about 4-5 minutes just until chicken is done and onion begins to get soft. Add the minced garlic and let cook for one minute.
• Add chopped red pepper, frozen corn and juice from one lime ( I like to squeeze the lime juice over the chicken). Turn off stove.
• On a griddle warm tortillas, sprinkle a little cheese on top.
• Serve tortillas with filling mixture immediately. You may roll up the filing in the tortillas, or serve open on a platter, or make a buffet line with the tortillas, filling, salsa, sour cream, guac, etc. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.

Notes

• If chicken is already cooked, omit the step of cooking the chicken, and simply cook the onion with spices until done. Then add the previously cooked meat.
• For a meatless meal, switch out the chicken for a can of black beans, drained and rinsed.
• If you want to make and assemble the tacos all at one time, assemble and layer the tacos on a platter or cookie sheet and place a sheet of parchment to separate the layers. Refrigerate. When ready to eat, remove from fridge and heat each taco on a paper towel or paper plate for about 20-30 seconds in microwave. Top with salsa, sour cream, guac after heating.

South of the Border Taco Platter

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin

Author: Si Foster

Course: Dinner

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8 -10 servings

Ingredients 

• 4 cups of chicken chopped, about two large chicken breast halves, one cooked rotissere chicken or 1.5 lbs chicken
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, not thawed
• 1 fresh lime, juiced or about 3 tablespoons bottled lime juice
• 2-3 cups grated cheese
• fresh cilantro, chopped about 1/2 of a bunch
• sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes,
• tortillas, flour or corn

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Cook the chopped chicken in olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. After about 1 minute, add chopped onion, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for about 4-5 minutes just until chicken is done and onion begins to get soft. Add the minced garlic and let cook for one minute.
• Add chopped red pepper, frozen corn and juice from one lime ( I like to squeeze the lime juice over the chicken). Turn off stove.
• On a griddle warm tortillas, sprinkle a little cheese on top.
• Serve tortillas with filling mixture immediately. You may roll up the filing in the tortillas, or serve open on a platter, or make a buffet line with the tortillas, filling, salsa, sour cream, guac, etc. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.

Notes

• If chicken is already cooked, omit the step of cooking the chicken, and simply cook the onion with spices until done. Then add the previously cooked meat.
• For a meatless meal, switch out the chicken for a can of black beans, drained and rinsed.
• If you want to make and assemble the tacos all at one time, assemble and layer the tacos on a platter or cookie sheet and place a sheet of parchment to separate the layers. Refrigerate. When ready to eat, remove from fridge and heat each taco on a paper towel or paper plate for about 20-30 seconds in microwave. Top with salsa, sour cream, guac after heating.