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Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa + Best Summer Beer Tub Beers

20 minute dinner: Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa1

Stocking a beer tub for a summer party is as important as planning the food. Beer sets a tone and fuels conversation.  It’s as much about offering your friends their favorites as it is about introducing them to new ones.

 When planning the brew menu keep in mind the types of drinkers you’ve invited as well as how far you want to push their palates. Offer your guests safe choices, slight pushes in new directions, and a few more extravagant options for the fearless few who want to try something new.

Keep in mind that while you may be drawn to the bold punch of a triple IPA, don’t forget that long summer parties pair better with lower alcohol session ales to keep your guests (or yourself) from becoming a cautionary tale or a viral YouTube video. Keep most of your offerings below 6% ABV to help your guests stay in control.

Wheat beer: This is an important addition to your beer tub. The low hop profile is perfect for the "craft beer is too bitter" guy. Most wheat beer is very low on the bitterness scale and a common gateway for those new to craft beer. Wheat beer is also insanely drinkable and pairs easily with a wide array of foods.

Recommended: Allagash // White,  Bell’s // Poolside AleDogfish Head // Namaste , Widmer//Hefe, 21st Amendment // Hell or High Watermelon,

Pilsners: Pilsners are having a moment in the craft beer scene right now. Pilsners are about balance, no one ingredient takes center stage. They are hoppy but aren’t the hop bombing  IPA’s or the malt saturated Belgians on the other end of the spectrum. Pilsners are a crisp, drinkable introduction to hops with nice carbonation for summer drinking and burger eating. They are also the perfect way to show Macro Beer Guy that he might actually love a crisp refreshing beer that has a kick of flavor to it.

Recommended: North Coast // Scrimshaw, Breakside // Liquid SunshineVictory // Prima Pils

 Session IPA’s. Given that you’ll be the host for a mass beer consumption, you should be mindful of ABV. While many-a guest might scoff at the 4% brew, and feel a manly surge of testosterone when he cracks open a 12 % beast, you know he needs to get home intact. Session beer (beer that has less than 5% ABV) has so much flavor no one will miss the alcohol, or the obnoxious behavior as a result.

Recommended: Odell // Loose Leaf, Left Hand // Good Juju, Rogue // 4 Hop, Oskar Blues // Pinner, Fort George // Suicide Squeeze 

Classic Pale Ales. These are the standards, the beers that got us into craft beer. The ones that make us nostalgic and are easy to share. It’s hard to fill a tub without a few of these in the mix.

Recommended: Sierra Nevada // Pale Ale, Stone // Pale Ale, Oskar Blues // Dales Pale Ale

Sour & Wild Ales. Love ’em or hate ’em, sours are part of the conversation and a rapidly growing style in today’s craft beer market. Grab a few for your guests, you’ll never know who is going to love them, maybe even you.

Recommended: Odell // Brombeere Blackberry Gose, New Glarus // Raspberry Tart, Anderson Valley // Blood Orange Gose,

Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa2

 

Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup 36g chopped white onion
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon 6g salt
  • 2 teaspoons 6g chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon 3g garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon 3g onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon 3g cumin
  • ½ teaspoon 1g smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon 0.5g cayenne powder
  • 12 ounces wheat beer or summer ale (not too hoppy)
  • 1 cup chopped pineapple
  • ¼ cup chopped red onion
  • 1 jalapeno chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • pinch salt
  • ½ tsp red chili sauce
  • juice from ½ lime
  • 12 Good quality corn tortillas

Instructions
 

  • Add the olive oil to a pan over medium high heat. Cook the onions until starting to brown.
  • Sprinkle the chicken breast on all sides with salt. Add to the pan, cook on both sides until seared. Sprinkle chicken chili powder, onion powder, cumin, and cayenne. Add the beer, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to maintain a simmer (do not boil). Cover with a lid, allow to simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
  • Remove chicken from the pan, shred using two forks. Return the chicken to the pan, allow to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from pan, add to a serving platter.
  • In a serving bowl add the pineapple, jalapenos, cilantro, salt, chili sauce and lime juice, stir to combine.
  • Serve the chicken in the tortillas, topped with the salsa.

Chili Beer Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa4

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Comments


Karly July 21, 2016 um 8:34 am

Chili, beer, tacos and a delicious salsa- all of my favorite things in one bite!! These looks SO stinking delish!

Reply

Jackie July 21, 2016 um 10:27 am

Thanks! It’s hard to go wrong with beer and chicken 🙂

Reply

Maggie July 25, 2016 um 11:28 am

Thank you for this list! I am always in conflict about what to offer besides what I like! I will keep this list handy for sure.

Reply

Melissa July 26, 2016 um 3:08 pm

I was looking for a new recipe and this one looks yummy! Can’t wait to try it.

Also really cool pointing out different style of beer to offer for bbq/social gathering that tend to be low in alcohol. I’m finding myself more and more partial to those.

Aaannd…. I would be that guest that likes sours. It was the first beer I ever liked!

Reply

Lisa Hartjes July 20, 2021 um 3:33 pm

Hi!

We LOVED this recipe! We used breast (because that’s what we had), and oh my, it was good. We’re getting 6 servings from one batch (we eat smalker servings).

When we made thins we actually cooked 6 breasts, and there was enough of the sauce to submerge all the meat for the poaching stage.

We’re freezing all the extra meat, and I’m looking forward to having this again down the road.

Reply

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