PORTABLE BITES

[MOCK]® Chicken Popcorn Tacos

Name: [MOCK]® Chicken Popcorn Tacos
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 Tacos
Cuisine: Plant-Based
Ingredients: ½ small red onion, finely sliced; 1 tsp lime juice (or red/white/apple cider vinegar); Pinch of salt; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 shallot, finely chopped; 1 red chilli, finely chopped; ½ red pepper, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp chipotle chilli paste; 170g tinned sweetcorn, drained; 200g tinned chopped tomatoes, drained; Salt and pepper to taste; 50+ml water; 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped; 1 ripe avocado; 1 tsp lime juice; 1 tsp fresh coriander chopped; Salt and pepper to taste; 200g [MOCK]® Chicken Popcorn; 200g [MOCK]® Chicken Popcorn; 4 soft tortillas or hard taco shells; Grated vegan cheese; Fresh chopped coriander (optional); Lime wedges on the side

22 November, 2025

The word "taco" originated in 18th century Mexican mines (tacos de minero), and described a small piece of paper filled with explosives. Miners stuffed these in the rock to expose silver ore. The word may come from the Nahuatl word "tlaco," which means "light" or "flat." Mexican miners then labourers started bringing corn tortillas stuffed with a spicy, delicious, and affordable filling. Tacos were popularised in the US in the 20th century. Our chefs have taken this inspiration to combine our popular [MOCK]® Chicken Popcorn with fresh salsa and condiments, wrapped in your soft tortilla of choice. You cannot stop with just one!

4 Tacos

40 minutes

Ingredients

Pickled onion topping

½ small red onion, finely sliced
1 tsp lime juice (or red/white/apple cider vinegar)
Pinch of salt

Salsa

1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
½ red pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chipotle chilli paste
170g tinned sweetcorn, drained
200g tinned chopped tomatoes, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
50+ml water
1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Avocado spread

1 ripe avocado
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh coriander chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

To serve

200g [MOCK]® Chicken Popcorn
200g [MOCK]® Chicken Popcorn
4 soft tortillas or hard taco shells

Garnish

Grated vegan cheese
Fresh chopped coriander (optional)
Lime wedges on the side

Preparation

Prepare the pickled onions

In a small bowl combine the finely sliced red onion, lime juice (or vinegar) and a dash of salt. Let sit for at least 20 mins or prepare in advance and keep in the fridge.

Prepare the salsa

Bring a wide, flat saucepan to medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the shallots, chilli, red pepper and garlic for a few minutes until soft without allowing to colour or burn. Sprinkle in the dry spices and the chipotle paste; mix quickly for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, sweetcorn, salt and pepper and 50ml water. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes to infuse the spices. Add a little extra water if mix looks dry. Remove from heat, sprinkle with fresh coriander and set aside to cool.

Prepare the avocado spread

Mash the avocado with a fork until there are no large chunks. Add in the lime juice, salt and pepper, and mix well until creamy. Set aside.

Plating

Prepare the [MOCK]® Chicken Popcorn by deep-frying at 180C for 2min 45 second and set aside to cool. Warm up the tortillas or hard taco shells in the oven or microwave. Apply a layer of avocado spread on the bottom of each, top with 3-4 pieces of popcorn and sprinkle on some grated vegan cheese. Top with your fresh salsa and the pickled onions. Serve with lime wedges and extra coriander as you prefer.