For the Chili Oil1. Chop half of one of the onions and peel 4 cloves of the garlic.
2. Heat 1 cup of the avocado oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, once warm, add the onions and garlic and fry until golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the ancho chilies for 30–60 seconds (don’t burn them!). Remove from the heat and let cool, slightly.
4. Pour mixture into a blender and add 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Blend everything until smooth, then strain into a dish that is large enough to dip the tortillas (I use an 8-inch baking dish). Press down on the solids to extract as much oil as possible. Save the chili paste in a separate bowl.

1. Place the 1 pound of chicken breast, the other 1/2 of the white onion, 3 cloves garlic, the bay leaf, a tablespoon of kosher salt and a good grinding of black pepper in a large saucepan. Fill with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. **Skip this step and use 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken instead to save on time.**
2. Remove the chicken from the broth (strain and save the broth. You’ll use about 1 cup of it for the filling and you can save the rest for another use) and let cool. Dice the other half of the onion and mince the other 3 cloves of garlic for the picadillo while you wait for the chicken to cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken and set aside.
3. Heat remaining 1/4 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften. Add the 2 diced potatoes, 3 diced carrots, the reserved shredded chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved chili paste and 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the skillet (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a lid) and cook, stirring occasionaly, until the potatoes and carrots are tender, about 10-15 minutes. You may need to add more broth if it gets to dry. Once the potatoes and carrots are tender, taste and add more salt, or a squeeze of lime if it needs a little something extra. Remove from the heat.

1. Prepare the Steamer: Take your tamales steamer pot and add water to the bottom (just below the rack). Line the steamer basket with a few tortillas, a clean kitchen towel, or aluminum foil. Set over medium-high and cover. Once the pot is filled with steam, reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
2. Warm the Tortillas: Briefly heat them on your comal or dry skillet until pliable (do not get them crispy!). Remove to a tortilla warmer or wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm.
3. Dip a tortilla in the reserved chili oil, coat both sides and let excess oil drip back into the dish.
4. Fill and Fold: Place 1/4 cup of filling on half of the tortilla and fold it over. Set the tacos on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, dipping and filling as you go until all the filling has been used.
5. Stack the tacos in the steamer. Cover the top with aluminum foil over the tacos. Place the lid on the pot.
6. Steam: Increase the heat to medium and steam the tacos for 15-20 minutes or until the tacos are heated through. Turn off the heat and let steam in the risidual heat for 10-15 minutes to let the tacos set up and be easier to remove.
7. Serve: Remove and serve with thinly shredded cabbage, your favorite salsa, crema, the rest of the reserved chili paste, and some crumbled Cotija cheese if you’d like. Also, plenty of lime wedges for squeezing over the top. I also like to sprinkle some coarse salt over the top.