Quick 20 minute grilled chicken tacos topped with pico de gallo and creamy cilantro sauce. These spicy tacos are perfect for weeknight dinners and are sure to please the entire family.
We have tacos at least once a week because of how easy they are to make and how flavourful they are. The spicy meat, fresh zesty toppings, and sauces make tacos the ultimate dinner. These spicy grilled chicken tacos with Pico de Gallo and creamy cilantro sauce are our absolute favourite tacos. The combo of flavours dances on the taste buds and will keep you coming back for more. The entire family loves them and they can be prepared and served or you can serve them as a taco bar and have everyone customize their own tacos.
All good tacos begin with a batch of freshly cooked chicken. These tacos are made with my favourite grilled taco chicken. I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs rather than breasts because they are always tender and won’t dry out. Chicken breasts will also work for the tacos but be sure not to over-cook them or they will dry out.
The secret to making tacos is simplicity. Traditional street tacos are served on corn tortillas and topped with just chopped onion, tomato, cilantro, salsa and a squeeze of fresh lime. No cheese, avocado, sour cream or any of that other stuff. But who are we kidding? I honestly NEED my favourite sour-cream cilantro sauce on my tacos. The creaminess of the sauce compliments the spicy chicken and zesty Pico perfectly. You can top the tacos off with your favourite salsa, sour-cream or my quick creamy cilantro sauce.
You can have these yummy tacos with just the Pico and sour-cream or cilantro sauce, or you can load them up American style and add chopped romaine lettuce, avocado or guacamole, or cheese. Don’t forget a squeeze of fresh lime and enjoy these tasty grilled chicken tacos any way you like!
Prep: 5minutes mins
Cook: 15minutes mins
Total: 20minutes mins
Servings: 8 tacos
Additional Info
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken, grilled,, quick, recipe, spicy, tacos
Ingredients :
- ▢1 pound chicken thighs, boneless skinless, or chicken breasts
- ▢2 cloves garlic minced
- ▢1 tablespoon lime juice , optional
- ▢2 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢1 tablespoon chili powder
- ▢1/2 teaspoon paprika, optional
- ▢½ teaspoon garlic powder, or onion powder
- ▢1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ▢1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- ▢8 small corn or flour tortillas
Pico de Gallo
- ▢1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- ▢1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
- ▢1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
- ▢1 finely chopped jalapeño, deseeded
- ▢1 tsp lime juice
- ▢pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
STEP1
Add the chicken, garlic, olive oil, lime, and spices, to a large bowl or zip-seal bag and stir or shake to combine.
STEP2
Heat a large pan to medium-high heat. Cook chicken 6-7 minutes per side or until it is no longer pink and the internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove from heat and cool for at least 5 minutes. Slice or chop into small cubes.
STEP3
While the chicken is cooking, combine the chopped tomato, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a small bowl. Char tortillas on the stovetop over the flame until lightly charred (this step is optional).
STEP4
Assemble tacos by placing about 1/4 cup of chicken into each tortilla. Top with a few tablespoons of the onion-tomato mixture and a drizzle of cilantro sauce (*optional*)
Notes
To customize tacos, feel free to add sliced avocados or guacamole, chopped tomatoes, corn, shredded cheese To make cilantro sauce: combine 1/4 cup mayo or sour cream, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 tablespoons minced cilantro, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Amount (per 1 taco) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 112 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 53 mg |
| Sodium | 214 mg |
| Potassium | 195 mg |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Vitamin A | 485 IU |
| Vitamin C | 3.1 mg |
| Calcium | 12 mg |
| Iron | 0.7 mg |
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.