These Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos are the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Cilantro lime marinated chicken is topped with salsa and guacamole in a charred tortilla.
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🌟Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Easy weeknight meal. I've got your new favorite Taco Tuesday recipe. But also, any day of the week can be taco night IMO. If you love all kinds of tacos, you'll also like my Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Buffalo Chicken Tacos.
- Family favorite. These cilantro lime chicken tacos are going to be a hit with the entire family, you will keep coming back to this easy recipe!
- 30-minute marinade. The easy cilantro lime marinade is full of delicious and bright flavors. All you need is 30 minutes for the chicken to be full of flavor but you can also prep this recipe in the morning for dinner tonight.
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken thighs- you will need 1-1 ½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- Lime- you'll need lime juice for marinating the chicken and another lime for serving if you wish.
- Paprika- smoked or sweet paprika will both work in this recipe. You could even use both.
- Cayenne- adds some heat to the tacos. Use more or less depending on your personal preferences.
- Cumin- ground cumin brings an earthy warm and slight citrus flavor to the chicken.
- Garlic- use fresh, minced garlic cloves in the chicken marinade.
- Cilantro- fresh cilantro is best for this recipe.
- Tortillas- use your favorite tortillas, I love cassava flour tortillas or a corn & wheat blend.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
🔪Instructions
- Begin by marinating the chicken thighs in olive oil, lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, cumin, garlic cloves and cilantro. Allow the chicken to marinate in a large bowl or plastic bag for at least 30 minutes.
- Cook the chicken on the stove in a large skillet or cast-iron pan. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes after cooking before cutting it into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the tacos by placing fresh lettuce and chicken on the tortillas. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
💭 Recipe FAQs
There are a number of ways to heat tortillas. Here are my favorite ways:
1. Heat each tortilla over an open flame for approximately 30 seconds per side.
2. Heat tortillas in a skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side.
3. Place the tortillas between 2 slightly damp paper towels and warm in the microwave for 1 minute.
Since the chicken is already very flavorful on its own, I like to use simple toppings for these tacos. Lettuce, your favorite salsa, sliced avocado and/or guacamole all pair great with the chicken. Pico de gallo would also be a great option.
Yes, you can, however, it won't be as flavorful as chicken thighs because chicken breasts are leaner. The chicken breasts will most likely take longer to cook, probably closer to 30 minutes so be sure to check the internal temperature.
👩🏻🍳Chef Tips
- If you have leftover chicken and aren't in the mood for more tacos, you can use the chicken for many things. Add it on top of lettuce for a delicious salad, serve it on a taco bowl with your favorite vegetables and rice, or use it to make soup or chili!
- The chicken will last about 3-4 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze the chicken for about 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
- To ensure extra juicy chicken, don't skip the 30-minute marinating time!
🥗Serving
Serve these tacos with any of your favorite taco toppings. My Roasted Tomato and Habanero Salsa would go great on this chicken as would Spicy Avocado Black Bean Dip. If you need a side, rice and beans are great options!
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🍳Recipe
Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1-1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 6-8 flour or corn tortillas
- lettuce, for serving
- salsa, for serving
- avocado or guacamole, for serving
Instructions
- Marinate chicken thighs in olive oil, lime, salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, cumin, garlic cloves and cilantro. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet or cast-iron pan on medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add chicken thighs and cook for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F. Cook longer for larger chicken thighs. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- While the chicken rests, heat the tortillas. Heat each tortilla over an open flame for approximately 30 seconds per side, in a skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, or place the tortillas between 2 slightly damp paper towels and warm in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Next, cut the rested chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the tacos by placing 2-3 pieces of lettuce on a tortilla and top with about ⅓-1/2 cup of chicken, salsa and avocado or guacamole. Serve with a lime wedge and more cilantro and enjoy!
Notes
- If you have leftover chicken and aren't in the mood for more tacos, you can use the chicken for many things. Add it on top of lettuce for a delicious salad, serve it on a taco bowl with your favorite vegetables and rice, or use it to make soup or chili!
- The chicken will last about 3-4 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze the chicken in a freezer-safe container or bag for about 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
- To ensure extra juicy chicken, don't skip the 30-minute marinating time!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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