These Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos are the perfect easy weeknight dinner. The chicken is marinated in a mix of seasonings, spices and lime juice for maximum flavor. Serve up on warm tortillas layered with your favorite toppings!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Easy weeknight meal. Perfect for your taco night or any night of the week! 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 boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Substitute chicken breasts if you prefer.
- Cayenne. Adds some heat to the tacos. Use more or less depending on your personal preferences.
- Cumin. Ground cumin brings and earthy warm and slight citrus flavor to the chicken.
- Tortillas. Use your favorite tortillas, I love a corn & wheat blend.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Step 1
Begin by marinating the chicken thighs in olive oil, lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, cumin, garlic cloves and cilantro for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2
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!
Sarah's Top Tips
Heat the tortillas. There are several ways to heat tortillas. Here are my favorites:
- Heat each tortilla over an open flame for approximately 30 seconds per side.
- Heat tortillas in a skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side.
- Place the tortillas between 2 slightly damp paper towels and warm in the microwave for 1 minute.
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 salsa or mango habanero salsa would go great on this chicken as would avocado black bean dip. If you need a side, rice and beans are great options!
Storage and Reheating
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.
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Recipe
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Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
See the full post for extra tips and photos
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!
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Sarah's Tips
- Heat each tortilla over an open flame for approximately 30 seconds per side.
- Heat tortillas in a skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side.
- Place the tortillas between 2 slightly damp paper towels and warm in the microwave for 1 minute.
Meghan says
Such a delicious and easy recipe for taco night!
Sarah Hill says
Hi Meghan, thanks so much for making these tacos. Really happy you enjoyed them!
Nancy says
Easy, delicious weeknight meal.
David says
Quick, easy and delicious 🙂
Sarah Hill says
Happy you enjoyed them 🙂