Chicken Cilantro Lime Tacos

four tacos in crunchy shell in a serving dish with limes and sauce beside it.

Easy-to-make chicken cilantro lime tacos, a lighter and incredibly delicious twist on traditional tacos, this recipe is full of bright flavors and perfect for a Taco Tuesday.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Marinating time 6

Servings

Calories 894kcal

Author Adina

Ingredients

Marinade:

6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (1.7 lb/ 750 g) Note 1
2 limes Note 2
4 medium garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon clear honey
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili flakes, to taste
a pinch of cinnamon
a few gratings of nutmeg
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Sour cream sauce:

1 cup sour cream 250 g
1 teaspoon honey
¼ cayenne pepper to taste
1 large garlic clove
juice of ½ lime
fine sea salt

Yogurt tahini sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt 250 g
4 tablespoons tahini
2 garlic cloves
fine sea salt

Taco toppings:

12 taco shells, crunchy or small tortillas, more if needed, Note 3
1 cup grated cheese 125 g Note 4
1 large carrot
½ - ¼ lettuce depending on size
1 cup canned corn
4 green onions
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno to taste
fresh cilantro leaves

More toppings:

tomatoes red bell peppers, avocado, salsa, beans, guacamole, raw or pickled onions

Instructions

Marinate chicken:

Wash and dry the limes. Zest 1 lime and juice both limes. Grate the garlic. Place in a bowl.
Add olive oil, honey, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, nutmeg, oregano, and salt. Stir well.
Marinate meat: Place chicken parts in a large bowl or freezer bag, pour the marinade on top, and turn to coat all over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or seal the freezer bag. Refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so that the chicken can reach room temperature.

Cook chicken:

Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a roasting tin.
Roast chicken: Place chicken on the baking sheet or into the roasting tin and roast for 25 – 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Either check the internal temperature, which should be 165°F/ 75°C, or make a cut into the thickest part of a chicken thigh, near the bone; the juices should run clear.
Slice the meat.

Make the sauce:

In the meantime, make one of the sauces and prepare the vegetables.
Sour cream sauce: Mix sour cream, honey, cayenne, grated garlic cloves, lime juice, and salt.
Yogurt-tahini sauce: Mix Greek yogurt, well-stirred tahini, grated garlic clove, and salt.

Prepare vegetables:

Shred the carrot.
Shred the lettuce.
Drain the corn.
Finely slice the green onions.
Finely chop the jalapenos.
Finely chop the cilantro.
Keep them separated in small serving bowls.
Grate cheese.

Heat taco shells:

Heat the hard taco shells in the oven or the tortillas in a pan (according to the packet's instructions).
The hard taco shells usually need about 5 minutes at 350°F/ 180°C.
Tortillas need about 30 seconds on each side in a pan without oil.

Assemble the tacos:

Let the diners assemble their tacos. Add a little bit of each of the ingredients and drizzle with sauce.

Notes

You can use chicken thighs that still have the bone in. Marinate the chicken as instructed and roast until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F/ 75°C. The cooking time will be longer; make sure to check.
Chicken breast is fine as well. The chicken breast will need a shorter time to cook, so don't overdo it, or the meat will be dry.
It’s preferable to use organic, unwaxed limes (or lemons) because you will need the citrus peel. Either way, make sure you wash the limes very well before zesting them.
Soft corn or flour tortillas can be used instead.
Gouda, Cheddar, cotija cheese, Monterey Jack, etc

Nutrition