Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos are freshly flavored, easy to make and always impress! Chicken breasts are soaked in a boldly seasoned marinade, cooked to juicy perfection on your stovetop, then served in warm tortillas with the best cilantro filled salsa!
Why we love this Cilantro Chicken Taco Recipe
Cilantro lime chicken tacos always satisfy on taco Tuesday and game day! Here’s why they’re one of my favorite taco recipes:
- Marinated: Marinating the chicken meat before cooking really infuses it with flavor and makes it so juicy and tender.
- Flavorful: I love assembling these tacos with salsa that features roasted corn, queso fresco, cilantro and more to make them insanely flavor packed!
- Easy: No need to fire up the grill! These chicken tacos are made in a matter of minutes using a skillet.
How long do I marinate the chicken?
You’ll want to marinate the chicken for at least 3 hours. I like to let it marinate overnight to really give it time to soak up all of those flavors!
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How to Store and Reheat
Once the tacos are assembled it’s best to serve them right away. However, just the chicken itself can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I recommend reheating it in the air fryer or oven just until warmed through.
How to Freeze
You can freeze cooked chicken for up to 3 months. Let it first fully cool to room temperature prior to storing. Before reheating, let it slowly defrost in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy taco Tuesday with some of the best Mexican-inspired side dish recipes! A few of my favorites include Mexican corn on the cob, easy Mexican rice and classic chips and guacamole!
More Chicken Taco Recipes We Love
- Crack Chicken Tacos
- Chicken Taco Pizza
- Chicken Taco Soup
- Taco Stuffed Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Blackened Chicken Tacos
Top Reader Review
“I made as instructed and so good!!!!! It’s now going into rotation!” – Glenda
Marinated Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
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Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Tacos
- 1 pound chicken breasts cut into bite sizes pieces
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup cilantro roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted corn frozen and cooked or freshly grilled
- 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
- 3 scallions thinly sliced with white and green parts separated
- 6 soft flour tortillas
- 6 ounces queso fresco
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Add all marinade ingredients to a large resealable bag. Add chicken breast pieces, close tightly, and shake vigorously to coat. Refrigerate 3 hours or up to overnight.4 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 pound chicken breasts
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook, stirring, until pieces are fully cooked and crispy, about 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, lime juice, and sugar. Add corn, tomato, white parts of scallions, and cilantro.2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 cup roasted corn, 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, 3 scallions, 1/4 cup cilantro
- Heat a skillet over high heat and add tortillas one at a time. Cook about 1 minute until charred in spots, flip. Repeat with remaining tortillas.6 soft flour tortillas
- Assemble tacos by placing a tortilla on a plate and topping with chicken, corn salsa, queso fresco, and remaining green parts of scallions. Serve with a lime wedge.6 ounces queso fresco, 1 lime
Notes
How to make Marinated Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos Step by Step
Marinate the chicken: To a large zip-top bag, add 4 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp cumin, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp roasted garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. 1 1lb chopped chicken breast and shake everything to combine. Marinate in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.
Cook the chicken: Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked all the way through.
Make the salsa: Whisk together 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp lime juice and 1 tsp sugar. Mix in 1/4 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup corn, 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes and the white parts of 3 chopped scallions.
Heat the tortillas: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Warm the tortillas (6 total) one at a time until lightly browned on both sides.
Assemble the tacos: Add cooked chicken, salsa, and queso fresco to each tortillas. Serve immediately.
Glenda says
I made as instructed and so good!!!!! It’s now going into rotation!
Becky Hardin says
I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Glenda!