The best grilled chicken tacos marinade makes these the ultimate, healthy grilled tacos you’ll ever make!
It just hit me last night that we are on the downhill side of official grilling season and I’ve been wallowing in pity all day because grilling season is my FAVORITE. I grill all year round but it’s just not the same in the depths of winter in snow boots ya know.
But I’m riding this wave til the very end you guys, I’ve got a handful of grilling recipes left on my must-make-before-September list and I hope you aren’t sick of them yet because I’m not willing to wait until next may to share.
This recipe is for chicken tacos – but not just any chicken tacos, we are talking about the very best, juicy and tender and incredibly flavorful grilled chicken tacos and the trick to making all of that goodness happen is in the marinade. There’s nothing weird in it, just some simple ingredients in the right quantities. Whip it up, let your chicken hang out in the fridge for a little while, and then fix yourself the best grilled chicken tacos you’ll ever have – complete with all of your favorite toppings like grilled corn salsa, avocados, cilantro, and fresh squeezed lime juice!
What people are saying about The Best Grilled Chicken Tacos Marinade
“First time I have felt compelled to write a review. Five stars all the way!! Absolutely amazing. By far the greatest taco I have ever had โ even in restaurants. The flavors are incredible. My husband and I look forward to this meal for our โdate nightโ at home with some drinks. Thank you!!” Anissa
“Big hit with the family! Easy to make and tastes great! After returning from a trip to NYC and having chicken tacos from [our favorite restaurant,] I have been searching for something close to as good and I think I have found it with this recipe!” – Jeff
“It really IS the best marinade for chicken tacos. When my son goes back for seconds, I know itโs a winner. Thank you!”
“Oh my! This has to be one of the best chicken marinades i ever had! I grilled two boneless skinless chicken breasts that were marinating for about 90 minutes (brine for 20 minutes beforehand) and I am trying to save the second one for lunch tomorrow. Canโt wait to make this again.” – Cat
The Best Grilled Chicken Tacos Marinade
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless breasts - pounded to even thickness
- 8-10 taco-sized flour - or corn tortillas
Marinade
- โ cup oil
- juice of 2 limes
- zest of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Topping
- toppings: corn salsa, avocados, cilantro
Instructions
- Whisk together all marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a large resealable bag, add marinade, and seal bag. Chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours.
- Remove chicken from bag and discard excess marinade. Grill over medium heat 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through.
- Transfer chicken to a platter and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 3-5 minutes. Thinly slice and serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Best marinade Iโve ever used for chicken tacos!! My husband doesnโt usually like citrus marinades, but this was a DEFINITE winner!!
Hi! We have done this marinade twice now for chicken and it wAS DELICIOUS. jUST USED IT FOR SHRIMP AND IT WAS EVEN BETTER! mARINATED FOR ABOUT 1.5 HOURS THEN GRILLED IN CAST IRON SKILLET. SO GOOD! tHANK YOU!
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing! I am glad you loved it as much as I do! ๐
So good!!
This is My go-to recipe for grilled tacos. Living in Bangkok we don’t have that many Mexican places to go to. Living in the US I never made mexican food as it was so easy to come by living in Chicago.
Just made these again tonight, probably the 4th or 5th time and had my thai relatives over and everyone said “arroy Mak!”
Wow- Bangkok! That is quite the change from Chicago- How exciting! I am so happy to hear that you love this recipe and make it so often! Thank you for sharing!
oh my! This has to be one of the best chicken marinades i ever had! i grilled two boneless skinless chicken breasts that were marinating for about 90 minutes (brined for 20 minutes beforehand) and i am trying to save the second one for lunch tomorrow. can’t wait to make this again.
The leftovers are super delicious, right?! So happy that this turned out great for you! Glad you love it! Thanks, Cat!