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 – even in restaurants. The flavors are incredible. My husband and I look forward to this meal for our “date night” 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 it’s 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. Can’t 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
- ⅓ 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
- ¼ 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.
I just want to let you know that not only are your recipes superb but your photography and use of colors is beautiful. My wife thinks i know how to cook thanks to my following your recipes! (shhh)
Way to go, Jamin! 😉 Keep it up.. I won’t reveal the secret! Thanks for your nice compliment! 🙂
OH dang… just the best. I’ve done it on chicken and it’s just amazing. can someone confirm if this works on steak or pork?
Eek! Don’t throw away that excess marinade! baste it onto the chicken as it’s grilling until it’s gone.
First time trying this tonight and it is awesome. The only thing I will change next time is to use fresh limes with zest as the recipe calls for. This was a last minute thing so I only had bottled lime juice. Will use this recipe from now on! Thanks so much!!
It’s amazing how much of a difference fresh vs. bottle can make!
this chicken was super good! i almost didn’t want to put it into a taco and just eat the chicken straight! Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for your feedback, Betsy!