Grilled Spicy Chicken Tacos with Avocado Crema
Grilled Spicy Chicken Tacos start with chicken breasts marinated in a simple chipotle marinade, then quickly grilled and topped with a cooling avocado crema. Perfect for a weeknight family meal.
Servings: 4 servings
Cost: $10
Equipment
- 1 Mallet
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded out for consistency (see notes)
- 8 corn tortillas
Marinade
- 2 whole chipotles in adobo sauce (use 2 of the peppers from the can and finely dice them)
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from the chipotles in adobo)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ lime, juiced
Avocado Crema
- ½ cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)
- ½ avocado
- 1 tablespoon shallots, diced
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ lime, juiced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional Taco Toppings
- diced onions
- cilantro
- diced tomatoes
- lime quarters
- Cotija cheese
- more avocado (because there's never enough avocado)
Instructions
For the Chipotle Marinade
- Combine the marinade ingredients into a large sealable plastic bag. Add the pounded chicken breasts. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. After 2 hours remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the remaining marinade.
Making the Avocado Crema
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is combined. Can be made in advance and should last in the fridge for five days.
Grilling Chicken Breasts
- Preheat Grill: Prepare your grill for direct grilling, targeting 500 degrees Fahrenheit using lump charcoal.
- Grill Chicken: Place the chicken breasts on the grill grates over direct heat. Grill for 5 minutes and then flip. Continue to grill for additional 4 - 5 minutes or until the chicken breast is cooked to the proper internal temperature (165 degrees F) as read with a good instant-read thermometer like the Thermoworks Thermapen One.
- Shred: Once they’re done, pull them from the grill and allow them to rest for up to 10 minutes. Shred your chicken in preparation for the spicy chicken tacos.
Making the Tacos
- Place a couple of tablespoons of the shredded chicken on a corn tortilla and top with the crema. Add your favorite toppings like Cotija cheese, cilantro, onions, or tomatoes.
Notes
To Pound Out Chicken Breasts: Place chicken on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound out chicken, on the thicker side, so it appears uniform in width.
Chef's Tip: Warm tortillas add a texture and flavor element. While the chicken is resting grill the corn tortillas for 30 seconds per side.
Nutrition
Calories: 606kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 677mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg
