Charred and Tender grilled chicken spiced with a special blend of homemade taco seasoning can be grilled or cooked on the stove-top. It’s delicious in tacos, burritos, on salads, or for meal-prep!
Perfectly charred and crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, this really is the BEST Mexican spiced grilled chicken. It’s seasoned with my favorite blend of homemade taco seasoning. With the addition of garlic, lime, and olive oil, you’ve got yourself delicious chicken that’s great for tacos, burrito bowls, salads, wraps and just about anything else.
A batch of perfectly grilled chicken can go a long way. I like to season a few pounds of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts and keep them in zip seal bags in the fridge and freezer. When needed, just pop a bag out of the fridge or freezer and grill on an outdoor grill or right in a pan on the stove top. Use it to make tacos, wraps, on a salad or rice.
Just like Chipotle, I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs rather than breasts because they are always tender and won’t dry out. Chicken breasts will also work for this recipe but be sure not to over-cook them. 
The Best Grilled Chicken For Tacos, Burritos, or Salads
Ingredients
- 1 pound Boneless, Skinless chicken thighs or breasts, we prefer thighs
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon corn starch , optional
Instructions
- Add the chicken, garlic, olive oil, lime, spices, and cornstarch to a large bowl or zip-seal bag.
- Place in fridge and let marinate for at least 15-30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Place chicken on a grill or pan heated to medium-high heat. Let chicken cook until it is no longer pink on the inside, about 6-7 minutes per side (or until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
- Serve chicken in tacos, burritos, on salads or rice.
Equipment
I have been making this for years and everyone loves it, grilled and cooking in a pan. Can I bake it and get the same results?
Recipe sound fantastic, just what I was looking for. I want to prep it as much as I can ahead of time. To freeze the chicken, do I marinate it, then remove the marinade, and then freeze it? One cooking day, can I cook it from frozen, or should it be defrosted first?
This makes for very tasty chicken for tacos and quesadillas. Both times we’ve made it, we’ve cooked the chicken in the air fryer and it comes out tender, juicy and flavorful. Next time, I’ll probably try it on the gas grill at 350 degrees or so with smoke bellowing out of a smoker box on the grill too.
We made this last night. It was easy and delicious!! Thank you!!
We make this often and have for a couple of years now!! It is a no fail recipe.
oops, I meant to say… REALLY GOOD!!!
This was REALLY. I rarely grill so I pan fried. It was crispy on outside and juicy on inside. Definitely will keep this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Found this recipe a month ago and have lost count on how many times I’ve made it. This is absolutely the best chicken marinade! It’s meal prep perfect. Huge thank you..
Made this tonight for tacos. We loved it!! Thanks for sharing. We will definitely make it again
Cannot count the number of times I have made this in the past few years or how many people I have given the recipe to, but it’s a lot. Simple and Delicious.
I am overdue to review this recipe. I make it several times a year and it is my ‘go-to’ if we have a larger group at our house. It usually becomes a make your own burrito/taco/rice bowl bar so that everyone can add foods they like. But the chicken is the real winner and it is so nice to marinade/prep the night before and then throw it on the grill. Our sides usually include the following: yellow rice (NYT recipe), black beans, refried beans, cojita, Mexican cheese blend, limes, cilantro, sauteed bell peppers and onions, scallions, avocado, salsa, and I am sure I am forgetting something. I am working on my grocery list now for a team dinner we’re hosting on Friday!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!!
I use this all the time! I add to a mexican mac and cheese recipe, or use for chicken tacos. 1 question… don’t you cook before freezing or freeze raw in or after marinade?
You can cook before or after freezing but I prefer to marinate the chicken then cook it as needed.
I use this all the time! I add to a mexican mac and cheese recipe, or use for chicken tacos. 1 question… do you cook before freezing or freeze raw in or after marinade?
So delicious! Turned out perfect and my family was happy!