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.
So good!! Our family loved this!
I’ve used this recipe for chicken tacos several times, both on the grill and in cast iron on the stove, and they’re fantastic. Sometimes I’ll toss the cut up chicken in cilantro and extra lime juice. Pairing this chicken with homemade flour tortillas makes it even better.
Oops, I forgot to add a rating to that comment. Definitely 5 stars!
This is so tasty! Whether the chicken is grilled or cooked on the stovetop, this is my favorite for chicken tacos and salad.
I haven’t tried this yet but I am so stocked to do so. I have a question though… Is there a similar tomato salsa (like the one in the Costco kit)? I have several taco salsas that we made, but those kits are like the perfect flavor meld and I’d surely love to replicate it. Yum!
Are you referring to the saucy salsa? I don’t have a recipe for it but we love this salsa with tacos: https://gimmedelicious.com/pico-de-gallo/
Great recipe. A hit with everyone!!!
I am so happy I found this recipe. So delicious and I like how it can be used in quesadillas for dinner or a salad the next for lunch. My husband adds some sumac to being out a more tangy flavor.
Happy to hear that!
I add this to a Mexican style Mac and cheese. It’s great!
Can I use ground chicken for this recipe?
You sure can!
Hi! Just curious, what is the point of the cornstarch? It does say optional, but just want to know what it does for the recipe if added?
Thanks so much!!
Cornstarch will give the exterior a slight crust.
Oops. Forgot to leave 5 star rating
I was looking for the spices for a Mexican grilled chicken to match a dish I get from a local restaurant. This is the first recipe I tried and it is SPOT ON! No need to look any further. Thank you. 💕
Best recipe ever! I add half a white onion and a small handful of coriander (cilantro). I hate coriander, however with all the other flavours in this marinade, it works very well! I also blend it all to make like a paste, I think it gives it more of an even flavour.
I will never make chicken tacos any other way now.
Really delicious, always a hit with my 4 and 6 YOs. Thank you!
I am blown away at how good and simple this was! The chicken was seasoned PERFECTLY. The only thing I did was pound out the chicken breasts, so it grilled up evenly. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you.
Can the breasts/thighs be grilled, diced then frozen for a simple vacation meal?
Love the chicken but what is the nutritional facts on the chicken??
Whatever it says on chicken packaging
Absolutely scrumptious. My go-to for pollo asado tacos on barbecue days. I serve with fresh guacamole, chopped onion and cilantro, and lime juice squeezed on; in corn or flour otrtillas, warmed on the grill. SO GOOOOOD
Amazing!!! Absolutely delicious!!!
Great recipe! This will now be my go to recipe for chicken tacos. My 15 year old son, who has recently been chicken averse, even liked it. He ate his thigh with a quesadilla on night one and in a quesadilla on night two. About ready to grill up some thighs for the second time and going to try them in a salad tonight. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
this chicken was amazing you should try this homemade cracker recipe I made
You posted a dog food recipe instead of reviewing the chicken?
This recipe was pretty decent. Although, I have to say, I think the chicken would have been better had I eaten it after I cooked it, this resulted in a quite hard and slimly texture. Also the seasonings were quite scrumptious eaten on their own rather then added to the chicken it made for a very interesting dinner. I will definitley be making this again. And Joe69Mama420 I cannot wait to use your idea as inspiration to do a meal swap with my goldfish. HE’S GONNA LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!!!!!! and I am looking forward to enjoying his crunchy fish bites.
last night I wanted to try something different me and my dog had a food swap so I made the chicken for him and I ate some of his dog food it was one of those canned chicken ones and it tastes very good if you use this recipe. also figured out if you plant birdseed birds do not grow.
I think this is the best idea
i agree this should be a amazing meL
Jo please leave Joey alone he can say whatever he wants its 2021 and America is a free country
THIS. IS. THE. ONE! I’ve made this a couple times with chicken breast. The best way is thin- slicing/ butterflying the beast so it’s thinner (you could pound it out) before marinating. Make sure the grill is HOT, then just 5 minutes or so each side on med-high flame!
I’ve served it on a taco salad (greens, tomato, avocado slices, squirt of lime juice) and over salsa quinoa bowls. I just love those caramelized crispy edge pieces. Chili powder is one of my FAVORITE spice mixes! It’s my secret ingredient on so many grilled meats.
Anyway, thanks for this great recipe!
Excellent recipe!! The seasoning was perfect!
I used real chili powder not the grocery store version. The chili powder was a combination of New Mexican red and Chimayo, absolutely delicious!
Why use cornstarch?
It’s totally optional but I find it helps the spices stick to the chicken and form a nice crust.
Used new mexico chili powder and threw the marinade on already cooked, diced chicken breast. Made excellent burritos. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome recipe!! However I have one question, when do I cut up/shred the chicken or thighs? Before or after marinating .. Or after I the thighs/breasts in the skillet?? Any insight here would be very helpful 🙂
Thanks!
Cory
You would cut them after they are cooked 🙂
The ratios are WAY off, far too much chili powder. Made a batch and it was inedibly hot.
What type of chili powder did you use? You may have used traditional “chili” powder which is more like cayenne pepper and is very spicy. The chili powder we use is the American blend which is more subtle.
Ben, I think your uterus is the issue
Sexist much, John S?
John S, I haven’t laughed so hard at a comment in a long time. I added cayenne pepper to give this more heat.
I have LOVED using this on chicken for tacos… but it’s also SUPER good on Shrimp!!! (I only marinate for about 1-2 hours and leave out the lime since it will begin to cook the shrimp). Thanks for this recipe 🙂
Yum! we love it on shrimp too 😀
This is probably my favorite recipe for grilled chicken, especially to use in tacos and taco bowls. It’s great as is, but I’ve also made it with a couple modifications:
– Pound the chicken out to 1/2″ for even cooking
– Smoked paprika instead of regular paprika
– Combination of Ancho chili powder/Chipotle chili powder/Hot Mexican chili powder (1/3 each). This gives it a bit more of a kick and a better flavor than just straight chili powder.
The grill should be well preheated on high to get a good char on the outside (the best part!)