Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
This recipe for Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos was sponsored by ALDI. Thank you so much for supporting the companies that make Lake Shore Lady possible!
It’s no secret that Memorial Day festivities are going to look a little bit different this year. Trust me, we were supposed to be getting married on Memorial Day Weekend – definitely different than we anticipated ? That being said, these past few months have taught us that our mood can be lifted with some time outdoors with delicious food. Therefore, that’s how we’ll be celebrating this year!
Recently, we’ve been trying to come up with recipes that are a mix of flavorful and convenient – and luckily, ALDI helps a TON with that. They have an amazing selection of fresh produce, free range chicken, affordable wine (and sangria!!) and more. In addition, my anxious self especially loves that they are taking the safety of their employees and customers really seriously during this crazy time. Everyone in store was wearing masks, the carts were all being thoroughly disinfected, you bag your own groceries to limit the amount of hands on them… it’s really nice to have a low stress grocery store experience right now!
But back to the food…
We were craving something super fresh and spring-y to kick off grilling season, so once I saw the bags of limes and fresh cilantro in store, I thought a cilantro lime chicken taco sounded delicious. Turns out, I was right! Plus, once the chicken has marinated, dinner can be on the table in less than 30 minutes – and who doesn’t like that?! It’s a great recipe for easy summer nights with just the two of us, or when we can entertain again. That’s to say, whenever that will be!! (Don’t worry if you don’t have a grill, you could definitely use a grill pan on your stove, too.)
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
(Grilled Chicken)
1 lb Simply Nature Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup Simply Nature 100% Pure Avocado Oil (or olive oil if that’s what you have on hand!)
salt and pepper
1/2 tablespoons honey
(Grilled Pineapple Salsa)
1/2 pineapple, chopped (you can also use mango slices from ALDI instead!)
1/2 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 red or orange pepper, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Tortillas
Queso Fresco (optional)
Optional Additional Toppings
I personally liked these tacos as is, since the pineapple is juicy and keeps the tacos from being dry. That being said, if you’d like to load them up more, you could add sour cream, guacamole, and/or shredded cabbage on top!
Also, don’t forget to look for Velata Sangria when you go to ALDI – it is SO delicious! You can also buy pre-sliced mango there, which pairs perfectly with the sangria. Just cut them into smaller pieces and add them to your wine glass. YUM!
How To Make Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Tacos
Step 1
Cut your chicken breasts and tenderize them so they are around the same thickness and size. This doesn’t need to be perfect, but it will help them cook more evenly! (Tip: if you don’t have a tenderizer, you can use a heavy pot!) Add the chicken to a freezer bag.
Step 2
In a food processor, add lime juice, garlic, cilantro, avocado oil, honey, salt and pepper. Pulse until everything is blended together.
Step 3
Pour the cilantro lime marinade over the chicken in the bag and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. (You get more flavor if the marinating chicken sits overnight!)
Step 4
When you’re ready to cook, cut your pineapple into thick slices.
Step 5
Chop the avocado, red pepper, red onion and cilantro. Add to a small bowl and squeeze lime juice over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 6
Meanwhile, heat your grill to 400 degrees. Once the grill has preheated, remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill. Cook for five minutes.
Step 7
After five minutes, flip and continue cooking chicken on the other side for 5 minutes. You can also add the pineapple to the grill at this point since that will cook for about 3-5 minutes per side.
Step 8
Check to make sure the chicken is cooked and remove from the grill. Flip your pineapple and cook until it’s charred to your liking. Then remove from the heat.
Step 9
Let the chicken rest while you cut the pineapple into small pieces. Add the pineapple to the bowl with avocado, red pepper, red onion, cilantro and lime. Stir to combine.
Step 10
Cut your chicken into strips and transfer to a platter.
Step 11
If you’d like to heat your tortillas on the grill, you can do that now, too. (They only need a minute or two per side.)
Step 12
Set out tortillas, chicken, pineapple salsa and queso fresco. Assemble your tacos however you prefer and enjoy!
Leftover Tips
This recipe makes about 4 servings. That being said, if you know you won’t eat all 4 servings the day you make it, it makes great leftovers! All you have to do is reserve just a few tablespoons of the cilantro and lime marinade in a bowl before you add the rest to your raw chicken. Then when you heat up the leftovers, you can add that marinade to get really juicy chicken again! In other words, no dry chicken leftovers here. Big win!
Also, if you’re local to Chicago, I’ll be talking about this recipe and a bunch of other favorites from ALDI on ABC Chicago’s Windy City Live on Friday, May 15th! We will be connected virtually so I can stay at home, which is something I never thought I’d be checking off my bucket list ? It should be fun and I hope you’ll tune in!
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- (Grilled Chicken)
- 1 lb Simply Nature Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup Simply Nature 100% Pure Avocado Oil
- 1/2 tablespoons honey
- salt and pepper
- (Grilled Pineapple Salsa)
- 1/2 pineapple, chopped (you can also use mango slices from ALDI instead!)
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- 1/2 red or orange pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- Tortillas
- Queso Fresco (optional)
Instructions
1. Cut the chicken breasts and tenderize them so they are around the same thickness and size. This doesn’t need to be perfect, but it will help them cook more evenly! (Tip: if you don’t have a tenderizer, you can use a heavy pot!) Add the chicken to a freezer bag.
2. In a food processor, add lime juice, garlic, cilantro, avocado oil, honey, salt, and pepper. Pulse until everything is blended together.
3. Pour the cilantro lime marinade over the chicken in the bag and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. (You get more flavor if the marinating chicken sits overnight!)
4. When you’re ready to cook, cut your pineapple into thick slices.
5. Chop the avocado, red pepper, red onion and cilantro. Add to a small bowl and squeeze lime juice over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
6. Heat your grill to 400 degrees. Once the grill has preheated, remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill. Cook for five minutes.
7. After five minutes, flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. You can also add the pineapple to the grill at this point since that will cook for about 3-5 minutes per side.
8. Check to make sure the chicken is cooked and remove from the grill. Flip your pineapple and cook until it's charred to your liking. Remove from the heat.
9. Let the chicken rest while you cut the pineapple into small pieces. Add the pineapple to the bowl with avocado, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, and lime. Stir to combine.
10. Cut your chicken into strips.
11. If you’d like to heat your tortillas on the grill, you can do that now, too. (They only need a minute or two per side.)
12. Set out tortillas, chicken, pineapple salsa, and queso fresco. Assemble your tacos however you prefer and enjoy!
Notes
I have only tested this with chicken breasts and chicken thighs, but you could probably do this with any other meat or meat alternative you have at home. Just be sure to alter the cook times to reflect what's best for the meat you choose to use.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 581Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 484mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 44g
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PS. You might also like How To Grill Pizza, My Birthday BBQ, and A Low Stress Outdoor Dinner Party!
