A real Mexican marinade for chicken that’s simple to make but packs in BIG flavours! This chicken is a home-style version of Mexican street food. Great for grilling, cooking on the stove or even baking!
The marinade for this recipe is adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe. I’m a huge fan of Bobby Flay. I still stand by a comment I made previously that he should seriously consider wearing sunnies when he cooks outdoors because I swear, he is permanently squinting in his Barbecue Addiction TV series!
Bobby Flay’s food is totally up my alley. He’s into strong flavours, herbs and spices, cooking food from all over the world, and while he does do Western takes on ethnic recipes, he always stays on the right side of “the line”. I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to staying on the right side of “the line”. There, I’ve said it. I’ve never openly admitted that before. I am absolutely not a food snob. I’m not a gourmet foodie, I’m not into foraging, I don’t refuse to eat anything other than artisan bread.
But I actually get a bit grumpy when I see, for example, a recipe named “Chinese” something-or-rather just because it has soy sauce in it, and no other Asian ingredient!
So one reason I like Bobby Flay’s recipes is because even if they are not a 100000% traditional recipe, they still taste authentic. Am I making sense???
And this Mexican grilled chicken is one such example. 🙂
I found this recipe in Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction cookbook. I’ve used a LOT of recipes from that cookbook, it’s one of my go-tos for…well, barbecue recipes! Actually, to tell you the truth, I use a lot of part of the recipes. Most of his recipes tend to comprise of a marinated or spice rubbed protein, plus a sauce or salsa on the side and quite often I end up using either the marinade or the side.
So the marinade I use for this chicken is adapted from Bobby Flay’s Mexican Red Chicken with Grilled Black Corn and Quinoa Relish. I skipped the Relish because this chicken is absolutely perfect for using for tacos, as I have done for this recipe.
The marinade for this chicken is based on a Mexican street food called Sinaloa Chicken. Deep dark mahogany red, mildly spicy and aromatic from cinnamon and All Spice. The real street food version is made using whole chickens and it’s cooked over charcoal.
So this is a homestyle version, made using a marinade adapted from Bobby Flay’s recipe, using chicken thigh fillets so it’s perfect for cutting into slices and stuffing into tacos.
If you love Mexican food, I promise, absolutely PROMISE you will love this. The flavour is truly sensational! – Nagi x
Taco topping options
-
Guacamole, Avocado Sauce or avocado slices/diced
-
Pico de Gallo (chunky tomato salsa) or a smooth Salsa Sauce
-
Taco Sauce or hot sauce / chilli sauce of choice
And more tacos
-
Quick Chicken Tacos – 2 in 1 recipe, shredded taco seasoned chicken AND taco sauce
-
Beef Tacos – the old school way
-
Fish Tacos – marinated and grilled, healthy and delicious!
-
Pork Carnitas Tacos – the iconic Mexican pulled pork tacos
-
Shredded Beef Tacos – tender slow cooked shredded beef in a deep flavoured Mexican sauce
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Mexican Grilled Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 - 1.5 lb / 500 - 750g chicken thigh fillets (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Marinade
- 4 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp chipotle or ancho chile powder (Note 3)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp smoked paprika powder (Note 4)
- 1/8 tsp All Spice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional - for spiciness)
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Taco Fixings
- Tortillas or taco shells
- Pico de Gallo (tomato salsa)
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Fresh coriander / cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Place Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag. Add chicken, massage to coat then refrigerate to marinate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Remove chicken from Marinade, discard Marinade.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat (or even better, do this on the BBQ on medium high). Cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side, until dark golden brown.
- Remove chicken onto plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 3 minutes.
- Cut into strips and use for tacos. (See Note 5 for more serving options)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
RecipeTinEats is my go to site for family recipes. I made this tonight (well, I did the marinade and sides, my husband BBQ’d it) and it was delicious. Just the right amount of complex spice for everyone, including my 11 yo daughter. So good.
I made this last weekend for a taco bar get together with friends. I cooked half in a cast iron skillet on the stove and put the other half under the broiler. It was a huge hit! People kept commenting on how good it was and that I should start a food truck! Thanks for such an easy and delicious recipe.
Woot! I’m so glad it was a hit Katie!
Hi Nagi – just a quick question re this yummy chicken. You know how you say with your chicken schwarma that you can cook it earlier and it reheats beautifully (which I have done many times, what a lifesaver), do you think you could do the same with this chicken???
My husband has a crowd coming for AFL grand final day and I’ve decided on a mexican food theme featuring all Nagi recipes of course hahaha. So I’ll make the pork carnitas the day before as well as the shredded beef. But I’ve got a photoshoot in the studio until midday on the day and so I’m wondering if I could grill up the chicken early in the morning, slice and then reheat. I will be using breast, not thigh as we prefer breast, I’m just wondering whether you think it would be too dry?
I’m trying to minimise actual cooking when the house is full of people and I’ve just walked in from shooting for 2 hours. Would love to hear from you xxx
Hi Lisa! Here’s what I’d do in your situation – pound the chicken breasts to even thickness (v important for even cooking), increase the salt in the marinade by 1 tsp and marinade overnight. What this will do is brine the chicken extra well, making it nice and plump with moisture. Cook it the day before (as late as possible – ha ha!) , keep them whole. Be careful cooking them to really ensure they don’t overcook, and as soon as you take them off the stove, cover loosely with foil. Keep covered, once cool, refrigerate, making sure you preserve all the chicken juices. The next day, slice, scrape over all the pooled juices (it’s liquid gold and it’s going to make a huge difference here), cover with cling wrap then gently microwave to reheat. That’s it! 🙂 N x
Oh Nagi – you are amazing!!!! Thank you so much. The detailed instructions are perfect and should make my life so much easier.
Thank you xxx
Oh my goodness – I am so happy I stumbled upon your recipe and your website. I made these for dinner tonight, and they were some of the best chicken tacos I have ever made at home! I will have to allot some time to really peruse your website and recipes. After getting happily sucked in to all your delicious recipes – dinner was in jeopardy of not happening! You seem like a girl after my own heart – Bold spices, lover of many cuisines, and I too love one pan dishes. I also have a crush on your Dozer (…Please don’t tell Marley my Papillion :).
🤫 Your secret is safe with me… 😂 So pleased you enjoyed this Christianne! N xx
I made this recipe for my family over Labor Day 2017 (30 people) and everyone has requested that I make it again this year. Hands down the best Chicken Taco recipe – Delicious!
Made the chicken last night – it was delicious!! I went with your suggestion to serve the chicken with the Mexican Green Rice (and included the corn). Oh my, that rice is AMAZING! Probably the best rice I have ever had. Eating the leftovers now. SOOOO good! Thanks for a great recipe
I LOVE HEARING THAT!!!!!! N xx
Can you make the marinade ahead of tim. I want to make it and take it on vacation to make the recipe later on
Yes you sure can!
Hello, thank you for the help. You have rescued me for dinner tonight. Love you tips and ideas.
That’s terrific to hear Elizabeth! So glad you enjoyed this! N x
Made this for dinner tonight . Wow. The house smelled so great , my husband also noticed as soon as he came home after work.
I used chicken breast , and cranberry juice as those were all I had. Didn’t have the ancho Chile/chipotle powder.
It was soo good!!!!! Flavourful and not dry at all. Will definitely make this again , and this time cook on bbq this summer.
Thank you so much Nagi. I’ve tried a LOT of your recipes now , and they’re always spot on.
Has anyone tried using lime juice instead of the orange juice?
Yes it’s terrific!
Would store bought orange juice be fine? For example Tropicana..
Is there anything else I can use other than Orange Juice? I am weary of using it!! Should I leave it out altogether? Or actually try it 😀
Try it! You can’t taste it!
Yep! 🙂
Love your recipes! Can you make this chicken ahead of time (thinking day/night before serving)? If so, how do you recommend reheating it?
Hi Shelly! If you make this with boneless chicken thighs then you can make it up to 3 days ahead (though 1 day ahead is best). In all honesty, I think the best way to reheat this is in the microwave! Keeps it juicy 🙂
I am obsessed with your recipes and will be trying this one this weekend!! it is making me hungry already!! Keep the awesome recipes coming!
Awww thanks Karen! I do hope you try this, it’s my “go to” chicken tacos recipe!!
Wow. Grilled the chicken thighs last night and they were exceptional. Had not used the chipotle chili powder before. It played so well with the cinnamon and allspice. I might reduce the cayenne to just a dash although the next day, all the spices blended so well with that super-tender meat. I agree the thighs can be served without corn or flour tortillas. Just chips, salsa and guac with some of that yummy rice. Great recipe.
Thanks Nagi
So glad to hear that Tom! Thanks so much for letting me know! N x
i just made this last night, so delicious and easy, we just ate the leftover for lunch today. i made a spicy corn side dish based off of the street corn recipe and we ate crisp corn tortillas and sour cream, so good! thank you.
Woo hoo! So thrilled that you enjoyed this Ivy, thanks for letting me know!
Hi Nagi. You mentioned at the end of this particular blog that it goes well with a cabbage salad and I thought I’d share from my experience meeting inlaws(not sure if this correct way to share as tablet shows as mispelled) that cabbage goes with everything – especially tacos in Mexico. There was hardly any lettuce in any eatery during the summer. My stay was brief. Can you imagine mashed potato tacos that were had at a big family get together? We were in the Jalisco area.
Thank you so much for the recipe. I’m actually going to use it to roast a chicken for taco meat afterward. (One chicken has to last a meal where there are at least 6 teenage boys. ☺)
Thanks for sharing that Rachel! I agree, I don’t remember seeing lettuce at all in Mexico. But….erm….mashed potato tacos??? What the…???
Yes! My mom use to make it for us growing up. It’s sooo good! You basically pack a corn tortilla with mashed potatoes and you fold it into a taco and fry it in some oil until the corn tortilla becomes a crispy hard shell taco.
Ooooh YUM!!! That sounds SO AMAZING!!!!
Hi Nagi! Do you think this would make a good chicken fajita marinade? Thanks!
Street food is the best everywhere. Wow this chicken and tacos looks so good. And I love bg flavors too!
I know, right??? The absolute best – forget posh restaurants!! N x
This looks so delicious, Nagi! We’re on the same wavelength this week – I just posted a Cinco de Mayo worthy recipe as well! Can’t wait to try your marinade…. sounds and looks so good.
I totally always forget about Cinco de Mayo!!!! I really need to do a food bloggers calendar!
Thanks so much for your generosity in sharing your insights & experiences Nagi! I`m a very green food blogger who`s definitely tech & photo challenged but working at getting better. I love your site, recipes & especially your tips & how clearly you relay information! Thanks again & congrat`s on your much deserved success!!
Aww, thank you Tez you’re so sweet! I do hope you joined Food Bloggers Central Facebook group so we can chat more there! 🙂
Yep definitely & thanks so much again!!
I’m so glad I follow you on Instagram — I saw this and the chicken is already marinating! Somehow, your recipes always fit into my weekly themes. 🙂 This recipe is a Taco Tuesday winner! I’m a flavour right-winger, too. Thanks!
Ooooh!!! Did you like it, did you like it??? 🙂
I did not like it. I LOVED IT. 😉 My family did, too! My grill-boss husband was super impressed! I served it boneless over sautéed peppers and onions for a lower carb option and will use this recipe again and again.
Yes yes YES!!!!! Thank you for letting me know Erin!!! <3 N x