Easy and delicious Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos topped with tangy coleslaw and homemade avocado crema make the perfect EASY summer recipe! Full of fresh flavors and healthy ingredients!
Let’s TACO bout grilling season! When I think of summer I immediately dream of cookouts, pool parties and firing up the grill and these cilantro lime chicken tacos make the perfect flavorful recipe to share with your friends and family this season. I mean with all these fresh flavors and vibrant colors, I promise your friends will thank you! Just make sure to throw in a margarita or two.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Healthy and delicious flavor-packed meal that comes together in under 30 minutes!
- The cilantro lime marinade is FANTASTIC and adds so much flavor to these tacos.
- You’ll also love the creamy avocado crema and tangy coleslaw, but feel free to use whatever toppings you like best!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- chicken – you’ll need 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe.
- olive oil – this is to coat your shrimp and veggies and I like to use a good olive oil that doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavor.
- limes – you’ll need fresh lime juice plus zest for this marinade. The lime adds such a bright, fresh taste to the tacos, just make sure to use fresh lime juice and not the bottled stuff.
- honey – adds a little sweetness and helps to balance out these tangy flavors, you could also use maple syrup or other natural sweetener.
- garlic – fresh garlic always tastes best, but feel free to use one teaspoon of garlic powder in place of fresh garlic if that’s all you have on hand.
- cilantro – adds such a flavorful fresh taste to the marinade
- tortillas – I used flour tortillas for these tacos, but feel free to use corn tortillas if gluten-free or your favorite style of tortilla.
- toppings – we are topping these delicious tacos with a creamy avocado crema and tangy coleslaw (recipes are below!), but you could also add fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, crumbled cotija cheese and even extra fresh cilantro.
The creamy avocado crema is one of my tried and true recipes seen in this salad here. It’s one of my favorite dressings and pairs perfectly on top of these tacos! I added just a little more hot sauce than I normally do because I really wanted these tacos to have a nice kick, but feel free to add as much or as little as you’d like.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
- Make the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, garlic, honey, and cilantro until combined.
- Marinate the chicken. Place chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour marinade over top, making sure the chicken is completely coated. Cover and marinate chicken for about 4 hours to overnight.
- Make the coleslaw. While the chicken is marinating, combine cabbage, carrots, green onions and cilantro in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey and salt and toss together with the slaw mixture.
- Make the avocado crema. In the bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the avocado, garlic, cilantro, yogurt (or sour cream), lime juice, sriracha and salt/pepper and pulse until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and water until smooth and you have your desired consistency.
- Grill the chicken. Pre-heat an outdoor grill or grill pan on medium heat and add marinated chicken breasts. Sprinkle with a little salt and cook chicken about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until juices run clear. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting. This keeps them juicy!
- Assemble tacos. Slice up the chicken (or shred chicken with two forks) and serve with tortillas, coleslaw and avocado crema, along with your other favorite toppings.
Why You’ll Love this Coleslaw
Okay so let’s talk about this super easy-to-make coleslaw! It’s crunchy, flavorful and adds so much gorgeous color to the tacos that it is a MUST in this recipe. Now if you’re looking for a creamy coleslaw, this might not be your thing, but I kept this much healthier by simply tossing it with a little olive oil, lime juice and zest with a touch of honey and letting those flavors marinate just before serving. Simple, easy and delicious! This is also my go-to slaw to throw on top of burgers and sandwiches or even add to salads for a nice crunch.
How to Serve
These cilantro lime chicken tacos taste amazing all on their own, but here are some of my favorite sides (and cocktails) I like to serve along with, especially when hosting friends!
- Appetizers: chips and fresh pico de gallo, healthier version of 7 layer spicy taco dip, or this pineapple salsa with cinnamon pita chips
- Sides: try this black bean and corn salad, Mexican brown rice, cilantro lime cauliflower rice, or this sweet potato and black bean quinoa bake
- Drinks: you’ll love this spicy grapefruit paloma, these fresh watermelon margaritas or enjoy this citrus summer sangria!
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftover chicken in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Store any leftover toppings in separate containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat chicken in a skillet on the stove-top or microwave until warm.
More Taco Recipes
- Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
- Mango Sriracha Salmon Tacos
- Fish Tacos with Peach Mango Salsa
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 7 Layer Spicy Taco Dip
More Mexican Recipes
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Baked Chicken Fajita Roll-Ups
- Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quinoa Bake
- Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers
Hope you all enjoy these Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos! If you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 to 10 6 inch flour or corn tortillas
For the marinade:
- Juice of 2 limes + zest of 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
For the coleslaw:
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- Pinch of salt
For the avocado crema:
- 1 avocado
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, depending on consistency
Instructions
- Place chicken in a large ziplock bag or bowl.
- To make the marinade, whisk together lime juice, zest, olive oil, garlic, honey, and cilantro until combined and pour over top of chicken until completely coated. Cover and marinate chicken for about 4 hours to overnight.
- To make the coleslaw, combine cabbage, carrots, green onions and cilantro in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey and salt and toss together with slaw mixture.
- To make the avocado crema, combine the avocado, garlic, cilantro, yogurt, lime juice, sriracha and salt/pepper in a food processor and pulse until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil and water until smooth until you have your desired consistency.
- To cook the chicken, pre-heat outdoor grill or grill pan on medium-high heat and add marinated chicken breasts. Sprinkle with a little salt and cook chicken about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until juices run clear. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting. This keeps them juicy!
- To assemble the tacos, place chicken in a tortilla and top with slaw and a drizzle of the avocado crema. Serve with a fresh squeeze of lime and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh. My. Freakin. Goodness. THESE ARE THE DEFINITION OF GOODNESS!!! These hit every “like button” I have. Crisp, fresh, citrusy, creamy, tangy, and so light (if I’m only eating one big one:) I am vegetarian, so I made the chicken only for my family, but they absolutely loved it. I needed another one, but I had to refrain. I would definitely make these every night of the week. Thank you for a delicious taco recipe💛🌮💛
So glad your whole family loved these Cana! 🙂
These tacos were absolutely delicious! The slaw & avocado crema are a magical combination! Great for the chicken tacos, but would be equally great on fish tacos, too. Definitely going into our regular rotation.