Up your chicken tacos by swapping in chicken thighs marinated with a zesty adobo spice rub, fresh juices and a handful of cilantro; Drizzled with a generous dollop of chipotle mayo for even more flavor!
I could legit eat chicken tacos once a week – at least. There are so many ways to prepare them; slow-cooker, grilled, instant pot, etc. And there are so many ways to serve them! Lettuce wraps, corn tortillas, flour, paleo…There isn’t just one way to make legit and delicious tacos at home anymore, and I am more than okay with that.
Soooo, I did a poll a few weeks ago on instagram, and asked if you’d rather have a taco recipe or a steak recipe for Valentine’s Day and so many of you asked for a taco recipe. And I took it a step further and asked if you’d prefer chicken or seafood tacos and again, overwhelmingly, it was chicken. Ask and you’ll receive. If you want an easy and flavorful shrimp taco recipe, I’ve gotchu! Here’s one for you.
What kind of chicken to use for chicken tacos?
I highly suggest boneless, skinless chicken thighs for any chicken taco recipe. You can use breast, but the flavor you get from thighs is worth it. I have had to use chicken breast in a pinch [because it’s what we had in the freezer already] and the flavor is good, but it’s just better and marinades better over chicken thighs.
The recipe below is for a quick and easy, chicken taco – ready in like twenty minutes. But! Please know if you’d rather use your slow-cooker before work or the instant pot, you can. You do you.
There is a little prep involved to make these Chicken Adobo Tacos, but it’s all easy and can be done in advance.
There’s a marinade made with zesty spices, fresh pineapple juice and lime juice, salt and pepper. Shredded cabbage tossed in vinegar – trust me, it’s easy, light and a nice texture. There’s also a chipotle mayo that is an optional garnish, but soooo worth it.
What makes these tacos whole30?
The rub, the sauce, the cabbage – all of it is whole30, low carb, clean, paleo…blah blah blah. There’s no sugar, weird oils or ingredients. What you use to stuff your tacos makes or breaks the lifestyle you live. I’m just coming off of a whole30, and used Siete Cassava Flour Tortillas. If you want to make my plantain tortillas, here’s that recipe.
I use a blend of dry spices including adobo seasoning, and marinade with pineapple and lime juice for 30 minutes – 4 hours. While the chicken thighs are marinating, prep the cabbage and mayo, if using. Feel free to garnish with whatever your go-to taco toppings are! For this recipe, I used fresh cilantro, jalapeno, cotija cheese and cabbage. Pickled radishes, tomatoes or shredded lettuce would also work well for these whole30 chicken adobo tacos – enjoy!
chicken adobo tacos
Ingredients
adobo chicken tacos
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice - no sugar added
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for skillet - (or avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper
To serve: your favorite tortillas, cotija cheese, cabbage, chipotle mayo, jalapeno, cilantro, tomato, radish, etc.
shredded cabbage (optional garnish)
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
chipotle mayo (optional)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1-2 chipotle peppers from can + 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
adobo chicken tacos
- To a large bowl, or resealable bag, combine chicken thighs, juices, and spices. Mix well to combine. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, up to 4 hours.To a medium skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, once hot, add marinated chicken thighs and grill for 4-5 minutes. Flip and grill 4-5 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through at 165F. Remove from skillet and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to cool 5-7 minutes. Once cool, dice into bite-sized pieces.Stuff into your favorite tortilla vessel and top with your favorite garnishes; cabbage, chipotle mayo, cheese, cilantro, etc
shredded cabbage (optional garnish)
- To a bowl, combine cabbage, vinegar and salt. Toss well to combine and cover. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Can be made 1 day in advance.
chipotle mayo (optional)
- To a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well using a fork to combine. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Can be made 1-2 days in advance. Will keep in fridge for up to 5 days, if using homemade mayo.
Notes
Nutrition
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Thank you for the great recipe, Nichole! It’s easy, yummy, and affordable. I served with vinegar based cole slaw and brown rice along with suggested corn tortillas. I made cucumber kimchee as an accompaniment. It’s a really nice batch!
Sounds delicious! I’m glad you liked the taco recipe and I love the sides you served with it!
These look so good! I love a good taco 🙂
Meee too!