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Spicy Grilled Chicken Tacos topped with Avocado Crema on a serving platter
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5 from 6 votes

Grilled Spicy Chicken Tacos with Avocado Crema

Grilled Spicy Chicken Tacos start with chicken breasts marinated in a simple chipotle marinade, then quickly grilled and topped with a cooling avocado crema. Perfect for a weeknight family meal. 
Prep Time10 minutes
Marinating time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: grilled, Mexican
Keyword: avocado crema, best chicken tacos, chicken marinade for tacos, spicy chicken tacos, spicy grilled chicken tacos
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
Cost: $10

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded out for consistency (see notes)
  • 8 corn tortillas

Marinade

  • 2 whole chipotles in adobo sauce, (use 2 of the peppers from the can and finely dice them)
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, (from the chipotles in adobo)
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ lime, juiced

Avocado Crema

  • ½ cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 tablespoon shallots, diced
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ lime, juiced
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Optional Taco Toppings

  • diced onions
  • cilantro
  • diced tomatoes
  • lime quarters
  • Cotija cheese
  • more avocado (because there's never enough avocado)

Instructions

For the Chipotle Marinade

  • Combine the marinade ingredients into a large sealable plastic bag. Add the pounded chicken breasts. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
    After 2 hours remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the remaining marinade.

Making the Avocado Crema

  • Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is combined. Can be made in advance and should last in the fridge for five days.

Grilling Chicken Breasts

  • About 30 minutes before you are going to grill your chicken prepare your grill for direct grilling targeting 500 degrees Fahrenheit using lump charcoal.
  • Place the chicken breasts on the grill grates over direct heat. Grill for 5 minutes and then flip. Continue to grill for additional 4 - 5 minutes or until the chicken breast is cooked to the proper internal temperature (165 degrees F) as read with a good instant read thermometer like the Thermoworks Thermapen One.
  • Once they’re done, pull them from the grill and allow them to rest up to 10 minutes. Shred your chicken in preparation for the spicy chicken tacos.

Making the Tacos

  • Place a couple tablespoons of the shredded chicken on a corn tortilla and top with the crema. Add your favorite toppings like Cotija cheese, cilantro, onions, or tomatoes.

Notes

To Pound Out Chicken Breasts: Place chicken on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound out chicken, on the thicker side, so it appears uniform in width.
Chef's Tip: Warm tortillas add a texture and flavor element. While the chicken is resting grill the corn tortillas for 30 seconds per side. 

Nutrition

Calories: 606kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 677mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 228IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 2mg