Making marinated chicken for tacos and more is an easy and flavorful way to elevate your meals. This perfect blend can be used for burritos, quesadillas, and more, making it versatile for any dish. Preparing this chicken in bulk and keeping it frozen ensures you have ready-to-go meals for any day of the week. Using boneless, skinless chicken thighs provides extra juiciness and a meatier texture, but you can easily substitute with chicken breasts if you prefer. The secret to its delicious flavor lies in the marinating process with a spice blend, olive oil, and fresh lime juice.
The Ultimate Guide: Marinated Chicken for Tacos & More – Juicy, Flavorful, and Ready in Just 5 Minutes!
To make this dish, combine the spices and lime with garlic to create the juiciest marinade. In just 5 minutes, you’ll have a simple and delicious marinade ready. This method works great for street tacos, bowls, and even for grilling, baking, or air frying the chicken. Marinating the meat ensures that every bite is packed with flavor, making your taco tuesday or any meal extra special. Whether you’re planning a quick dinner or prepping for a party, this marinated chicken is your go-to recipe for a flavorful and satisfying dish.
How to Make the Chicken Taco Marinade
Creating a flavorful chicken taco marinade is simple and adds a delicious touch to your meals. Start by mixing lime juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and black pepper. This blend of spices and seasonings will enhance the taste of your chicken, making it perfect for tacos.
Next, trim the excess fat from boneless, skinless chicken thighs. These thighs offer a juicier texture compared to boneless skinless chicken breasts, making your tacos more authentic. Toss the chicken in the marinade, then transfer it to an airtight container like a Tupperware or a zip bag. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least two hours, or even overnight for a richer flavor. This process ensures that the meat absorbs all the flavors, resulting in delicious, tender chicken for your tacos.
How to Use This Chicken in Tacos, Burritos, and More
After the chicken has marinated, you can cook it on the grill, in the oven, or in a smoker. Using a meat thermometer helps to know when to remove it from the heat, ensuring it’s perfectly cooked. Smoking the chicken over an open flame adds a delicious flavor. Once done, chop the chicken into small pieces. Now, it’s ready for various dishes.
Follow the instructions for my Chicken Street Tacos or Chicken Burritos. For street taco style, add diced white onion, cilantro, and lime wedges. For burritos, similar to Chipotle, use cilantro lime rice, cheese, and warm tortillas. This chicken is also great in quesadillas, nachos, burrito bowls, and hard taco shells. Pair it with your favorite taco toppings like pico de gallo, hot sauce, red onion, black beans, Mexican rice, avocados, fresh garlic, and refried beans.
Key Tips – Marinated Chicken for Tacos 🌮
- Bulk Preparation & Freezing ❄️
- Prepare marinated chicken in bulk and freeze it for later.
- Saves time and ensures you always have a delicious meal ready.
- Smoking Method 🔥
- My favorite method: prepping the meat in a smoker for super tender and juicy results.
- Cooking it low and slow in the smoker or oven gives a similar result, though the oven lacks the smoky flavor.
- Grilling Option 🍗
- Grilling is another great option for cooking thighs.
- You can also freeze the chicken raw in the marinade and cook it after defrosting.
- Freezing Tips 🥶
- Place the chicken in the freezer right after packaging it in the marinade.
- To prepare from frozen, thaw the package and store it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before cooking to let the meat marinate properly.
- Reheating Precooked Leftover Chicken 🍴
- Defrost and warm in a pan over medium heat, mixing occasionally until heated through.
- If the chicken seems dry, add a splash of water or oil while reheating.
These tips ensure that your marinated chicken remains flavorful and convenient for any meal. Enjoy your tacos! 🌮✨
Use in Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, and More!
This chicken is perfect for many classic Mexican dishes. Check the links in the recipe for my chicken taco and burrito recipes! Some other ideas for using this chicken include burritos, quesadillas, flautas, crunch wraps, tostadas, and loaded nachos. This versatility ensures you have delicious options for every meal.
Save the Marinade and Brush on More as the Chicken Cooks
To get the most flavor from your marinade, save what’s left in the container and brush it onto the chicken as it cooks. Make sure you give it enough time to reach a food-safe temperature before you remove it from the heat. Do not toss the chicken in excess marinade after cooking, unless you set aside the marinade before it touched the raw chicken. This method ensures the chicken remains juicy and flavorful.
Freeze After Vacuum Sealing for Best Results
Using a vacuum sealer is a great investment for meal prepping and storing meats in the freezer. This tool keeps the meat fresh and prevents freezer burn. You will quickly fall in love with vacuum sealing. I recommend trying one of the cheaper options among name brands and using quality vacuum bags for the best results.
A Note on Serving Sizes
Serving sizes can be personal, so it’s hard to choose one size that fits everyone. Typically, one pound of raw, boneless, skinless chicken thigh results in about 12 oz of cooked meat. I’ve listed one serving as 3 oz of cooked chicken, but many people might prefer more than one serving per meal.
Ingredients
- Gather Ingredients:
- 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs or sub with chicken breasts.
- For the marinade: ¼ cup lime juice, ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.
- Add 2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoon paprika.
- Include 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Mix Marinade:
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Coat Chicken:
- Coat the boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts with the marinade, ensuring each piece is well covered.
- Marinate:
- Let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes.
- For more flavor, let it marinate overnight in the fridge.
This ensures the chicken is juicy and packed with flavor, perfect for your tacos.
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients:
- Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and mix them well.
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs and place them in a zip bag or an airtight container with the marinade.
- Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight for the best flavor.
- Smoke or Bake:
- Preheat your smoker or oven to 250 °F.
- If using an oven, place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.
- If using a smoker, place the chicken directly on the grill grates (Grilling adds a charred, smoky flavor that’s unbeatable.)
- Cook until the chicken’s internal temp reaches 165 °F, which takes about 1 to 2 hours.
- Brush on excess marinade during cooking for extra flavor.
- If using chicken breasts, note that cook times may be longer.
- Grill:
- Preheat your grill to about 350 °F.
- Grill, flipping once, until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temp reaches 165 °F, which takes about 10-15 minutes.
- After cooking, let the chicken rest, then slice it into small pieces.
- Serve and Store:
- Use this delicious marinated chicken in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, or other dishes.
- You can also prepare in bulk and freeze before cooking by placing the chicken and marinade in a vacuum bag, sealing it with as little air as possible.
- To freeze after cooking, let the chicken cool completely, then store in a vacuum bag.
- To prepare from frozen, defrost for at least 3 hours in the fridge before cooking or reheating.
If u like this type of dishes u are also like these recipes, Stir-Fry Chicken Udon Noodles, Dutch oven whole chicken and Korean Style Bean Sprouts.
Chicken Taco Marinade Grilling Tips
Creating an easy marinade for your chicken tacos is quick and simple. Use a microplane (A microplane makes zesting limes quick and effortless.) for zesting limes and a citrus juicer (A citrus juicer extracts every drop of juice, maximizing flavor) for juicing. During the marinating process, make sure to flip the chicken to ensure it becomes flavorful on all sides. Generously oil your grill grates with paper towels soaked in canola or vegetable oil and use tongs to rub the grates. This will create a beautiful sear and prevent the chicken from sticking.
After grilling, let the chicken rest by tenting it with foil and allowing it to stand for 5-10 minutes. This helps the juices redistribute, resulting in juicier meat. These tips will ensure your marinated chicken is perfectly cooked and delicious every time.
NUTRITION
- Serving: 3oz cooked chicken
- Calories: 182.7kcal
FAQS
What is Marinating Chicken?
Marinating chicken involves using a wet rub or marinade that combines herbs, spices, and a liquid. The liquid adds moisture and helps in tenderizing the chicken, while also enhancing its flavor. To create a marinade, combine your preferred spices and herbs in a one-to-one ratio, and add one-half part salt. This simple method ensures your chicken is juicy and flavorful, perfect for tacos and more.
How Long Will Marinated Chicken Last?
Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend marinating for six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days, the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, making it mushy.
How Long to Marinate Chicken for Best Flavor?
To get the best flavor and moisture in your chicken, marinate it anywhere from 2 hours up to 24 hours. Even 15 to 30 minutes can add flavor to smaller pieces of meat. Bone-in cuts, like wings, drumsticks, and breasts, need a longer marinade time compared to their boneless counterparts.