Oh my lord. These tacos are everything. They are so fresh and so simple to make. Whenever I am craving a taco, these are my go to. Not to mention the sauce. I don’t want to be dramatic, but I would die for this sauce. I use it on everything. Trust me when I say, you do not want to wait to make these tacos.
Okay, let’s get going on this taco perfection. Start by gathering your marinade ingredients. I like to marinate in a plastic bag because I can get all the air out of it and the chicken just gets to mingle with all the yummy spices, but you can choose your own path. I trust you. Add some chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, olive oil, the juice from half a lime, two cloves of grated garlic, fresh cilantro, salt and pepper to a plastic bag and give it a little mix. Then, add one pound of diced chicken and shake or shimmy that bag until everyone is acquainted.
Let your chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes. I like to make this ahead and let it marinate for a day or two. The chicken is so flavorful and delicious and the longer it marinates the more flavor you get. Here is what your chicken looks like after you marinate. Yuuuuuuum!
While your chicken is marinating, let’s talk sauce. These tacos are good without the sauce, the chicken is so tender and full of flavor on its own but when paired with this cilantro lime sauce, your heart and tastebuds are going to be singing. The sauce is so simple to make as well, so really, why not?
A note on making the sauce ahead:
- This is a great idea! I like to make the sauce when I marinate my chicken. That way, when it is go time, all I need to do is cook my chicken and slice and avocado. I make the sauce and store it in a mason jar in the refrigerator and it is good for 5 days! It never lasts all 5 days though…
To make the sauce, add some sour cream or greek yogurt (I have used both and both are totally scrumptious), half bunch of cilantro stems and all, one clove of garlic, juice from half a lime, salt and pepper to a food processor and blend until creamy and the garlic is completely incorporated.
Now for the magic. When your chicken has marinated and you are ready to cook, add the chicken to a pan and cook until charred and completely cooked through. Warning: your kitchen is going to smell amazing, watch out for pools of drool. Gather some flour and/ or corn tortillas, the cilantro lime sauce, and some sliced avocado and step into taco heaven.