Spicy Chicken Tacos with Adobo Marinade

This spicy, flavourful chicken marinade is coconut milk that turns it super tender and is layered with spices. It only takes a few minutes to whip up and can be used in tacos, rice bowls & sandwiches!

The Secret To Moist, Flavorful Chicken Is All In The Marinade.

These spicy chicken tacos are the ultimate easy, weeknight recipe! I love to marinate this with all the spices ahead of time so it only takes 10 minutes to put together before dinner time. These are also alternatively great for both meal prep and entertaining large crowds.

No matter how many new recipes I come up with, there’s certain recipes by family and friends will request over and over again. This chicken turned into tacos are hands down the most requested one. I’ve served these at family dinner, my sister’s graduation party and for various other occasions. The marinade packs a punch of flavor with very budget friendly ingredients!

What Makes Them So Flavorful?

The marinade! Every good marinade has three components : fat, acid and flavor. In this recipe, the fat comes from the coconut milk, acid from the lemon and flavor from the spices. Marinating chicken for 4-5 hours infuses flavor deep into the chicken, rather than just coating flavor on the outside. Along with creating a really flavorful final product, the marinade tenderizes the chicken by breaking down the proteins. This improves the texture of the chicken by keeping it juicy as it cooks.

Taco Bar Style

In my family, we always serve this taco bar style. I’ll place 4-5 main bowls on the dining table with different taco toppings. My favorites are Chunky Guacamole, Sauteed Veggies (thinly sliced onion, peppers and zucchini), Refried black beans and a roasted veggie salsa. We’ll also have 1-2 taco sauces available like an avocado crema or creamy salsa verde. This is a really fun way to spice up meal time and get everyone involved in assembling their tacos!

Spicy Chicken Tacos with Adobo Marinade

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

• Total Time: 5 minutes

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Description

This spicy, flavourful chicken marinade is coconut milk that turns it super tender and is layered with spices. It only takes a few minutes to whip up  and can be used in tacos, rice bowls & sandwiches!

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Ingredients

Scale

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• 2 pounds Chicken Thighs, boneless, skinless
• 1 tbsp chili powder or cayenne powder
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3–4 tbsp Adobo Sauce (remove the peppers from a jar of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce and reserve in a small bowl)
• 2 Chipotle Peppers from above, minced
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup Coconut Milk from a can

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Instructions

1. Marinate the Chicken : To a bowl, add the chicken and all the marinade ingredients. Make sure you check how many pounds of chicken you’re using and marinate accordingly. This recipe is for 2 pounds of thighs, so scale the marinade accoringly. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for 4 hours to overnight. (overnight is worth it!)
2. If you want to Pan-Cook the Chicken : Heat up a seasoned skillet or grill. Add the oil and chicken to the pan. Cook the chicken for 6-7 minutes on each side. Turn off the pan and remove the chicken from the pan. Add 1/4 cup water to the pan and chop the chicken up into cubes or strips. Add the chopped-up chicken back to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes. Let all the flavor in the pan coat the chicken well.
3. OR If you want to Bake or Airfry the Chicken : Bake or airfry for 30-40 minutes at 400F.

Notes

Looking for another chicken marinade recipe? Try this one for masala drumsticks.

• Prep Time: 5