Tacos are versatile, easy to make, and everyone loves them! Our brand new cookbook Taco! Taco! Taco! by Sara Haas contains so many delicious recipes and we’re sharing two of them with you today! Just in time for your summer celebrations including the upcoming 4th of July.
Spicy meets sweet in this delicious taco riff. Don’t cringe at that marinade ingredient list—I know it’s long, but you likely have some of the ingredients already on hand. I recommend doubling this recipe, because you’ll want this again tomorrow night!
Jerk Chicken Tacos with Mango Avocado Salad
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the marinade:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 scallions, white and green parts only, thinly sliced
1 2-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, stems removed and roughly chopped
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
For the mango avocado salsa:
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 ripe avocado, seeded and diced
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup packed, fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For the tacos:
8 corn tortillas, warmed
Directions
First, make the marinade. To a blender or bowl of a small food processor, add the cinnamon, brown sugar, allspice, thyme, garlic, scallions, ginger, peppers, oil and lime juice. Puree until smooth. Transfer the marinade to a gallon-size, sealable bag. Add the chicken, press out any excess air from the bag, then seal and turn to coat. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. For the mango avocado salsa, combine the mango, avocado, onion, cilantro, lime zest, and lime juice in a bowl. Toss to combine. Season with salt, as needed. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat or set a grill pan over medium-high heat. If using a grill, clean the grill grates and brush them with oil. If using a grill pan, coat pan lightly with oil. Once hot, remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry; discard marinade. Season with a little kosher salt. Grill the chicken, turning once, until internal temperature reaches 165℉, 10 to 14 minutes total. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve sliced chicken in warmed tortillas and top with mango avocado salsa.
Grocery Tip: If you can’t find fresh mango, substitute with thawed, frozen mango. Or swap in a different fruit for the mango. Pineapple would also work well here, as well as melon.
Recipe Note: Scotch bonnet and habanero peppers are SUPER spicy. If you’re not into that much heat, you can replace either one with jalapeño peppers.
