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Summer is in full swing and the flames on my grill are firing high! I seriously can’t get enough of weeknight meals made on the grill. These Grilled Chili Chicken Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa aren’t just great for any ole taco Tuesday — they’re such a good recipe to keep in your back pocket for weekend summer entertaining, too. Everyone (and I mean everyone) will rave about it!
To accompany the juicy charred chicken tacos, I like to make my own easy tomatillo salsa. Making salsa may seem daunting, but it’s surprisingly simple and I’ll walk you through each step. Plus, it’s an easy way to really wow a crowd. All you need to do is throw the tomatillos, onions, and jalapeño peppers on the grill to char and soften while the chicken cooks (who doesn’t love double duty?!). After the veggies soften, just toss them in a blender with a few other flavorful ingredients (think: cilantro, cumin, and lime) and you’ll have tacos and homemade salsa on the table in no time at all!
ingredients:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Avocado Oil
- Coconut Aminos
- Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
- Kosher Salt
- Chili Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Tomatillos
- White Onion
- Jalapeño Pepper
- Fresh Cilantro
- Tortillas
- Avocado
step-by-step:
step one: pound the chicken
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and trim off excess fat. Cover the chicken with a large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform 1/2-inch thick. This helps tenderize the chicken and makes it cook more evenly.
step two: marinate the chicken
Transfer the chicken to a large bowl or zip-top bag. Add the oil, coconut aminos, lime juice, salt, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
step three: prep the vegetables
Place the tomatillos, halved onion, and jalapeño peppers on a small skillet and drizzle with oil.
step four: grill the chicken and vegetables
Heat a grill over medium-high heat (350°F to 400°F). On one half of the grill, place the skillet with the tomatillos. Place the chicken on the other half of grill. Cover the grill and cook the chicken for about 4 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Meanwhile, grill the veggies on the skillet until they begin to blister and are just tender, about 15 minutes total, rotating every 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
step five: make the salsa
Remove the stem from the jalapeño peppers. In a food processor or high-powered blender, add the charred tomatillos, onions, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cumin. Blend until just smooth. Transfer to a bowl for serving.
step six: serve the tacos
Slice the chicken and serve in warmed tortillas with sliced avocado, diced onions, chopped cilantro, and tomatillo salsa. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!
recipe faqs:
Siete Grain-Free Cassava Flour tortillas are my favorite, but any flour or corn tortillas will work!
Yes! You may just need to use two—one for the chicken and one for the vegetables. The cook time will be the same though!
If you’re looking for a flavor-packed meal for summer, I know y’all are going to love these Grilled Chili Chicken Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa. Leave a comment when you try it and let me know what you think!
looking for more taco recipes? try these!
Grilled Fish Tacos with Citrus Slaw and Green Sauce
Chipotle Sesame Adobo Steak Tacos
Grilled Chili Chicken Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, plus more for grilling
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa:
- 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
- 1/2 medium white onion, halved
- 1 small jalapeño pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
For the Tacos:
- 8-12 tortillas,
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and trim off excess fat. Cover the chicken with a large sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform 1/2-inch thick. This helps tenderize the chicken and makes it cook more evenly.
- Transfer the chicken to a large bowl or zip-top bag. Add the oil, coconut aminos, lime juice, salt, chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper and toss until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Place the tomatillos, halved onion, and jalapeño peppers on a small skillet and drizzle with oil.
- Heat a grill over medium-high heat (350°F to 400°F). On one half of the grill, place the skillet with the tomatillos. Place the chicken on the other half of grill. Cover the grill and cook the chicken for about 4 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Meanwhile, grill the veggies on the skillet until they begin to blister and are just tender, about 15 minutes total, rotating every 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Remove the stem from the jalapeño peppers. In a food processor or high-powered blender, add the charred tomatillos, onions, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cumin. Blend until just smooth. Transfer to a bowl for serving.
- Slice the chicken and serve in warmed tortillas with sliced avocado, diced onions, chopped cilantro, and tomatillo salsa. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were BOMB!!!! I discovered you recently and so far every recipe I’ve tried, was soo soo good! I also love that most of your recipes are gluten free. I have hashimotos and try my best to avoid any inflammatory ingredients. Thank you so much for your work. You make me a better cook😊
So sweet of you to say, Valerie!
THESE ARE AMAZING! I’m a private chef and have made these twice for my customers. They are a huge fan favorite now. The marinade, fresh tomatillo salsa have an amazing “FRESH” flavor. The only thing I add to the recipe marinade is fresh garlic instead of garlic powder.
Love that swap. Glad your clients are loving these! Thanks for making and commenting.
Amazing! Just made this for dinner and it will be added to the weekly rotation! Such a simple recipe with amazing flavors!
Where did you get your comal, or the pan you used to grill the veggies for the salsa?