Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
Soft Lime Chicken Tacos with nutty Romesco Sauce for Taco Night!
Posted By Savita
Sweet and Smoky Romesco Sauce pairs perfectly with zesty and tangy cilantro lime chicken. Served on soft corn tortillas with fresh cucumber, juicy tomatoes, and just a touch of tangy Cotija Cheese, these tacos will keep 'Taco Night' healthy yet so packed with flavor! Oh- and this dinner is also Gluten Free. Just make sure to use, gluten free, Corn Tortillas.
I'm telling you, there are MORE veggies in these Chicken Tacos, than your vegetarian versions!
What makes tacos special? - crunchy toppings, flavorful sauce, zesty flavor, and SOFT tortilla tacos (one of my favorite)!! Plus a good serving of vegetables sneaked in the flavorful chicken taco dinner is a win-win for whole family!
Today's taco dinner has: cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, lime.... and yet it takes 35 minutes to serve this chicken dinner from SCRATCH - starting with fresh ingredients!!!
How good does that sound?
It will be a lie if I say I have been eating tacos all my life..... But.. flavors of Mexican Cuisine made a special place in my heart, once I came to States. You can also say, being a novice cook, I adapted to flavors I loved most from all cuisines around me. And because of living in California, specially SanDiego-LA area, Mexican cuisine was first to impress me. There is so so much good and authentic Mexican food around this area that it will be hard not to 'fall in love', no matter what!
After chipotle, oregano, and poblanos, one more staple Mexican ingredient that impressed me MOST is: Lime! Yes! Trust me! Lime!!
In San Diego, we were fond of eating in a local eatery which specialized in lot of Lime-Based chicken recipes like Taquilla Lime Chicken, Cilantro Lime Chicken, Lime Cream Chicken, and Chili Lime Chicken...... list goes on and on and on.....
If you like Mexican Cuisine, I'm certain, your palate will be obsessed with some version of Mexican Lime flavor, for sure! Like this Cilantro-Lime Marinade for Chicken, I use it for everything, from marinade to salad dressing.
PS: You can even add it to a quick Guacamole and I bet, after you taste the "zing" it gives to guac, you will stop eating Guac any other way!! promise!
I can even drink this Cilantro-Lime Marinade with a straw! slurp!
Now a few words about this delicious, 5-minute Romesco Sauce. This smoky, sweet and garlicky sauce will give you much needed break from Sour Cream. I know, you love sour cream or Mexican crema on tacos, but just give this sauce a try! This nutty sauce is a flavor bomb which will take these chicken tacos to a whole new level! Plus you make it once and enjoy whole week! It has good refrigerator life.
I'm telling you, you will never regret the 5 minutes you will invest in making this sauce! Plus look at the color!! Isn't it gorgeous?
From marinating chicken to blending romesco sauce, this taco dinner for 4 comes together in just 35 minutes. One of my favorite thing to do for weekdays is: Marinating a batch of cilantro-lime chicken a night before, and keeping a batch of romesco sauce ready to go. Then for dinner, just warm the tortillas, chop veggies, cook chicken and dinner is served!
Sounds good to me! How about you?
These chicken tacos are always on weeknight menu in my home. I hope you will enjoy'em as much as we do!
Have a great day!
Savita
Some dips and chips for 'Taco Night' feast:
Ingredients
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- 1.5 lbs Chicken (boneless and skinless, chicken breast, cut into small 1-1.5 inch cubes)
- 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil (or canola oil, for cooking)
- 3 Garlic (cloves, for marinade)
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil (for marinade)
- 1/2 Cup Cilantro (for marinade)
- 2-3 Lime (about 1/4 cup juice, for marinade)
- 1/2 tsp Salt and Black Pepper (for marinade, adjust per taste)
- Romesco Sauce
- 2 Red Bell Pepper (Fire Roasted Whole Red Peppers)
- 1/2 Cup Almonds (silvered almonds, toasted in skillet until lite brown, about 1-2 minutes)
- 1/2 Cup Tomatoes (fire roasted tomatoes, water drained)
- 1/2 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 3 tbsp Sherry Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Oregano (dried)
- 2 tbsp Parsley (fresh leaves, chopped)
- Salt and Black Pepper (as per taste, about 1/2 tsp each)
- 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
- Tacos and Toppings
- 8-10 Tortillas (medium, soft corn tortillas for tacos)
- 1 Cucumber (small diced)
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes (ripe, small diced)
- Cotija Cheese (for serving)
- Lime (cut in wedges, for serving)
Directions
-
1. Marinate Chicken - Pulse, all ingredients for chicken marinade in a food processor until finely fine and smooth. Taste and adjust salt. Transfer to a wide bowl. Cube chicken into 1-2 inch pieces. Add to marinade, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (for best result marinate for 30 minutes) -
2. Blend Romesco Sauce - Pulse, all ingredients for romesco sauce except oil, and salt, in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, slowly add oil, process until smooth. Season with salt as per taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Recipe yields about 2 cups of sauce. -
3. Cook Chicken - Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in wide non-stick pan (per batch). Add marinated cilantro chicken. -
4. Cook chicken until done and crispy brown. (5 minutes per batch) -
5. Serve - Warm tortillas in microwave or on a gas flame until pliable and slight charred at edges. Serve tacos family-style, in a platter, with romesco sauce, chopped cucumber, tomatoes and cotilla cheese on side.
Savita's Recipe Notes:
Make Ahead: Romesco sauce stays good, for up-to 1 week, in refrigerator. You can also marinate chicken a day in advance.
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