Cancun Grilled Chicken Tacos with Citrus Chile Marinade
Why I Love This Recipe
This healthy grilled recipe takes all the citrus and chile flavors of Cancun and rolls them into a taco. The tacos are fast and easy enough for everyday meals. I threw the recipe together while staying with my nieces and nephew using only the ingredients they had in their own refrigerator and I'll bet you have the ingredients in your fridge right now!
Submitted by: "Sandy Hoopes"
Ingredients You'll Need
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope taco seasoning (1 ounce)
1 1/4 cups orange juice, divided
2 tablespoons lime juice (or white or apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 habanero chile, seeded and minced (may use jalapeno)
salt
black pepper
1/2 fresh pineapple cut into rings or chunks
2 dozen fresh corn tortillas
Garnish with:
guacamole
shredded lettuce
salsa
sour cream (optional)
Directions
Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the taco seasoning packet evenly over the chicken on both sides and pat into the chicken. Set aside.
In a non-reactive dish (pyrex, plastic, etc), combine the orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, 1/2 sliced onion, minced garlic and minced habanero or jalapeno. Stir to combine and distribute evenly.
Place the chicken in the marinade making sure the marinade covers the top of the chicken. Cover the dish with plastic and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Not, too long or the citrus will "cook" the chicken like ceviche.
Place remaining sliced onion in the remaining orange juice and allow to soften or "pickle" while the chicken marinates. Drain before serving.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill on a BBQ or grill pan over medium-high heat until done, about 6 to 8 minutes on each side.
Grill the pineapple a few minutes on each side until grill marks appear.
Remove the chicken from the grill and let rest before slicing crosswise into 1/2 thick strips.
Quickly heat the corn tortillas on the grill, a griddle or large skillet.
Serve family style with "pickled" onion, grilled pineapple, guacamole, lettuce, salsa and sour cream.