Grilled chicken tacos piled high with a simple lettuce-tomato slaw, avocado, and Cotija cheese on a charred tortilla are a quick weeknight dinner solution!
Grilled Chicken Tacos
We love taco Tuesdays in my house, and I’m not talking about the tacos that come in a kit! Instead, I make all kinds of tacos from scratch, from fish tacos and slow cooker chicken tacos and even turkey taco lettuce wraps. These grilled chicken tacos are light and fresh, perfect for summer grilling or to make on a grill pan.
These grilled chicken tacos are a wonderful addition to our taco rotation. They’re perfect for grilling outside now that the weather is so warm. They’re very simple to make, so I like to cook them if I’m short on time. I set all the fixings out on the table and let everyone make their own. They’re a definite crowd-pleaser.
Lettuce Slaw:
I love a simple lettuce slaw on these grilled chicken tacos. It basically a salad mixed together for one tasty topping. Below is what I put in my lettuce slaw:
- Veggies: Lettuce, tomato, red onion
- Sauce: Lime juice, olive oil
- Seasoning: Cilantro, salt, pepper
Variations and Tips:
- If you don’t want to buy seasoned salt, you can use a mix of salt, chili powder, paprika, red pepper, and garlic powder to season the chicken.
- If you’d prefer a spicier dish, add sliced jalapeno or serrano pepper to the slaw.
- Swap lettuce for cabbage.
- If you can’t find cotija, sub it with feta.
- If you prefer to skip the tortillas, just turn this dish into a big salad. You can also use low-carb or whole wheat tortillas instead of corn.
- Double or triple this taco recipe if you want to feed a crowd.
- If you don’t have an outdoor grill, no worries! A grill pan or skillet will also work.
More Taco Recipes You’ll Love:
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Union Cantina Lobster Tacos
- Healthy Cod Fish Tacos
- Thai Chicken Peanut Lettuce Tacos
- Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos
Grilled Chicken Tacos with Lettuce Slaw, Avocado and Cotija
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 16 oz 4 thin sliced boneless chicken breast cutlets
- 1 1/4 tsp seasoned salt, I used Lawry’s Fire Roasted Chili & Garlic
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp lime juice
For the taco:
- 2 1/2 cups 4 oz shredded romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup 1 medium vine ripe tomato, chopped
- 1/4 loose cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup thin sliced red onion1 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- pinch fresh black pepper
- 8 corn tortillas
- 4 tbsp crumbled Cotija cheese
- 5 ounces sliced, avocado
- thinly sliced radishes, for garnish (optional)
- 4 lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Season chicken with seasoned salt, olive oil and lime juice and marinate for at least an hour.
- Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan on medium-high heat.
- Oil the grates and grill about 2 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 1 minute, or until cooked through. Set aside on a cutting board and slice into thin strips.
- While the chicken is cooking, in a large work bowl mix the lettuce, tomato, cilantro, onions, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- On the grill heat tortillas, turning till they slightly char, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.
- Design your taco. Add chicken, lettuce, avocado and top with cotija cheese and radishes if desired, serve with lime wedges.
I made this last night, and my four sons loved them. Thank you!
For those asking, the McCormick Chipotle & Roasted Garlic is the most similar to the Lawry’s seasoning mentioned!
I really liked this one. I didn’t have the correct seasoning the recipe called for but I used a Sazon blend I had and some leftover rotisserie chicken breast I warmed up. I also topped with a little taco sauce for a kick. Two tacos were plenty filling for me. It was quick and delicious!
I have made this several times, I used cabbage as a personal favorite. My guests ate more than two apiece, some of them ate five, but I did use the smaller “street taco” sized tortillas. Great recipe.
I LOVED these so much! We just used regular taco shells but the left overs were great as a salad. I used trader joe chili lime seasoning and it was terrific! Kids approved
I am so excited to try these but Lawry’s no longer makes this seasoning – is there an alternative?
Good to know, I love Tajin!
Made these last night, and they were terrific. I love the lettuce slaw! I added more lime juice to the tacos themselves to cut the saltiness of the cotija. I also used Tajin lime seasoning for the chicken (bought it for another Skinnytaste recipe, but I can’t remember which one), and it turned out great. Used low-carb tortillas, and they were very filling!
Came here to say that I couldn’t find the Lawry’s and to see if there was a recommended substitute. There wasn’t. Since I like to stick to the recipe the first go round, I hunted down the image of the back of the bottle on Amazon for the ingredients.
Ingredients: salt, sugar, smoked paprika, chipotle chili pepper, garlic, red pepper, parsley, extractives of paprika, natural flavor.
The plan is to throw together some combination of these items, minus the last two. Figured someone else might like to do the same.
I can’t find the Lawry’s Fire Roasted Chili & Garlic. Is there something else you recommend? We made it with traditional Lawry’s but it was too Salty. Thanks for any recommendations.
I found these today while searching Skinnytaste Chicken Tacos, because I knew there had to be a recipe! These are SO good- easy, refreshing, delicious, enjoyed by the entire family (picky eater could leave the lettuce off his tacos and still loved the chicken!). I predict I’ll be making these a lot this summer. Quick and easy and perfect for a weeknight meal!
I just found out about your blog today. I’m on weight watchers and was curious about recipes that fall within the smart points ranges that I wanted to stay in. I tried this grilled chicken taco recipe, OMG, it is soooo good. I made a few minor adjustments, I added pinto beans and omitted the cortina—still yummy! The simple marinade for the chicken and the slaw!!!!!! I’m comfortably full after the meal. My partner ate 4 tacos, and he’s a picky eater. This is going into my go to file for it’s ease and taste!
Made this, loved it! Added a thinly sliced Serrano pepper to the slaw which gave it a really nice zip! The slaw is so good, what a great way to dress up a taco. Looking forward to tomorrow’s leftovers!!
Another amazing recipe, keep up the excellent work!
I was looking for a fish taco recipe and this fit the bill accept obviously the chicken. I substituted grilled rare tuna steak and used the left over guacamole from our 4th of July party. Holy fabulous, MY husband and 2 daughter’s can’t wait to have it again!!! Thank you so much for you amazing recipes and inspiration!!
I stumbled upon your website the other day. I fell in love in the first minute. Down to earth menu ideas that the entire family will love. Weight watcher points attached to the recipe saves me so much time! I’m so excited to try this recipe tonight! I am thankful for you!!
This has become a family fave at my house! Thank you so much. FYI it’s fun for kids, too! They can choose what they want to include on their taco which makes them feel like they have control which kids really take to (I’m a pediatrician: so talk to parents about this ALL the time!). I found a homemade seasoned salt recipe on allrecipes.com which I have stored in a jar and works great!
Just made these
Followed directions almost to a T. Couldn’t find the Cotjia cheese in my small town but used Feta and WOWSA! The flavors danced on the tongue. Just may get a proposal out of this. 😀
Thanks for an amazing recipe!
These were so good! Love how fresh and authentic they taste.
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These are so delicious. My husband raves about how “refreshing” they taste. Forget Taco Tuesdays… we eat these more often than that, we really love them.
Delicious! I made this for Cinco de Mayo and it was a hit. I couldn’t find the Lawry’s seasoning but was able to find a McCormick’s Mexican spice blend.
Hi, do you have a book of recipes?
How should you cook the chicken if you don't have a grill or grill pan?
A skillet would work!
OMG! Everyone! You need to make the lettuce slaw now!!! I was looking for something to do last minute…I had all the ingredients (minus the cheese and the chicken). I picked up a rotisserie and shredded that due to time constraints. I didn't use a wrap to save on calories—the lettuce slaw is PERFECTION as just a salad! This is my new go-to!
Wonderful : )
Cheddar wouldn't be a good substitute for Cotija. Try feta, it has a similar taste, but maybe use a little less as it has a strong flavor. Hope this helps 🙂
Oh yum, these look good. I do Taco Tuesday every week also and am always looking for new recipes as regular beef or turkey tacos get boring. And both my husband and I are on WW, so light is good. Thank you!!
I agree…I love the idea of mixing the toppings together and tossing with lime juice! Looks so fresh and delicious!!!
Oh wow! Minus the cilantro, this sounds amazing! Perfect for summer 🙂
i thought the chicken was french fries in the top picture <3
You had me at slaw! YUM!
Anonymous: What is the substitute for Cotija cheese? Would cheddar do?
Cheddar is a very different flavor, but it would probably work if you like it. You could try feta cheese. It has a similar flavor to cotija.
yummy my mouth is watering and it's only breakfast time 😉
Taco Tuesday? I'm so starting this! This look perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. What is Cotija cheese – I've never heard of it.
It’s a Salty Mexican crumbling cheese. Delicious!
We enjoy Taco Tuesday at our house too! Perfect timing for tomorrow. Thank you!
I love the idea of mixing the toppings together with lime juice!! My daughter loves to add lime to tacos anyway. I don't think we have that kind of cheese around here, and with it being salty and hubby being on a low salt diet I think I'd find a substitute. This recipe sounds great though, I'm going to have to try it!
That looks light and delicious. Thank you for your post.
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What brand of corn tortillas do you like?
I look for them in the latin markets, but if not I buy Mission
What kind of grill pan do you have? I want to get one.
I have a Calphalon and a Le Crueset, both are great.
These look delicious! I never thought to add radishes, but I'm definitely going to try it!
Wow…I love the idea of mixing the toppings together like that with lime juice. Genius! I can't wait to try this.
It's delicious!
Taco night will forever be the best night around here! I love all of your fixin's too.