This easy Chicken Taco Marinade is perfect for the grill, crockpot, or the oven. It is perfect for Taco Tuesday or just because! Your family will be asking for grilled Mexican chicken over and over again!
Chicken taco marinade recipe
I am always on the lookout for chicken marinades. When the marinade ingredients are super simple that makes them even better and this Chicken taco marinade recipe is the best!
With summer right around the corner, the grill will get used much more often, but this one will be great in the oven too!
It won’t seem like it since the ingredients are so easy but this taco chicken marinade will surprise you.
Now you can use store-bought taco seasoning, but unless you get it on sale with a coupon, you are paying too much. I highly recommend making your own homemade taco seasoning.
Our homemade recipe is awesome and easy to throw together! Plus it is a nice money saver. Making your own taco seasoning will save you 50% or more than those seasoning packets.
Does taco seasoning work on chicken?
Most of the time you hear of people using taco seasoning on beef and fajita seasoning on chicken. There really isn’t much difference between the two and I often just use taco seasoning to keep things simple.
Taco seasoning is just as good on chicken as it is beef.
The results of chicken taco marinade:
My kids gobbled up the chicken. I was hoping to have extra for lunch, but they all had seconds. At first, they asked for ketchup.
We told them they needed to taste it first. After one bite, they said the chicken was so good it didn’t need ketchup. Coming from little kids… that is a compliment! 😉
You just have to try this recipe! I don’t think you will be disappointed! We grilled this recipe, and it is wonderful.
However, we have also thrown it all the crockpot and we love it that way too!
Ingredients for Chicken Taco Marinade:
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup oil (vegetable or olive oil will work)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (lime juice works, too!)
- ½ packet taco seasoning (or 2 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning)
How long can you marinate chicken?
- Combine all the ingredients in the bowl. Wisk together until combined.
- Pour marinade over the chicken and marinate at least 30 minutes (or longer if you want). I like to add chicken breasts or chicken thighs to a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade in the bag with the chicken. Seal bag.
- Discard marinade and grill, bake, or broil the chicken until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. This marinade is delicious!
- This marinade will be enough for 3 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts. This simple marinade would also taste awesome on pork!
The possibilities are endless and so yummy. Once you try this, you will love cooking with it and it is just so easy!
How to cook marinated chicken:
Most of the time we grill our marinated chicken, but your options really are wide open. For grilling, you will need to cook the chicken for roughly 5-7 minutes on each side.
You can cook it on either propane or a charcoal grill. If it is too cold outside, you can also use a skillet over medium-high heat.
Always make sure that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees so that you know it is cooked through.
When cooking the chicken in a crockpot, I toss the marinade and the chicken into the crockpot and cook on low for 5-7 hours. Shred the chicken for tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, or eat it as is!
Everyone will love this Mexican chicken marinade for tacos!
Whether you use this on chicken thighs or chicken breasts, it is so delicious. You will really love this chicken taco recipe with taco toppings.
You only need a few minutes and we even freeze chicken with the tacos marinade. It is so yummy and easy to grab and go.
I like to squeeze extra lime juice on top and it really enhances the flavor.
What to serve with grilled taco chicken:
Most of the time I serve this Mexican chicken with grilled veggies, Mexican street corn since I already have the grill fired up. It also makes some of the best grilled chicken tacos topped with fresh pico de gallo, sour cream and shredded cheese.
Really any taco topping would be a delicious addition! When we use this as a chicken taco marinade recipe we serve it with some Spanish Rice.
My kids love it with rice and it saves so much money from going out to eat. It is a win all around. Give it a try!
It is so easy to make and we think it tastes better than anything you can purchase. It really is so yummy!
Print this grilled chicken taco marinade below:
Taco Chicken Marinade
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or olive oil will work)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 packet taco seasoning (or two tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning)
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in the bowl. Wisk together until combined.
- Pour over the chicken and marinate atleast 30 minutes (or longer if you want).
- Grill, bake, or broil. This marinade is delicious!
- **This marinade will be enough for 3 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts. I am thinking this would also taste awesome on pork!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
Enjoy Taco Lasagna Recipe any night of the week for a meal full of cheesy and delicious layers.
Try making this easy and freezer friendly Mexican Rice. So delicious!
Try these other easy chicken marinades:
- BBQ Chicken Marinade
- Easy Italian Chicken Marinade
- Easy Grilled BBQ Ranch Chicken
- Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
- The Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
Try these other delicious recipes:
- London Broil Marinade
- The best Steak Marinade
- Grilled Rosemary Potatoes
- Easy Grilled Chicken Kabob Recipe
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Chicken
making this for dinner tonight. I didn’t have lemon juice but had lime juice. will that make a difference?
I think that will work perfectly.
Sounds awesome. Flavourful and tasty!
What is the temperature I need for the oven ? Would 350 work
Yes, I would bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Thank you.
I made this marinade and the homemade taco seasoning today and it was great. really spiced up the chicken.
Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed both of these recipes.
Can this be done in the crockpot?
Yes, definitely. I would cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hour in the crock pot.
My whole family loves this chicken, even my picky 9-year-old. 🙂