Coconut Lime Chicken Tacos

Juicy, lightly caramelized coconut-lime chicken tucked into warm tortillas with crunchy slaw and a sweet-tangy creamy drizzle.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), sliced into 1/2-inch strips
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• Juice and zest of 2 limes (reserve 1 lime wedge worth of juice for sauce if you like)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle for the pan if needed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 3/4 tsp fine salt), plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 small tortillas (corn or flour)
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1–2 teaspoons lime juice (from the limes above), to taste
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Method

• 1

  Step 1: Mix the marinade

  In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.

• 2

  Step 2: Marinate the chicken

  Add sliced chicken and toss well so every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for **30 minutes** (up to **2 hours** for deeper flavor).

• 3

  Step 3: Make the creamy drizzle

  In a small bowl, stir together sour cream (or yogurt), honey, 1–2 teaspoons lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper until glossy and spoonable. (If it seems thick, add another 1/2 tsp lime juice.)

• 4

  Step 4: Cook the chicken (get a little char!)

  Heat a large skillet over **medium-high** heat. Add the chicken with its marinade (no need to wipe it off). Spread it out and let it cook **undisturbed for 2 minutes** to encourage browning, then stir and keep cooking **4–6 minutes** more until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce reduces and clings to the pieces.

• 5

  Step 5: Warm the tortillas

  Warm tortillas in a dry pan over medium heat **20–30 seconds per side** until flexible (or directly over a flame for a few seconds if using a gas stove). Stack and cover with a clean towel to keep warm.

• 6

  Step 6: Assemble

  Fill each tortilla with coconut-lime chicken, then top with cabbage, carrots, and cilantro. Drizzle with the creamy honey-lime sauce. Finish with an extra squeeze of lime if you like.

Tips

• **Best browning tip:** Don’t overcrowd—if your skillet is small, cook the chicken in two batches so it caramelizes instead of steaming.
• **Chicken thighs vs breasts:** Thighs stay juicier and caramelize beautifully; breasts are leaner—either works.
• **Make-ahead:** Marinate chicken up to **2 hours** ahead; mix sauce up to **2 days** ahead (store covered in the fridge).
• **Storage:** Leftover chicken keeps **3 days** refrigerated. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot; add a splash of water to loosen the coconut-lime glaze.
• **Serving ideas (using what you have):** Extra cabbage/carrots/cilantro on the side as a quick slaw; drizzle any extra sauce over everything.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)