Grilled Chicken Tacos
with peach and basil smoothie
A basic marinade helps chicken breasts to stay juicy and flavorful for these chicken tacos with avocados and crisp lettuce. Peach and basil are a summer match made in heaven, and they create a surprisingly unique smoothie to enjoy on the side.
Smarts: Marinate and cook double the chicken tonight to use leftovers in a salad later in the week.
Ingredients
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Oil, olive - 6 Tbsp
- Vinegar, red wine - 2 Tbsp
- Paprika - 1 tsp
- Oregano, dried - 1 tsp
- Lemon zest - 1/2 tsp
- Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless (enough for 2 nights) - 2 1/2 lbs
- Lettuce, romaine - 1 hearts, chopped
- Limes - 1, wedges
- Avocados - 1, sliced
- Tortillas, corn or flour and taco-sized - 8
- Yogurt, plain or Greek - 6 Tbsp
- Hot sauce (opt) - for serving
- Peaches, fresh or frozen - 16 oz, chopped
- Basil - 4 leaves
- Yogurt, plain or Greek - 3/4 cup
- Lemon juice - 2 tsp
- Water - 1/2 cup
- Ice - 1 cup
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Make marinade - Chop garlic. Whisk together garlic, oil, vinegar, paprika, oregano and lemon zest. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Marinate chicken - Toss chicken with marinade and tenderize with a fork. Marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to a day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Make smoothie - Combine all smoothie ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add a splash more water if the smoothie is too thick to blend easily.
- Lettuce / Limes / Avocados - Prep as directed.
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Make
- If cooking chicken on the stovetop: Heat a skillet (make sure it can hold all of the chicken or plan to cook in batches) over medium heat. Brush skillet with some cooking oil. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off any excess (discard marinade). Sear chicken on one side, seasoning it with some salt and pepper as it cooks. Flip chicken and cover with a lid or foil and reduce heat to low-medium. Cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160F / 74C degrees.
- If cooking chicken on a grill: Heat grill to 400F / 204C degrees, leaving one part of grill with indirect heat. Clean grates and brush with some cooking oil. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off any excess (discard marinade). Sear chicken on both sides, seasoning it with some salt and pepper as it cooks. Move chicken to indirect heat and put the lid on the grill. Cook until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160F / 74C degrees.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Slice chicken for both tonight and tomorrow (remember to reserve half the chicken for Wednesday’s salad).
- Warm tortillas according to package directions.
- Assemble tacos by filling tortillas with sliced chicken, lettuce, avocado slices and a spoonful of yogurt. Use lime wedges to squeeze over top and finish with some hot sauce if you’d like.
- Serve tacos with smoothie on the side.
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
26 reviews
I noted some comments that the chicken was bland, so I cubed/tenderized/seasoned it, then marinated for around 3 hours, then cooked stovetop with a slightly different method than the recipe since the pieces were so small. It was really yummy - moist and flavorful! Also, I made a different peach and basil salsa recipe, which included tomato, jalapeño, and onion. (Are any of those ingredients not paleo-friendly? I don't actually follow a paleo diet, I just like salsa better than I like smoothies)
0 HelpfulThis marinade is incredible. It is now our go-to marinade for chicken. We have a particularly smoky paprika which makes the flavor pop.
0 HelpfulChicken was dry, perhaps overcooked, even though it had only just reached 160F. The meal was overall lacking substance with just chicken, salsa, and salad.
0 Helpful