Description
Blackened spiced chicken grilled to perfection, topped with a fresh honey-lime mango avocado salsa and chipotle lime sauce, all wrapped in warm corn tortillas. Bold, fresh, and ready in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb chicken breast, sliced in half lengthwise
For the Mango Avocado Salsa:
1 mango, cubed
1 avocado, cubed
5 radishes, cubed small
1 jalapeño, minced
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
½ lime, juice of
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt
For Assembly:
8–10 corn tortillas, warmed
1 cup shredded lettuce
½ cup queso fresco or crumbled feta
4 tablespoons chipotle lime sauce
Instructions
1. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise into thin flat fillets. Mix together the smoked paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Place chicken in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and coat thoroughly with the spice blend on all sides.
2. Heat a grill or cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush grates with oil. Grill chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side without moving until deeply colored with a blackened crust and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
3. Remove chicken from the grill and rest for 5 minutes. Slice into thin strips against the grain.
4. While the chicken rests, toss together the mango, avocado, radishes, jalapeño, and cilantro in a bowl. Add the lime juice, olive oil, honey, and salt. Toss gently to combine without mashing the avocado. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Warm the corn tortillas directly over a gas flame for 30 seconds per side, in a dry skillet, or wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 30 seconds. Keep wrapped in a clean kitchen towel until ready to serve.
6. Spread chipotle lime sauce on each warm tortilla. Layer with shredded lettuce, sliced blackened chicken, and a generous spoonful of mango avocado salsa. Drizzle with more sauce, crumble queso fresco over the top, squeeze fresh lime, and finish with extra cilantro leaves.
Notes
Slice the chicken thin — halving lengthwise gives flat fillets that cook faster, develop more crust, and stay juicier than whole breasts on high heat.
Do not move the chicken on the grill — leave completely undisturbed for the full 3 to 4 minutes per side. It releases naturally when the crust is ready. If it sticks it needs one more minute.
Make the salsa right before serving — mango avocado salsa is best within 30 minutes of being made. Avocado oxidizes and the salsa releases liquid the longer it sits.
Rest the chicken 5 minutes before slicing — non-negotiable for juicy strips inside the taco.
Warm tortillas properly — cold corn tortillas crack and split. Always warm before assembling.
Adjust the salsa to taste — every mango is different. Add more lime for brightness, more honey if the mango is tart, more salt if flavors seem flat.
Heat level — moderate with ¼ tsp cayenne. Increase to ½ tsp for more heat. Remove jalapeño seeds for a milder salsa.
Make ahead — season the chicken and refrigerate up to 24 hours before grilling. This deepens the spice crust flavor significantly.
Storage — chicken keeps refrigerated up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet to restore the crust. Salsa best consumed same day — press plastic wrap directly on surface to slow browning.