Jamaican Jerk Chicken Tacos are soo yummy. Spicy, yet sweet and tangy. We've brightened up the seasoning with pineapple and lime, the perfect pairing for them. They're so full of flavor, this will be your new go to chicken taco recipe!
This was inspired by our Jerk Chicken Kebabs. For other tacos ideas, check out our roasted cauliflower black bean tacos and our air fryer chicken tacos. Yum! The bright flavors of these also goes great with our Passionfruit Cheesecake!
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Ingredients
- raw boneless skinless chicken breasts- check out our substitutions for directions for shredded chicken or slow cooker.
- lime juice- fresh limes produce a tangy-er, fresher taste, but lime juice concentrate works great too.
- olive oil
- minced garlic- minced garlic is highly recommended over powdered
- brown sugar
- jerk seasoning
- plain greek yogurt
- salt
- pepper
- tortillas- this is great with either corn or flour tortillas
- purple cabbage- a slaw mix also works fine. The purple cabbage is very eye catching though!
- pineapple- again, fresh is recommended but canned will work in a pinch.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Start by chopping then marinading your chicken. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces- around 1" cubes and place in a bowl. Pour the lime juice and olive oil over the chicken and stir to combine.
Add the garlic, brown sugar and jerk seasoning.
Stir to combine then cover and refrigerate 2-24 hours.
Cook the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Bake in a 9x13 baking dish for 10 minutes. Take out and stir. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165*F.
Chop pineapple, cilantro and cabbage.
Combine greek yogurt, Jamaican jerk seasoning and lime juice together in a bowl.
Stir until smooth.
Finally, assemble your taco. Place meat on your taco shell then top with cabbage, cilantro, jerk sauce and pineapple. Then devour!
Hint: The longer your marinade your chicken, the more flavorful it will be!
Substitutions
- Oil - feel free to use any mild flavored oil here: avocado, vegetable, etc.
- Chicken- this is also a great recipe to make with chicken thighs. You can also use shredded chicken. To do this: add the marinade to the shredded chicken and let is sit at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Warm in a 400* oven for 4-5 minutes, until hot. Make the rest as normal.
- Cabbage -a slaw mix or even green cabbage is fine with this recipe
- Plain Greek Yogurt- sour cream could be used instead.
Variations
- Spicy - add some chopped jalapenos or habaneros for a real kick!
- Deluxe- add some chopped fresh mango and avocado.
- Kid friendly -if you have kids that are sensitive to heat, jerk can be a little spicy. Use half the jerk seasoning for a milder yet still delicious meal.
- Air Fryer- make these in the air fryer- simply follow the directions in our air fryer chicken tacos recipe.
Equipment
Storage
Store the ingredients separately in the refrigerator in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
The jerk chicken will freeze, but the other ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Don't overcook the chicken. Make sure it reaches at least 165*F to be fully cooked. Try to keep it as close to that number as possible for maximum tenderness and moisture.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
PrintRecipe
Jerk Chicken Tacos
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
These yummy jerk chicken tacos are spicy, sweet and tangy and so full of flavor. They'll be your new go-to taco recipe!
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 package jerk seasoning, reserving 1 ½ teaspoons for dressing
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
Dressing:
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons jerk seasoning, reserved from packet used for marinade
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Toppings:
- 1 pineapple
- 1 small head of cabbage (I used purple)
- cilantro
Instructions
- Cut raw chicken into 1 inch cubes and place in a bowl. Pour lime juice and olive oil and top and stir to combine. Add garlic, brown sugar and jerk seasoning and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate 2-24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425. Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Remove chicken and stir then return to the oven. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165*F.
- Assemble tacos. Place meat on a tortilla then top with cabbage, cilantro, jerk sauce and pineapple.
- Devour!
Notes
Store ingredients separately in air tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Chicken can be frozen in airtight container for up to 2 months.
It isn't recommended to freeze the other ingredients.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: dinner
- Method: cooking
- Cuisine: tex mex
Keywords: jamaican jerk chicken tacos, jerk chicken tacos with pineapple, jerk chicken tacos with mango, jamaican jerk tacos, jerk tacos,
Katherine
Mmmm that dressing goes so well with the jerk flavors in the chicken tacos! We loved it with the pineapple. So spicy and sweet and tangy. Will make again!
★★★★★
Nicole
Yummy! These are so full of flavor. I love jerk with pineapple and these were so fresh and flavorful! We had some mango on hand and added that on too, and it was good!
★★★★★
Shadi Hasanzade
That marinade is so flavorful and I love that the dressing is made with yogurt! Great recipe. We love Jamaican Jerk!
★★★★★
Chenée
These were incredible! And that creamy sauce was so perfect. We love tacos, and made them in the air fryer following your other recipe, and they were so yummy. Such a robust yet bright flavor! The sweet and spicy together, so good.
★★★★★
JC
Oh yes, these jerk chicken tacos are exactly what I needed. They are absolutely bursting with flavor and that pineapple on top. I'll be coming back for more!
★★★★★