Asian Chicken Tacos

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Asian Chicken Tacos with a simple mango slaw, creamy avocado, and an easy four-ingredient Sriracha-lime sauce makes a quick, 30-minute weeknight meal!

Pair these simple tacos with an equally easy side dish like Asian Cucumber Salad.

Asian chicken tacos stuffed with chicken, vegetables, and a complementary sauce, ready to be enjoyed.

Asian Chicken Tacos

While these tacos might look time consuming at first glance, they are crazy easy to make — simple enough for a weeknight meal. There are three main components: chicken, slaw, and sauce. 

I recommend rotisserie chicken, which makes these tacos a cinch to assemble. The slaw takes a couple minutes to whip together, and I’ve shared a few short-cut ideas below.

And finally, there is the sauce, which is the star of these Asian Chicken Tacos. It’s only four ingredients — the zest + juice of 2 limes, sriracha sauce, mayo, and a tiny bit of sugar to balance it all out. You won’t believe the flavor this sauce adds to everything! Warm up some tortillas, load it all up, and be prepared for an explosion of flavor! 

Making the coleslaw by adding cilantro, onion, carrots, mango, and green cabbage, and tossing to combine.

Mango slaw

This easy mango slaw is the best topping for these Asian Chicken Tacos; it adds flavor, texture, and creaminess to the tacos.

  • Mango: I highly recommend ripe honey mangoes (also known as Ataulfo or yellow mangoes). See the quick tip box below for more info!
  • Green cabbage: The thinner the shreds of cabbage, the better the slaw turns out. Cut long strips of cabbage in half. I love using a salad spinner to wash and thoroughly dry the cabbage. (If you’ve never cut a cabbage before, we share visual step-by-step photos how to cut a cabbage in this coleslaw recipe.)
  • Red onion: The red onion adds a nice kick to the slaw. If you don’t love red onion, either leave it out or use green onions (which are milder) instead. You can take away the “bite” from the red onion by soaking it in cold water with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes. Drain well before adding to the slaw.
  • Cilantro: Coarsely chop the cilantro for this slaw; I also add this to the salad spinner to thoroughly rinse and dry it. Don’t worry too much about cutting off all the stems– they’re not tough and they’ll also add flavor to the slaw!
  • Carrots: Buying matchstick carrots will save time and keeps this slaw very easy. If you have extra time or desire to make your own matchstick carrots, here’s how to do it.
  • Avocado: While not actually part of the slaw, we love a few ripe avocado slices in these Asian chicken tacos. They add an amazing creaminess and are the perfect complement for the slaw, chicken, and sauce.

Short-cut idea: At the store, pick up a bag of coleslaw mix that has shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots; use that in place of the green cabbage and carrots in the recipe. A lot of grocery stores also sell pre-washed and chopped cilantro–another time saver.

QUICK TIP

Honey mangos are sweeter and creamier than regular mangos and don’t have the typical fibers throughout. To tell if your mangos are ripe, gently squeeze the mango. If ripe, it will give slightly. Wait to make these tacos until the mango and avocado are at peak ripeness for the best flavor and creaminess. Here’s a quick and helpful visual guide on how to cut a mango

Preparation of chicken asian tacos with taco sauce, shredded chicken, charred tortillas, and slaw.

Let’s talk chicken

There are so many ways to prepare the chicken for these tacos. I like using rotisserie chicken to keep them on the easy side, and for an even quicker prep time, you can purchase rotisserie chicken already pulled from the bones.

Grilling or searing your own:

Alternatively, the chicken can be pan seared or grilled. See directions below:

  • Pan-seared chicken:
    • Pat dry 1-2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound total) with paper towels. Cut chicken into small, 1-inch-sized pieces.
    • Sprinkle pieces generously with salt, pepper, and a chicken seasoning blend. 
    • Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large non-stick skillet and brown the chicken pieces until cooked through (6-10 minutes; chicken juices should run clear or read 165 degrees F on a thermometer). 
    • Once cooked, transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
    • No need to wipe out the skillet– there will be bits of flavor left by the chicken! Proceed with preparing the sauce in the same skillet.
  • Grilled chicken:
    • Pat dry 1-2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound total) with paper towels. Cut thick chicken breasts in half widthwise.
    • Drizzle both sides with about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil per side. Sprinkle each side generously with salt, pepper, and a chicken seasoning blend.
    • Prepare the grill by heating, cleaning, and greasing (I hold an oil-drenched paper towel with tongs and rub it over the hot grates).
    • Grill the chicken 4-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness, until the chicken registers 160 degrees F (carryover heat will bring it to 165 degrees F). Let rest, slice thinly against the grain, and then chop into small, bite-sized pieces.

You could also use some seasoned fish or shrimp in place of the chicken; both would go great with the slaw and sauce.

Tortillas for Asian Chicken Tacos

We prefer flour tortillas with these tacos. I love the Mission Street Taco® Flour Tortillas and that is what I used in these photos and video. (not sponsored) White corn tortillas also work well.

Whatever tortillas you chose to use, I recommend charring them. It does so much for the flavor and texture of the taco as a whole.

Here’s how I quick-char the tortillas: Spray both sides of the tortillas with olive oil cooking spray and char the tortillas directly over the gas flames for a few seconds. Use tongs to flip until tortillas are lightly charred and soft. Immediately fold the tortilla in half, so it will fold into a taco nicely later. Set aside. If you don’t have a gas flame, you can warm the tortillas in the microwave.

Two asian chicken tacos with chicken, slaw, and sauce, delicious and flavor-packed.

QUICK TIP

We love Hellman’s/Best Foods® mayo best in the sriracha sauce blend (not sponsored). I recommend adding the sriracha gradually, to personal taste and spice preference. If the sauce ends up too hot, add more lime juice to offset it. Not hot enough? Add more sriracha, slowly.

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Asian Chicken Tacos

5 from 9 votes
Asian Chicken Tacos with a simple mango slaw, creamy avocado, and an easy four-ingredient sriracha-lime sauce makes a quick, 30-minute weeknight meal!
Asian chicken tacos stuffed with chicken, vegetables, and a complementary sauce, ready to be enjoyed.
Print Recipe

Asian Chicken Tacos

Asian chicken tacos stuffed with chicken, vegetables, and a complementary sauce, ready to be enjoyed.
5 from 9 votes
Asian Chicken Tacos with a simple mango slaw, creamy avocado, and an easy four-ingredient sriracha-lime sauce makes a quick, 30-minute weeknight meal!
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Healthy
Keyword Asian Chicken Tacos
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Chelsea Lords
Calories 716kcal
Cost $6.12

Ingredients

Sriracha Sauce

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I love Hellman's/Best Foods)
  • 2 large limes (1/2 teaspoon zest; 4 tablespoons juice)
  • 3 teaspoons sriracha sauce
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar

Mango Avocado Slaw

  • 1 cup honey mangoes thinly sliced (~2-4 mangoes)
  • 2 cups green cabbage very thinly sliced
  • 1 cup cilantro coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1 cup matchstick (thinly sliced) carrots (~2 large carrots)

Tacos

  • 3/4 pound (12 oz) shredded rotisserie chicken (See Note 1)
  • 10-12 mini flour or corn tortillas + olive oil (or canola) cooking spray
  • 1 large avocado, optional
  • Additional limes and cilantro for serving

Instructions

  • SRIRACHA SAUCE: Zest part of 1 lime to get about 1/2 teaspoon lime zest, and then juice 2 limes to get about 4 tablespoons lime juice. Combine the mayo, lime juice, lime zest, sriracha, and white sugar in a bowl. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and then taste (add additional lime or Sriracha to personal preference).
  • SLAW: Peel the mangos. Cut the two sides from the pit in the center and thinly slice those two sides. Thinly slice the green cabbage, and pack 2 cups full of the cabbage. Coarsely chop the cilantro, loosely measuring to get 1 cup. Very thinly slice 1/2 of a red onion, cut the carrots into matchsticks. Add all of these ingredients to a large bowl and toss with tongs.
  • TORTILLAS: Spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and "grill" tortillas on stovetop over the open flame until slightly charred. Alternatively, warm (covered with a damp paper towel) in the microwave. After tortillas have been warmed or charred, quickly fold them in half so they will fold easily when assembled.
  • PROTEIN: (See Note 1.) We use rotisserie chicken-- pull it from the bones and give it a quick shred or coarse chop. Warm through if needed (We often buy a hot rotisserie chicken right before making these, so no extra heating is required).
  • ASSEMBLE: Fill each charred tortilla with chicken, a generous spoonful of the slaw, and a nice drizzle of the sauce. Add additional cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and sliced avocado to each taco, as desired.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Protein: We use chicken in this recipe, but feel free to substitute with about 3/4 pound of what you like best. Alternatively, grilled chicken would be delicious. Grilled shrimp, fish or steak would also be tasty. Whatever you like best!

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 716kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1206mg | Potassium: 979mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 14670IU | Vitamin C: 98mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 5mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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Recipe Rating




20 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Amazing recipe. I just made this last Tuesday and everybody loved it.Thanks for your kind recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    This looks and sounds fantastic, like everything you make! I will be trying this out for a dinner this week. Thanks for sharing!

  3. Made this tonight. It was delicious! I did not have cilantro, so just omitted it. Instead, I added a large clove of garlic to the sauce. I also used frozen mango. Loved it! I was not sure if I should toss the slaw in the dressing or just drizzle it. I went with drizzle and that was he right choice. Will make again.

  4. 5 stars
    This was awesome! The coleslaw is adaptable for any kind of taco — fish, pork, chicken whatever. It’s going to be a staple in my repertoire.

  5. These were great! I only put one teaspoon in the sauce to start to make them mild and then put the hot sauce on the table for people to use. I took the left over slaw and combined the sauce in one bowl for a yummy veggie salad the next day. Great for a family meal or a ladies luncheon!

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