This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
Want an epic restaurant-style taco night at home? Make these epic jerk tacos in the skillet in 20 minutes!
Jerk Chicken Tacos
Imagine tender chicken seasoned with everyone’s favorite Caribbean spice mix, cooked to perfection, over a bed of crunchy slaw, all wrapped up inside a tortilla. Oh.My. Your tastebuds are craving these jerk tacos right now!
Like all of my taco recipes, these are made with simple and fresh ingredients. Whether you purchase jerk seasoning at the store or use my homemade jerk seasoning recipe, the outcome will be juicy, smoky, and spicy tacos you’ll want to make again and again.
Can’t get enough of this epic Jamaican jerk flavor? Try my Jerk Chicken Drumsticks next!
Ingredients
Jerk tacos can be made with chicken, beef, or seafood. For this recipe, I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. The heat of jerk seasoning is balanced out by fresh pineapple, crunchy cabbage, and a creamy lime sauce that adds a light touch to these tacos. 100% delicious!
How to Make Jerk Chicken Tacos
If you can pan-fry chicken, you can make these incredible tacos. Here is how to do it step-by-step:
- Make the drizzle
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, lime juice, and a little jerk seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days. - Season the chicken
Once you’ve cleaned your chicken pieces, place them in a large bowl with the remaining jerk seasoning. Toss to combine. - Cook up the chicken
In a large skillet, cook the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes, and transfer it to a plate. - Transform the pineapple
To the seasoned pan, add the pineapple pieces and cook them down for 3-4 minutes. Once the juices have begun to break down, turn off the heat, and bring the chicken back into the pan to combine with the pineapple and the juices. - Assemble & devour
Fill the tortillas with cabbage, pineapple, and chicken, drizzle with jerk sour cream, and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Serve yourself a Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita, and enjoy!
Love visuals? Check out how to make these jerk chicken tacos at home in this video:
Topping Your Jerk Chicken Tacos
Friends don’t let friends eat plain chicken tacos that’s why I’ve added fresh, juicy pineapple to the recipe as well as a creamy jerk sauce. Want to add more chicken taco toppings? Here are a few:
- Pineapple Pico de Gallo
- Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Plain sour cream
Love tacos as much as I do? Check out the Taco Tuesday Cookbook. With 52 taco recipes to make every Tuesday the best eats of the week.
The Taco Tuesday Cookbook
These recipes will make every taco night the most exciting meal of your week! Eat great tacos, at home.
Grab your copy today!
Hey there, super mom! Find this recipe on page 76 of my Taco Tuesday Cookbook.
Jerk Chicken Tacos
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon + + 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning, divided
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into thin strips
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups fresh pineapple, chopped
- 2 cups purple and green cabbage, shredded
- 8 corn or flour tortillas, store-bought or homemade, warmed
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Make the sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lime juice, and 2 teaspoons of the jerk seasoning. Cover and refrigerate while you make the tacos.
Cook the filling:
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken strips with the remaining 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning to coat evenly.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until cooked through. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with another plate to keep warm.
- Add the chopped pineapple to the skillet and cook with the leftover seasoning and tidbits in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes, until the pineapple is browned and its juices have begun to break down. Remove the pan from the heat, return the chicken to the pan, and toss to combine.
Assemble:
- To assemble the tacos, make a bed of cabbage on each tortilla, top with a scoop of the chicken and pineapple mixture, drizzle some jerk cream sauce on top, and sprinkle with cilantro.
Daisy says
These jerk chicken tacos are super tasty and easy to make!! Great recipe!!