Name: Jerk Chicken Tacos
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Tacos
Ingredients: 1/3 cup sour cream; 1/2 lime, juiced; 1 tbsp + 2 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning, divided; 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple; 2 cups purple and green shredded cabbage; 8 corn tortillas, store-bought or homemade, warmed; 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

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Want an epic restaurant-style taco night at home? Make these epic Jamaican jerk chicken tacos asap!

All wrapped up inside a tortilla is a tender, perfectly seasoned piece of chicken on a bed of crunchy slaw for added crunch. This simple recipe has everything your tastebuds are craving right now.

platter of three Jamaican Jerk Tacos with cream sauce

What Are Jerk Tacos

These Jerk tacos are made with chicken that’s been seasoned with everyone’s favorite Caribbean spice mix.

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!

Jerk tacos can be made with chicken, beef, or seafood.

Jerk Chicken Taco Ingredients

Like all of my taco recipes, these jerk chicken tacos are made with simple and fresh ingredients. Today you’ll need:

Jerk Seasoning: to season the chicken and a little mixed into the sauce
Boneless, skinless chicken: use breasts or thighs to make this recipe
Oil: for cooking the chicken
Fresh pineapple: balances out the Jerk seasoning spices and adds fresh sweetness
Shredded cabbage: for crunch and taco filling
Tortillas: to hold all the taco love in the palm of your hand
Fresh cilantro: for garnish and flavor
Sour cream: used to make a sauce to drizzle over the tacos
Lime juice: for the sauce

How to Make Jerk Chicken Tacos

If you can pan fry chicken, you can make these Jerk chicken 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, whether it’s breasts or thighs, place them in a large bowl with the remaining jerk seasoning. Toss to combine.
Cook up the chicken
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.
Transform the pineapple
To the seasoned pan, add the pineapple pieces and begin to cook them down, making sure to scrape the little tidbits on the pan. After 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
On a tortilla, place a bed of chopped cabbage, top with pineapple and chicken pieces, drizzle some of the jerk sour cream, and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Love visuals? Check out how to make these jerk chicken tacos at home in this video.

Best Sauce for Jerk Chicken Tacos

The best sauce for jerk chicken tacos is one that balances out the spicy jerk seasoning with something a little sweet and mild.

By adding pineapple to the recipe and cooking it down, the sweetness is already built into the base.

To combine the raw texture of the cabbage and the tender cooked chicken and pineapple, the jerk crema adds a light touch to these tacos.

closeup of Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Pineapple Tacos

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 toppings? Here are a few:

Pineapple Pico de Gallo
Cilantro Lime Sauce
Fresh chopped cilantro
Plain sour cream

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Jerk Chicken Tacos

Print Recipe

Jerk chicken tacos with savory pineapple & lime sauce, is an experience for your taste buds. This epic taco night recipe is made in the skillet, 20 minutes!

Author: Laura Fuentes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tacos

Ingredients

Units

⅓ cup sour cream
½ lime, juiced
1 tbsp + 2 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning, divided
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ cups chopped fresh pineapple
2 cups purple and green shredded cabbage
8 corn tortillas, store-bought or homemade, warmed
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

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.
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.
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.