Mar 19, 2019
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Enjoy your taco Tuesday eats at home with these sweet and spicy chicken tacos that are a breeze to make. Easy to prep ahead and ready in 20!
Sweet & Spicy Chicken Tacos
Everyone loves a good chicken dinner recipe and when it’s Tuesday, there’s nothing better than tacos!
With so many ways to enjoy chicken tacos, one overlooked option is the sweet and spicy flavor combination that pleases everyone.
In this recipe, the honey adds sweetness and the Sriracha sauce brings a little heat. And this is just the beginning. Add perfectly cooked and juicy chicken, veggies, cheese, and an epic cilantro sauce to the party… there will be none left!
You’ll also find this recipe and 52 others inside the Taco Tuesday Cookbook.
What You Need
Make these Spicy Chicken Tacos with a few simple ingredients.
- Chicken: boneless skinless chicken breasts are noted in the recipe but you can also use boneless skinless thighs.
- Sriracha: what gives these tacos a tasty spicy touch, also known as red chili paste. Can be adjusted to add more heat.
- Honey: balance out the spice in the sauce.
- Limes: for the marinade and the cilantro sour cream sauce.
- Sour cream: a soft base for the drizzle.
- Cilantro: fresh and finely chopped.
- Salt: for seasoning.
- Vegetable oil: for cooking, if you’re not using a grill.
- Lettuce: shredded romaine lettuce or any other lettuce for serving in the tacos.
- Avocado: because any taco is tastier with avocado!
- Shredded Cheddar cheese: another delicious topping you’ll want to add.
- Tortillas: corn or flour tortillas, store-bought or homemade, warmed.
You’ll find all of the ingredient measurements below in the printable recipe card.
How to Make Spicy Chicken Tacos
Prep the marinade and the sauce, cook the chicken, and then all you have to do is assemble the best sweet and spicy tacos you’ll ever try!
Check out the step-by-step:
- Marinate the chicken
Make the marinade in a zip bag or container, add the chicken, and let it soak up the flavors for 4 hours or overnight. - Prep the cilantro sauce
Make this sauce while the chicken marinades or up to 2 days ahead. Keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to drizzle. - Prep the drizzle for added heat
Like it spicy? Make the honey sriracha sauce in a small bowl, and don’t be afraid to drizzle it on top for extra spicy. - Cook the chicken
When you’re ready to make these for dinner, cook the chicken in a pan on a grill. Sometimes, I butterfly the chicken breasts to cook them in half the time or cut the chicken into pieces and cook them in a pan. - Shred the chicken
Once cooked, you can shred the chicken breasts on a board or slice them into strips. - Assemble the tacos
I like to make an assembly line of the food and let everyone build their taco by layering on the ingredients. You can also use one of these awesome taco holders to make the meal more fun to eat.
Watch this video to see the spicy tacos come together.
How Spicy are These Chicken Tacos?
These chicken tacos are not super spicy and I would consider them to be medium heat which makes them great for a family-friendly recipe.
The honey really levels off the heat and since it’s a marinade and not a rub, much of the spice is discarded. The honey Sriracha sauce, however, is pretty spicy.
How to Cool Them Down:
Omit the honey sriracha sauce when serving these tacos and be generous with the cilantro lime sauce.
Crank up the heat:
Double up on the Sriracha for the marinade or drizzle extra honey Sriracha sauce over the top!
Best Toppings for Spicy Chicken Tacos
The Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce I use in this recipe is a favorite to drizzle over these tacos, just like the spicy honey-Sriracha sauce. Both pair amazingly well together! But when it comes to toppings, there’s always room for more!
You can top these chicken tacos with fresh Pico de Gallo or Avocado Salsa, and kick up the heat by adding this scrumptious Spicy Guacamole. More of the tangy-sweet team? Then this Pineapple Salsa is a must!
These Spicy Chicken Tacos can be even better not only with what’s on the top but also on the side! Try this low-carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice recipe or serve this healthy Southwest Quinoa Salad, and Taco night will be a hit!
Spicy Chicken Tacos with Honey Sriracha Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons Sriracha sauce divided
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons honey divided
- 2 limes juiced, divided
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil if not using a grill
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 avocado pitted, peeled, and sliced
- 8 Corn or flour tortillas store-bought or homemade, warmed
Instructions
Chicken Marinade:
- Put the chicken breasts in an airtight container or zip-top bag plastic bag. Add 3 tablespoons of the Sriracha, 1 tablespoon of honey, and the juice of 1 lime juice. Mix to combine, seal, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Cilantro Sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, remaining juice of 1 lime, cilantro, and salt. Cover and refrigerate while you make the tacos.
Honey Sriracha drizzle:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon of Sriracha and the remaining 2 teaspoons of honey and set aside.
Cook the Chicken:
- Preheat a grill or heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, flip, and cook on the other side for 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Discard the marinade.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate or board and rest until cool enough to handle. With two forks, shred the chicken.
- Assemble the tacos by layering the chicken, lettuce, cheese, and avocado on the tortillas. Drizzle the cilantro sour cream on top and finish with a single drizzle of spicy honey-Sriracha sauce.
Stela
These spicy chicken tacos were epic! My partner and I drizzled on the spicy sauce while my kids left them mild. They were incredible the perfect family friendly spicy taco.