Cilantro-Lime Chicken Tacos with Peach Salsa are the best tacos you can make in the Summer and year-round. The tacos are served with homemade cilantro-lime crema in toasted corn tortillas. Make this easy 30-minute dinner for your family and friends to impress them! Use fresh peaches in the Summer and canned peaches in the Winter!
Easy chicken tacos - made in 30 minutes!
Often, chicken tacos recipes involve slow-cooking the meat for hours which requires a lot of planning and preparation steps. Or, in other cases, you have to marinate your chicken for hours and then fire up the grill. This is too much fuss and too much effort for me for simple chicken tacos.
I like things easy, so to make this a 30-minute recipe, I just quickly sear the chicken on the stovetop and make it really flavorful by generously seasoning it with smoked paprika, chili powder, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and fresh chopped cilantro! As an added bonus, I used chicken breasts which is a healthier (leaner) cut of chicken.
Cilantro-lime chicken
This is a no-fuss recipe that doesn't involve complex layers. Simply, the lightly toasted corn tortillas are stuffed with cilantro-lime chicken and peach salsa, and then topped with homemade crema and crumbled Cotija cheese. Easy to make, yet it looks like a restaurant-quality meal! This is my favorite chicken taco recipe that I've been making all Summer and will continue making even in the winter (using canned peaches). You can make a variation of this recipe by preparing mango salsa instead.
Chicken tacos can easily be made ahead and are crowd-pleasing party food that you can bring to picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and cookouts!
Perfect for sharing with family and friends!
Often, chicken breast can get dry and simply boring. But when you dress up the chicken with homemade peach salsa and top it with the super-easy homemade cilantro-lime crema, your tacos become anything but boring. Cilantro, lime juice, and peach salsa are the best Summer flavors combo ever! Impress your family by making this easy recipe on a busy weeknight. Share these chicken tacos packed with fresh flavors and vibrant colors with friends! If you like making tacos for dinner, don't miss these delicious salmon tacos to add some variety to your weekly menu!
Healthier chicken tacos
- I use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe which is lean chicken meat. It's not as fattening as other cuts of chicken, such as chicken thighs, for example. In this recipe, chicken breast is far from boring - quite the opposite, it's full of flavor!
- This is a great recipe to incorporate fresh fruit and veggies into your diet. I made peach salsa with fresh yellow peaches, bell peppers, red onions, green onions, freshly squeezed lime juice, and fresh cilantro.
- When peaches are not in season, canned peaches are a perfectly acceptable alternative to use in fruit salsa!
- The taco sauce (crema) is made mostly with Greek yogurt (and a smaller amount of mayo).
- One tortilla is used per taco as opposed to two tortillas per taco as usually served in many restaurants.
The best tortillas for chicken tacos
- Corn tortillas. Either yellow or white corn tortillas will work. I used white corn tortillas in this recipe. I toasted them until nicely browned in some spots on the stovetop. Corn tortillas are also gluten-free.
- Flour tortillas. You can also use flour tortillas which are not gluten-free.
- Grain-free tortillas. Use gluten-free almond-flour tortillas, cassava flour tortillas, or chickpea tortillas. Siete Foods is a brand I love to use for grain-free, gluten-free tortillas.
How to toast corn tortillas
Toasting tortillas is an easy step that will immediately your tacos to the next level. Don't skip this step. It's one single thing that will make your tacos taste so much better! Toasted tortillas also make a beautiful presentation. It's so easy!
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a cast-iron skillet for best results.
- Add tortillas in a single layer and toast for about 30 seconds per each side until they get golden brown in some spots on both sides.
The best topping for tacos
Homemade peach salsa is one of my favorite recipes this summer. I've taken full advantage of this Summer's produce and cooked a lot with peaches! What's great is that you can make peach salsa year-round by simply replacing fresh yellow peaches with canned ones (drained really well) or frozen ones (defrosted). Peach salsa adds gorgeous color to any chicken tacos! It's so versatile, and you can also use it with so many other recipes - on grilled meats, with seafood, or as a snack with chips!
Peach salsa
This fruit salsa takes only 10 minutes to make! It's colorful, sweet, and spicy all at the same time! You only need 7 ingredients to make peach salsa: peaches, bell pepper, green onions, red onions, fresh cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, and chili powder. Mix the diced fruit, veggies, and herbs together, and season with lime juice, chili powder, salt, and pepper. That's it!
Cooking tips
- Warm the tortillas by briefly toasting them in the skillet until they get golden-brown in some spots.
- This is a great recipe to use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken instead of cooking chicken from scratch!
- Add spice by using chipotle powder.
- Squeeze a lime over the tacos right before serving.
- Add other toppings such as sour cream, feta cheese, corn, black beans, and so on!
Can you make it ahead?
Yes, this is a perfect recipe to make ahead. Both the peach salsa and the homemade cilantro-lime crema can be made up to 3 days in advance. Then, when you're ready to serve, all you have to do is to cook the chicken breasts and toast the tortillas.
Other Mexican-style recipes you might like
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Black Bean Chicken Bake
- Black Bean and Beef Enchilada Casserole made with Corn Tortillas
- Mexican Chicken Pasta
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Tacos with Peach Salsa (30-Minute, One-Pan Meal)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast skinless, boneless
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or more
- ½ teaspoon chili powder or more
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
Peach salsa
- 4 peaches cored and diced
- 1 sweet red bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- 3 green onions diced
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder or more
- salt and pepper to taste
Taco sauce (cilantro-lime crema)
- â…“ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 lime medium size, freshly squeezed
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro chopped
Other taco ingredients
- 8 tortillas (yellow or white corn tortillas or flour tortillas)
- ½ cup Cotija cheese crumbled
- fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
Cook the chicken
- Slice the chicken breasts into strips. Season the chicken with smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, for about 4 minutes.
- Flip the chicken strips over and cook for 2 more minutes. Lower the heat to low, and add freshly squeezed lime juice. Cook for another 2 minutes or more, frequently stirring, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley.
Make peach salsa
- Note about peaches. Wash them thoroughly to get rid of any debris. There is no need to peel the peaches. Chop them carefully to keep the skin on.
- In a large mixing bowl combine diced peaches, diced red bell pepper, red onions, green onions, chopped fresh cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice, and chili powder. Toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add more lime juice and chili powder, if you like.
Make taco sauce
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the taco sauce (crema) ingredients: Greek yogurt, mayo, Dijon mustard, Sriracha sauce, freshly squeezed lime juice, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Assembly
- Toast the tortillas by heating the same (now empty) skillet that you used for cooking chicken over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in a single layer and toast for about 30 seconds per side until they get golden brown in some spots on both sides.
- Assemble the tacos by stuffing the cooked chicken and fruit salsa into the warmed, toasted tortillas. Top with taco sauce (crema), crumbled Cotija cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, and a pinch of chili powder.
Notes
- Peaches. Use fresh yellow peaches in the Summer months and canned (drained well from all juices and syrup) or frozen (defrosted) peaches year-round.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
This was excellent. I added a a couple shakes of red pepper chili flakes to give it a little kick. Served this with your cilantro-lime black bean rice - great combination! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Helen, I am so glad you gave this recipe a try! Love your choice of side dish! 🙂