Mexican · main

Grilled Chicken Tacos al Carbon

Grilled Chicken Tacos al Carbon reads citrus 6.7, sourness 6.6 and smoke 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican main, about 54 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.0 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.7 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 5.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.7 · Sourness 6.6 · Smoke 4.5 · Allium 4.0 · Umami 3.9 · Salinity 3.8 · Heat 3.3 · Herbaceous 3.3 · Richness 2.7 · Earthy 2.6 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Sweetness 1.9 · Bitterness 1.4 · Nutty 0.9 · Floral 0.8

What's in it (12)

• boneless chicken — 907 g
• lime juice — 59 g
• vegetable oil — 54 g
• garlic — 12 g
• chipotle chile — 15 g
• cumin — 10 g
• salt — 7 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• corn tortillas — 1200 g
• white onion — 110 g
• cilantro leaves — 30 g
• limes — 130 g

Time & effort: about 54 min (19 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 254 kcal, 15.7 g protein, 5.7 g fat, 37.1 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, oil, garlic, chipotle in adobo plus adobo sauce, cumin, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Add the chicken thighs, turn to coat completely, and let marinate at room temperature 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to 8 hours.
2. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes; brush the grates lightly with oil.
3. Lift the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off (discard the remaining marinade), and grill until deeply charred and the first side releases easily from the grates, 6-7 minutes.
4. Flip and grill the second side until charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest thigh reads 165F, 5-6 minutes more.
5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes to let the juices settle.
6. While the chicken rests, warm the tortillas directly over the grill flame or in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, 20-30 seconds per side until pliable and lightly toasted; stack them in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
7. Chop the rested chicken into rough 1/2-inch pieces.
8. Toss the chopped chicken with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and any juices accumulated on the cutting board.
9. Divide the chicken among the warm tortillas and top each with diced onion and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Crispy Cauliflower Tacos with Chipotle Crema — Mexican
• Chicken Fajita Skillet with Peppers and Onions — Tex-Mex
• Grilled Chicken Fajitas — Tex-Mex
• Blackened Chicken Skillet with Corn and Peppers — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Chicken Chile Colorado Tacos — Mexican

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, smoke mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.