Lime Chicken Soft Tacos with Cilantro Lime Coconut Rice are not just for Taco Tuesday! This is one of my go-to chicken recipes, because it is super easy to get on the table in under 40 minutes, and it is loaded with fresh ingredients to maximize flavor. 

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Sunday Supper

The fifth of May, Cinco de Mayo in Spanish, commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at the battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The victory was an important step for Mexico in her fight for independence. Today in Mexico, and in communities across the United States, Cinco de Mayo brings celebrations, fiestas, parades, and a collection of Sunday Supper Recipes to help you plan your very own Cinco de Mayo celebration.

It has become a tradition to celebrate Cinco de Mayo here in the United States with delicious Mexican inspired food and drink. My Lime Chicken Soft Tacos with Cilantro Lime Coconut Rice and Homemade Tomato Salsa are a favorite in our house, not only for the exciting fresh flavors, but also because it is easy to make and a fun way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesday, or just about anything!

Cilantro - Love it or Hate it?

Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs. With cilantro, you either love it or hate it! Some people detect a soapy flavor in the leaves and won't go near them, but I get an earthy flavor with hints of citrus. The flavor it imparts is so distinct, it really adds a nice touch to many different recipes. Cilantro is actually the Spanish word for coriander, but cilantro seems to be the more commonly used word for this delicious herb. So what do you say? Love it or hate it? I think you know where I stand on this debate <wink>

I topped these delicious soft tacos with some chopped spinach, because I love sneaking spinach in where I can, and it works great on these tacos! I also added some Homemade Tomato Salsa. All of the fresh flavors in the tacos paired so nicely with the Cilantro Lime Coconut Rice. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

NOTE: This makes extra rice than you will need for the recipe. I use it in another recipe for meal planning purposes, but you can easily halve the rice recipe if you don't plan on using the extra. I highly recommend making up some Asian Pork Meatballs to go with this rice. Click here for my Asian Pork Meatballs recipe.

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Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

By Life Tastes Good
Published 04/30/2017

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Coconut Rice

• 2 cups Basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 fresh lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime zest
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• salt to taste

Lime Chicken

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
• salt and pepper
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 fresh lime, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly minced garlic

Assemble

• Flour Tortillas - I used 4 soft taco size tortillas (8")
• Fresh spinach, chopped
• Homemade Tomato Salsa
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain rice in cold water. Place 2 cups rice in a skillet with 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir and reduce heat to mid-low. Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. When most of the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Then remove cover and fluff with a fork. When ready to serve, mix in juice from 1/2 lime, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, pinch of cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Give it a taste and adjust the flavors to your liking. Don't be afraid to add a little more lime juice or cilantro if you want stronger flavors :)
2. While the rice is cooking, heat a skillet over mid-high heat. Season the diced chicken pieces with salt & pepper. When the pan is good and hot, add 1 tablespoon butter and swirl around to melt and coat the pan. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and let them cook, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes until they are nicely browned on one side. It's important to not stir the chicken pieces for about 3 minutes. If you stir too soon, they will stick to the pan and make a mess. Once they are nicely browned on the one side, give them a good stir and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on how big your chicken pieces are and how hot your pan is, so be sure to check to make sure they are cooked through. I recommend using a stainless steel or cast iron skillet. Using a non-stick skillet will not sear the chicken as nicely, so I try to avoid that.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add 1/2 tablespoon freshly minced garlic to the skillet. Cook for about a minute and add 1/8 cup red wine vinegar, juice from 1/2 lime, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the skillet and give it a good stir to combine and coat the chicken. Add the green onions and simmer a minute or two. The liquid will reduce and coat the chicken pieces nicely. Remove the chicken pieces to a serving dish and set aside.
4. Wipe out the skillet. Be careful not to burn yourself. Heat the skillet over medium heat and place a tortilla in the skillet to warm it. Turn it to warm both sides and repeat with all tortillas you'll be using.
5. Divide chicken mixture evenly among warmed tortillas. Top with chopped spinach, Homemade Tomato Salsa, and shredded cheddar cheese. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with the Cilantro Lime Rice. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 mins.

Cook time: 20 mins.
Total time: 35 mins.