Now we’re talking! These Blackened Chicken Tacos With Mango Salsa are the perfect flavor combo. Sweet, savory, citrusy, a little bit spicy—literally everything you could ask for in a taco.
So if you’re looking for a simple yet sensational dinner idea, these tacos will elevate your typical taco night to something truly special. Also, they're incredibly easy to make, gluten free, dairy free, and good for you.
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How to Make Blackened Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa
To make these blackened chicken tacos, you'll need the following ingredients:
- 12 Corn Tortillas
- 6 Chicken Thighs
Chipotle Chicken Marinade Ingredients
- 1 Cup Orange Juice
- ½ Cup Fresh Cilantro
- ¼ Cup Coconut Aminos
- ¼ Cup Lime juiced
- 4 Cloves Minced Garlic
- 2 Teaspoons Cumin
- 2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoons Chipotle Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Mango Salsa Ingredients
- 2 Mangos
- ½ Head Purple Cabbage
- 1 Purple Onion
- 1 Cup Cilantro
- 1 Lime juiced
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Garnish
- Green Onion
- Feta or Cotija Cheese
- Avocado
- Jalapeño for added spice
Step-By-Step
Preheat your oven to 425ºF and prepare a cast iron skillet or baking dish. You will use this to bake the chicken!
Next you’ll make the marinade to season the chicken. This is what gives it unbelievable flavor! Get out a medium sized bowl & combine the orange juice, cilantro, coconut aminos, lime juice, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, salt, and pepper in the bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss it around until it’s all coated evenly. You can leave the chicken in the marinade for up to 24 hours, if desired. This makes it a great meal prep option! If you don’t have time, no worries I usually don’t either & the flavor is just as good when the chicken is baked in the marinade without any marinading time!
Bake & Blacken the Chicken
Add the chicken thighs and marinade to the cast iron or baking dish (I prefer to use my cast iron). Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes, then broil for the last 5 minutes to give it the blackened flavor! You will know the chicken is done if the juice runs clear when you cut it and/or the internal temperature is at least 165ºF. It’s very important to not undercook chicken.
Let’s Make Mango Salsa 💃🏽🥭
Make the mango salsa while the chicken bakes. Chop the mango, purple cabbage, purple onion, green onion, and cilantro. Add lime juice, salt, and minced garlic. Mix well and set aside.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes once it’s out of the oven, then slice or shred it into bite sized strips to fill the tacos.
To assemble the tacos, warm up the tortillas for 15 seconds. You can do this in the microwave, or in a frying pan on the stove. Once they’re warm, divide the chicken among the corn tortillas and top with mango salsa, avocado, jalapeño, feta or cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro.
I’m a huge fan of the toppings for this recipe so don’t be shy when adding them to the tacos! Enjoy!! 🌮
Recipe Tips
For this recipe to yield the best results possible, I have a few little tips for you!
- I like to use boneless, chicken thighs. The thigh meat is much more tender & juicy than the breast meat. If you prefer chicken breasts feel free to use those as well, I just love the result of using chicken thighs.
- Don’t skimp on the 5 minute broil when baking the chicken! This is key to getting your chicken blackened and makes a huge difference on flavor.
- Don’t spice yourself out! I’ve definitely done this and it really takes away from the experience! Adjust the heat level to suit your taste by adding more or less spice to the salsa and chicken marinade.
Check out the recipe video on Instagram!
Why I Love This Recipe
These Blackened Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa are so delicious and I love them for many reasons. I believe the key to the incredible flavor of these tacos lies in the blackened chipotle marinade. I know marinades have the potential to overpower a dish, and that’s one of the reasons why I love this one. The sweetness from the citrus provides the perfect balance with the spices, adding depth and enhancing the flavors of the blackened chicken. It takes your typical chicken taco recipe to a whole new level of tasty! While that’s the first reason I love them, let me give you a few more reasons why I think they might become the new favorite taco recipe in your house.
The salsa is another flavor element that makes these addicting. Again, the sweetness of the mango provides a unique flavor that’s very complimentary to the typical smoky & savory flavors of classic Mexican dishes! It’s also a really quick and easy recipe. These tacos come together in no time, making them perfect for busy weeknights. And of course, they’re very versatile and you can tailor the flavors to your liking! As always, customize your tacos with your favorite toppings for a meal you and your people will absolutely love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you are using already cooked (rotisserie or leftover chicken), simple sear the chicken over the stove in a frying pan, make the marinade, and pour it on the seared chicken. If you’re using chicken breast, it will be the same process as the recipe above.
Of course! If you want to make the chicken on the grill, make the marinade & marinate the chicken before grilling.
Yes—that’s an easy swap! If you prefer pineapple over mango, feel free to cut up ½ a pineapple and add it to the salsa recipe in place of the mango!
Feel free to omit any of the spices you don’t like in the marinade or salsa recipe.
These chicken tacos are really easy to store. Store each ingredient separately in air-tight containers for best storage results!
Let’s Get Taco Night Rolling 🌮🥭
These Blackened Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa are a delicious, 30-minute meal—perfect for any night of the week. Loaded with flavor and easy to make, I can almost guarantee they’ll become a new go-to recipe! If you love this recipe, try another one of my taco recipes—Turkey Smash Burger Tacos!
Have the sweetest day & tag me on Instagram when you make this recipe! @entirelyemmy
Blackened Chicken Tacos with Mango Salsa
Ingredients
- 12 Corn Tortillas
- 6 Chicken Thighs
Chipotle Chicken Marinade
- 1 Cup Orange Juice
- ½ Cup Fresh Cilantro
- ¼ Cup Coconut Aminos
- ¼ Cup Lime juiced
- 4 Cloves Minced Garlic
- 2 Teaspoons Cumin
- 2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoons Chipotle Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Mango Salsa
- 2 Mangos
- ½ Head Purple Cabbage
- 1 Purple Onion
- 1 Cup Cilantro
- 1 Lime juiced
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Garnish
- Green Onion
- Feta or Cotija Cheese
- Avocado
- Jalapeño for added spice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425ºF and get out a cast iron skillet or baking dish to bake the chicken.
- Season the chicken in a marinade by combining orange juice, cilantro, coconut aminos, lime juice, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl and marinate for up to 24 hours in the fridge, if desired. I try to put it in the marinade about 2 hours before making this recipe.
- Make the mango salsa by chopping the mango, purple cabbage, purple onion, and cilantro. Add lime juice, salt, and minced garlic. Mix well and set aside.
- Bake the chicken for about 20 minutes, then broil for the last 5 minutes until cooked through.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice or shred it.
- To assemble the tacos, divide the chicken among the tortillas and top with mango salsa, avocado, jalapeño, feta or cotija cheese, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Jodi says
This is my favorite taco recipe!!! INCREDIBLE