These chicken tacos rely on a fresh Chimichurri sauce to shower every bite with an herbaceous vibrancy you’ll instantly love. Plus the vinegar in chimichurri helps tenderize the chicken while it marinates, resulting in a tender and boldly flavored taco dinner.
Chimichurri is one of those condiments that just makes food worth eating. It’s so fantastic with chicken, prepared in all different kinds of ways. Pairing chimichurri with grilled chicken is a personal favorite, as the herby, tangy sauce is beautiful with charred proteins.
But for these Chicken Chimichurri Tacos, you can cook the chicken however you’d prefer. The chicken gets a chimichurri marinade before cooking, which helps infuse bold flavors. As pictured, I just pan-fried my chicken for these tacos, but you could also grill, roast, or Instant Pot it with success.
The Chimichurri brings so much flavor to these chicken tacos that you can keep the rest of the dish super simple - a corn or flour tortilla as your base, and simple garnishes like shredded lettuce to add a textural contrast.
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What is Chimichurri?
Maybe you haven’t heard of chimichurri before. I would describe it as an Argentinean pesto (sans nuts). Because, like pesto, chimichurri is fresh and herbaceous. But unlike pesto, it’s tangy.
Chimichurri is a condiment with Argentinean origins that typically contains parsley, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and flakes of chili pepper. And a popular destination for the sauce is grilled meats, like steak.
How to Make Chicken Chimichurri Tacos
Break out a food processor or blender to make homemade chimichurri sauce a breeze to make. But, first you will need to make the difficult decision of which of these Chimichurri recipes you’d like to use:
- Roasted Garlic Chimichurri - Buttery roasted garlic brings a subtle sweetness to this herbaceous wonder
- Spicy Chimichurri Sauce - Serrano peppers bring the heat, making this fiery chimichurri perfect for chicken tacos
Now that you’ve chosen, and I am confident you’ve chosen well ;), let’s get to making these Chicken Chimichurri Tacos.
Ingredients Needed for Chicken Chimichurri Tacos
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup chimichurri, plus additional for serving
- Corn or flour tortillas
Cut chicken breasts into pieces. Add chicken pieces to a bowl.
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the sliced chicken and mix to coat.
Add the chimichurri to the chicken and mix to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for 4-6 hours to let the flavors infuse.
Cook the chicken! I simply pan-fried the chicken pieces until cooked through, which takes around 10 minutes on medium heat. Putting a lid on it speeds up the cooking process.
Warm up or toast your tortillas to make them more pliable.
Assemble! Add cooked chicken to tortillas and top with desired garnishes and additional chimichurri sauce.
Equipment Needed
Frying pan
Storing Leftover Chimichurri Chicken
Store leftover chimichurri chicken in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Top Tip
Let the chicken marinate for at least 4-6 hours if you can so the chimichurri sauce has time to flavor the chicken.
FAQ
Homemade chimichurri sauce lasts about a week in the refrigerator; store it in a lidded container like a Mason jar. Bring to room temperature before use.
You betcha! For best results, marinate for at least 4-6 hours or overnight so the chimichurri flavor can settle into your protein of choice.
As pictured, I kept it simple with thinly sliced Iceberg lettuce and additional chimichurri. Other optimal garnishes include:
Shredded cabbage
Jalapenos, fresh or pickled
Red onion, thinly sliced
Thinly sliced radishes
Feta or cotija cheese
If you're looking for sides to serve with Chimichurri Chicken Tacos, try Instant Pot Spanish Rice or Air Fryer Nachos or Jalapeno Creamed Corn.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Chicken Chimichurri Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup chimichurri (plus additional for serving)
- Corn or flour tortillas
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts into pieces. Add chicken pieces to a bowl.
- Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the sliced chicken and mix to coat.
- Add the chimichurri to the chicken and mix to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably for 4-6 hours to let the flavors infuse.
- Cook the chicken! I simply pan-fried the chicken pieces until cooked through, which takes around 10 minutes on medium heat. Putting a lid on it speeds up the cooking process.
- Warm up or toast your tortillas to make them more pliable.
- Assemble! Add cooked chicken to tortillas and top with desired garnishes and additional chimichurri sauce.
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