A refreshing, juicy chicken taco recipe that’s light enough for hot summer days.
I recently picked up Eric Kim’s Korean American cookbook and one recipe immediately caught my eye: these jalapeno-marinated chicken tacos.
They’re a lighter, healthier take on traditional chicken tacos that call for leftover cilantro stems and zesty jalapenos to create juicy bites of chicken.
But it’s the slaw that I really love!
Upgrade a regular bowl of juicy summer watermelon by turning it into a tangy, savory salad with just the right amount of spice.
(Eric Kim’s mother took the concept of muchim, or a dressed banchan-style salad and applied it to watermelon)
I’ve made this watermelon slaw so many times now – it’s phenomenal.
And sometimes on extra sticky summer days, I skip the chicken tacos and just have a big bowl of it as a watermelon salad!
Jalapeno Chicken Tacos with Watermelon Muchim Video Recipe
Jalapeño Marinated Chicken Tacos with Watermelon Salad
A refreshing, juicy chicken taco recipe that's light enough for hot summer days.
Ingredients
For the Marinated Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 4 large jalapeños
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1 cup packed cilantro stems
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
For the Watermelon Slaw
- 1 cup watermelon, diced
- 1 large jalapeno, thinly sliced into rings
- 1 tsp gochugaru powder
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp sugar
For the Tacos
- 10 small flour tortillas
- lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
Prep: Make the Marinade
- Prep the chicken by cutting thighs into 2" pieces
- In a blender, blitz jalapeños, garlic, cilantro stems, olive oil, salt, sugar and black pepper until it forms a smooth paste.
- Marinate the chicken with the jalapeno paste for at least 30 minutes (or in the fridge for up to 8 hours)
Make the Tacos
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Transfer the chicken from the marinade to the sheet pan and roast until it's cooked through and lightly browned, about 25-30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, make the watermelon muchim by combining the diced watermelon, jalapeñno rings, gochugaru flakes, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Taste, and adjust seasonings if desired.
- When the chicken is about 5 minutes from being ready, heat up the tortillas by lightly roasting on the stovetop over an open flame.
- Assemble your tacos by adding a couple pieces of chicken, a heaping spoon of watermelon slaw and garnish with lime wedges.
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