Donal's Family Kitchen30 Minutes

Smoky Chicken Tacos

Name: Smoky Chicken Tacos
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 red onions, quartered; 750g free-range skinless chicken thigh fillets, sliced; 3 garlic cloves, grated; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp chipotle powder; To serve:; ¼ red cabbage, very finely shredded; Juice of 2 limes, plus wedges to serve; Pinch of sugar; Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil; 6 large flour or corn tortillas, warmed; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 1 large avocado, sliced; Guacamole; Handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

The beauty of homemade tacos is that when it comes to serving it’s a perfect excuse to get everyone to assemble their own. All the different elements can be laid out on the table and from there, it’s choose your own taco adventure time! Take the time to char the corn tortillas on a hot griddle pan or over an open flame using tongs – it makes such a difference to their flavour.

Donal SkehanFrom the series · Donal's Family Kitchen

30 min totalServes 6Easy

Smoky Chicken Tacos

Time30 min

Serves6

SkillEasy

ShowSuper Food In Minutes

Method

Toss the olive oil, red onion, chicken, garlic, cumin and chipotle powder together in a bowl until completely coated. Add salt and pepper to season. Place a large griddle pan over a high heat until hot, then add the chicken and red onion and allow to char on all sides until the chicken is cooked through and the red onion wedges are tender. Keep warm in a low oven while you prepare the toppings.

Toss the shredded red cabbage with the lime juice, a good pinch of sugar and some seasoning. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and set aside to pickle.

Spoon the chicken and onion wedges onto warmed tortillas and top with pickled cabbage, sliced red onion, avocado slices, dollops of guacamole and a scattering of coriander. Squeeze over lime wedges, roll up and devour.

Cook's notes

Let the griddle heat up for a good while before anything goes on — that head start is what gets you a proper char on the chicken and the onion wedges.
Keep an eye on the pan and turn the chicken as soon as it starts to catch; dark, charred edges are exactly the colour you're looking for.
Dress the cabbage with the lime juice and sugar as soon as the chicken goes on — even a little time pickles it tender and juicy rather than raw and squeaky.
Thigh fillets are the right call here; they take the fierce heat without drying out the way breast would.
Once the onions are tender and the chicken is cooked through, keep everything warm in a low oven while you warm the tortillas and lay out the toppings.

Serve with Set out the guacamole, avocado, coriander and lime wedges to build at the table, with soured cream and a bottle of hot sauce for those who want more heat. A cold Mexican lager or a lime margarita rounds it off.

Make ahead & storage The griddled chicken keeps for up to three days in the fridge and reheats well in a hot pan. Dress the cabbage fresh each time, as it loses its crunch once it sits.

30 Minutes

Recipe by Donal Skehan · From the series Donal's Family Kitchen · Photography © Appetite Media
Published 13 July 2026 · Updated 15 July 2026

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

342kcal

28gprotein

23gcarbs

16gfat

Approximate — calculated from the ingredient list using USDA food data. A guide, not a medical figure.

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