Out of everything on the channel, this one probably gets made in my kitchen the most, and it's not close. Most of my recipes are the "occasional treat" kind — the cheesy, indulgent, worth-the-effort kind. This one's different. It's light, it comes together fast, and it doesn't leave me feeling like I need a nap afterward, which is honestly rare for me.
It also happens to be one of those recipes where the individual pieces are simple, but the combination is what makes it work. Grilled chicken, a quick sauce, a crunchy salad. It's the assembly that turns it into something that tastes like more effort than it actually took.
-> Marinating the Chicken
You'll need:
- 500g boneless chicken breast
- 2 tsp oil
- 2 tsp mixed herbs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
Combine the chicken with the oil, mixed herbs, salt, and ginger garlic paste in a bowl, and mix it well so every piece gets coated evenly. Keeo it elsewhere while you preparation for everything else. I usually do this first and let it sit for at least 20-30 minutes if I have the time, even though the original method doesn't require a long marination — a little extra resting time never hurts here.
Grill or pan-sear the chicken until it's cooked through and has good color on the outside. Slice it once it's rested for a couple of minutes, so the juices don't run out the second you cut into it.
-> The Onion Tomato Salad
You'll need:
- Half a medium onion, chopped
- Half a medium tomato, chopped
- Juice of 1 whole lime
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
Toss the chopped onion and tomato with the lime juice, salt, pepper, and mixed herbs. This isn't meant to sit around — make it close to assembly time so it stays fresh and doesn't turn watery from the lime juice breaking down the vegetables too early.
Alongside this, julienne half a red and half a yellow bell pepper, and roughly chop about 100g of lettuce. These go in raw and crunchy, which is part of what keeps the whole taco feeling light instead of heavy.
-> The Sauce
You'll need:
- 2 tsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
Mix these together until smooth. It's a simple sauce, almost embarrassingly so, but it's the right kind of simple — it ties the smoky chicken and fresh salad together without overpowering either one.
-> Putting It Together
Take a tortilla and start with a layer of sauce at the base. Add the julienned bell peppers, followed by the onion tomato salad, then the lettuce, and finish with the sliced grilled chicken on top. A little extra drizzle of sauce over everything if you like it a bit richer.
That's genuinely it. No baking, no long resting time, no complicated technique. Just good ingredients treated properly.
-> A Few Notes From Making These Often
If you're meal-prepping, keep every component separate and only assemble right before eating. The tortillas go soft fast once the salad's on them, and nobody wants a soggy taco.
I sometimes swap the tortilla for a lettuce wrap when I want it even lighter, and it holds up surprisingly well with these particular fillings since nothing here is overly wet or heavy.
If you like a bit more heat, a few slices of pickled jalapeño tucked in with the lettuce works well without changing anything else about the recipe.
This is one of those recipes I keep coming back to specifically because it doesn't feel like a compromise — it's quick enough for a weeknight but still tastes like something I'd actually want to serve to people.
Prefer to watch it come together? Check out the full video below where I make this Grilled Chicken Tacos step by step — it's the easiest way to see the exact texture and technique before you try it yourself.
