These Mango Mojo Chicken Tacos are all the things I want in a taco - easy to prepare, lots of flavor, makes for great leftovers, and utterly delicious!
So I have this thing where whenever I'm about to travel somewhere, I start to crave the food that I like to eat in that particular destination. Have you ever experienced that? Last year, I made tons of Italian food the month leading up to my trip to Italy. I'm about to go to Texas next week, so I've been craving all things Tex Mex and Mexican! Now, I know that mojo sauce is actually Cuban, but a visit to TX always includes lots of tacos and lots of fresh citrus, so a mojo chicken taco sounded like just the thing! And not just any mojo chicken taco, one with juicy sweet mango, lots of salty cotija cheese, crunchy slaw, and all the citrus flavor!
Instructions
- Cook chicken in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker - lets give a loud cheer for easy food prep! Instant Pot and Slow Cooker recipes give me LIFE at all times of the year because I know I can rely on these cooking techiniques to help me make something delicious in a pinch when I'm short on time. And when you use fresh, high quality spices, citrus juices, rubs, and other ingredients, you take your convenience cooking up to the next level! To get these tacos going, all you have to do is put your chicken, citrus juice, mango, and spices in the insert of a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Punch in a few settings and you are good to go! In a matter of time and little effort, you will go from this....
...to this!
- Strain the chicken and mango from the juices - you will want to reserve those flavorful Mojo juices for dipping the tacos in later!
- Shred the chicken - you will want bite-size shreds and pieces. Put the chicken and mango on a baking sheet. The next step is where the magic happens...
- Broil the chicken and mango - a quick stint under the broiler will crisp up the edges of the chicken and mango, giving a texture similar to what you would get from grilling. The little crispy bits are the best part! Plus, a lot of people aren't fans of the texture of meats cooked in the slow cooker or Instant Pot, so this step helps a lot with improving the final texture and flavor of the dish.
Ingredients
In traditional Cuban cooking, the mojo sauce is made from lots of fresh citrus juice - typically bitter orange and lime - garlic and spices. It's most commonly used to cook pork in, and sometimes is made to be spicy with the addition of various peppers. I have kept the more basic traditional ingredients in this recipe and added mango to add a hint of sweetness to the tacos. Here's what you will need to make the recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken breast - this will keep things lean and low in calories. Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thigh or a pork loin roast to change things up a bit.
- Fresh orange and lime juice - freshly-squeezed citurs adds tons of flavor and makes this dish extra special. I just used regular navel oranges, as it's difficult to find sour or bitter orange in my area.
- Fresh mango - bits of juicy, ripe mango are so yummy in a chicken taco! And mango is one of my favorite summertime fruits, so I'm always looking for new ways to use it.
- Garlic, cumin, oregano - all traditional ingredients in a Mojo sauce.
- Tasty extras - the corn and wheat tortillas from La Tortilla Factory are literally the best tortillas money can buy, in my opinion. If you aren't making your own or if you're not blessed to live near a Mexican supplier that makes them fresh, these will definitely be your best option! Cotija cheese, rainbow slaw, and my Creamy Avocado Ranch dressing bring it all together in the very best way!
Serve with
Mmmmm there are SO many tasty options! Here are a few serving suggestions:
- A simple side of chips and salsa (currently ISO an amazing homemade salsa recipe)
- Black beans
- Roasted Plantains
- Fresh watermelon with chile lime seasoning sprinkled on top
- Blackberry Lime Spritzers
- Fresh Lime Tart
Did I hear someone say YUM?!? Seriously, if you make this menu INVITE ME! Or send me pics of the food so I can live vicariously through you. Let's get cooking!
Are you ready to try these Mango Mojo Chicken Tacos? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This will help me with the creation of future recipes! I’d also love to feature your creation in my monthly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured!
Recipe
Mango Mojo Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2 large chicken breasts, about 1.25 pounds, each cut into 4 pieces
- 2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted, and diced into 1’’ chunks
- ¼ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Extras:
- Tortillas (I recommend La Tortillas Factory Corn and Wheat Blend), warmed
- Rainbow slaw (I also recommend mixing this with Creamy Avocado Dressing)
- Cotija cheese
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Place all ingredients for the chicken into the Instant Pot insert. Put the lid on, being sure to set the knob to “sealing.” Cook on manual setting, high pressure, for 15 minutes. Allow for a 10 minute natural pressure release.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Place all ingredients for the chicken in the slow cooker insert. Cook on low for 6-8 hours until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
Assembling the tacos:
- Remove chicken pieces from the Instant Pot or slow cooker. Shred the chickens with two forks, then transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet. Preheat your broiler to 525℉ (or the high setting), and place the top rack in the middle of the oven. Strain the mango pieces from the juices and add to the chicken. Reserve the cooking juices for the tacos. Broil the chicken and mango on the rack in the middle of the oven to crisp the meat for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally and watching carefully, until the edges are slightly brown and crispy.
- Place chicken and mango in warm tortillas. Top with slaw and cotija cheese. Dip tacos as desired in reserved juices.
- Keep leftover chicken in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Pin this, pretty please!
Courtney Hight says
I love this mango chicken taco recipe! A delicious taco staple for me.
Shannon Kennedy-Newby says
If I make this and then don't eat it right away, do you think the leftovers will be better refrigerated prior to being broiled? Then under the broiler when ready to eat?
Thank you!
Whitney Reist says
Yes I think that will work just fine - enjoy!
Karly says
What a great flavor combo! I excited about trying this!