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Weeknight-style Chili Crisp Chicken Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa. Made with flavorful Thai curry paste and doused in a chili crisp butter sauce. Ground chicken cooked with spices and stuffed into tortillas along with melty cheese. Then oven-baked until each taco is crunchy on the outside and spicy and cheesy inside. Serve with a fresh, bright mango herb salsa for a balance of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors. These come together easily and are so delicious. A fun twist on the usual taco night!
Alright, so here’s the deal, these tacos are different. But I really cannot express enough how yummy these are, and just how easily they come together.
Of course, nothing will ever replace our go-to tacos that we wholeheartedly love (and that I make almost weekly). But my whole family is just as excited for these Chili Crisp Chicken Tacos.
I love them for spring and even summer. They’re bright and fresh!! I drew inspiration from my popular chili crisp chicken bowls, so you know these tacos are going to be good!
I served these a couple of weeks ago and Creighton’s asked me to make them many times since. We really enjoy the fusion of flavors!
Details
Like most recipes right now, I wanted these to be quick and not too fussy to make. That being said, I did include a salsa (which is a must) and an avocado crema. It’s a taco recipe, you need all the sauces!
I begin with the chili crisp sauce. We’re making this sauce with butter, garlic, chili flakes, and sesame seeds.
It’s simple to make. Just brown the butter along with the garlic in a skillet on the stove until the garlic turns crisp. Be sure to watch closely, you don’t want to burn the garlic.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add the chili flakes, sesame seeds, and a pinch of sea salt.
Now the chicken. I always turn to ground chicken when I’m looking to create a simple, speedy meal. You could also use a mix of ground chicken and ground pork. That could be even better!!
The meat is cooked together with flavorful Thai red curry pasta and a bit of soy sauce. The curry paste adds the spice, allowing there to be minimal ingredients. Towards the end of cooking, I stir in pickled ginger (it’s so yummy when cooked and caramelized) and a couple spoonfuls of that chili crisp sauce.
Spoon the meat into hard taco shells. Add the cheese and bake until the cheese melts.
You can use store-bought shells or make my homemade crispy taco shells (recipe in notes). Personally, we love the homemade shells best but when in a hurry, I use store-bought.
Do what you have time for! While the tacos bake I make the salsa. Mango with spicy peppers, herbs, and fresh lime.
And for the avocado crema, it’s avocado whipped with lime and honey.
Then put everything together with the cheesy baked tacos! So many yummy, fresh flavors! I just adore these tacos!
Looking for more simple recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili
Creamy White Chicken Chili
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema.
Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Lastly, if you make these Chili Crisp Chicken Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 642 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-4 tablespoons chili flakes, to taste
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
- 1/3 cup tamari sauce or soy sauce
- 1/3 cup pickled ginger + 3 tablespoons of liquid in the jar
- 12 hard shell tacos (see notes for homemade option)
- 2 cups shredded Monterey or pepper jack cheese
Mango Salsa
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
1. To make the chili crisp. In a small skillet melt together the butter, garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes. Cook until the butter begins to brown and the garlic crisps. Remove from the heat. Mix in the chili flakes and sesame seeds, transfer to a heat-proof bowl.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and chicken, over medium heat. Cook the meat, breaking it up as it cooks, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the curry paste, soy sauce, and 1/3 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened around the chicken, 5 minutes. Stir in the pickled ginger and a splash of the liquid in the jar. Cook until the ginger caramelizes, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the chili crisp sauce.
3. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line the taco shells up on a sheet pan. Bake 5 minutes. Evenly divide the meat among each taco shell and top with cheese. Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
4. Meanwhile, make the salsa by combining all ingredients in a bowl.
5. To make the avocado crema, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt.
6. Serve the tacos topped with avocado, salsa, and extra chili crisp.
Notes
For Easy Homemade Hard Shell Tacos:Warm 8-12 corn tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and chicken. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see photo above). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.
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