Blackened Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Servings per recipe: 8

If you are looking to shake up your weekly taco night, these blackened chicken tacos with pineapple salsa are the perfect solution. Requiring just 10 minutes of cook time, this recipe delivers a restaurant-quality meal with minimal effort. The smoky, savory heat of the blackened chicken balances beautifully with the sweet crunch of the fresh fruit salsa, making it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for both busy families and weekend get-togethers.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds Chicken Breast, thinly sliced or pounded to ½ inch thickness
• 8-6inch flour tortillas
• Optional: Additional taco toppings such as lettuce, reduced-fat sour cream, reduced-fat cheese, etc.

Marinade:

• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus zest of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Salsa:

• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1 cup tomato, diced to ¼ inch
• ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons jalapeno, minced
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2. Place chicken into a large resealable bag and add marinade. Mix to coat the chicken. Press out as much air as possible, then seal the bag.
3. Allow chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day in the refrigerator.
4. Mix all salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Once the chicken has marinated for at least 1 hour, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Add chicken to the hot skillet and cook for 5 minutes on one side.
7. Flip the chicken over and lower the heat to medium. Cook for an additional 4-6 minutes, until internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
8. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes.
9. Heat tortillas in a pan according to package instructions.
10. Thinly slice chicken lengthwise into long strips. Fill tortillas with chicken, salsa and any additional toppings that you would like.