If you are looking for a way to change up taco night, these Honey Garlic Chicken Tacos are a great Asian fusion taco packed with flavor! Chicken thighs are cooked in a sweet and savory sauce, then served with an easy slaw for a delicious and easy dinner.
For more slow cooker chicken recipes, try these Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches or these Chicken Tostadas.
I have had a few conversations lately about my blogging beginnings, and how much things have changed over the years.
Not only has blogging changed, but my knowledge and cooking skills have changed, as well. And these Honey Garlic Chicken Tacos are proof of that.
Back in 2014, I had the idea to make these tacos, based off of my Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken. But as first printed, the chicken was made in the slow cooker, and the tacos consisted of just the chicken on tortillas.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I still think they were delicious. But knowing what I know now – I knew they needed an update and a new life. And these changes brought these tacos to a whole new level!
If you are a fan of Mexican-Asian fusion like I am, you will love these tacos. And they are a great way to change up taco night!
Ingredients
- Chicken: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for these tacos. Not only does the meat stay moist, but I think they just have better flavor. If you do choose to swap in chicken breasts, the cook time may be different.
- Soy Sauce: You will want to use low-sodium soy sauce.
- Honey: You can heat the honey up slightly before adding it to the sauce so that it mixes in better.
- Ketchup: I know this seems like a weird ingredient for this sauce, but trust me. It works!
- Hoisin Sauce: Hoisin sauce is an Asian condiment. It is usually pretty easy to find in most well stocked grocery stores.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic will give you the best flavor.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch will thicken the sauce. If you choose to leave this out, the sauce will just be a lot thinner.
- Cabbage: For the slaw, I will usually pick up bagged coleslaw mix. But you can use fresh shredded green cabbage as well, or a mix of red and green cabbage.
- Onion: I like thinly sliced red onion in my slaw. For a more mild onion flavor, you can swap in sliced green onions.
- Cilantro: I like lots of cilantro, so I will often add even more. But if you aren’t a cilantro fan, you can even leave it out.
- Oil: I like to use avocado oil for the slaw, but feel free to use another oil of your choice, if desired.
- Lime: You will need both the zest and the juice of one lime.
- Tortillas: I use fajita size flour tortillas. You could also use corn tortillas, but I think the flour tortillas really go well with this filling.
- Toppings: These are optional, but I like to add a little bit of extra cilantro, some crumbled queso fresco, and sesame seeds.
How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken Tacos
STEP 1: Trim the chicken and place it in a baking dish. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
STEP 2: Pour the sauce over the chicken. Turn the chicken to make sure it is coated well. Bake until the chicken is cooked through.
STEP 3: While the chicken is baking, combine all of the slaw ingredients so that the slaw is ready when the chicken is done. Refrigerate the slaw until needed.
STEP 4: When the chicken is cooked thorough, remove the chicken to a cutting board. Combine the cornstarch and water and whisk this into the sauce in the baking dish. Return the pan to the oven and let the sauce cook for about 10 minutes. This will thicken up the sauce.
STEP 5: While the sauce is back in the oven, dice the chicken into small pieces.
STEP 6: Combine the chicken with the sauce, and stir to coat the chicken. To assemble the tacos, top each tortilla with some of the chicken, then top with slaw, cilantro, queso fresco, and sesame seeds.
Tips and Tricks
If desired, you can slow cook the chicken as I had in the original recipe. You simply combine the chicken and the sauce in a slow cooker, and cook on low until the chicken is tender. You can shred the meat and serve it with the slaw.
The slaw was the biggest addition. It really helps to cut through the saltiness of the honey garlic sauce, and adds great texture and flavor. I would not suggest leaving it off!
The chicken can easily be made ahead of time and reheated for serving.
I like to char my tortillas before serving, just to add another level of flavor.
More Taco Recipes
Brisket Tacos
Greek Tacos
Crispy Chicken Tacos
Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema
Ground Beef Tacos
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Honey Garlic Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
Slaw:
- 4 cups thinly shredded cabbage (can use green, a mix of green and red, or bagged coleslaw mix)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Juice and zest of 1 medium lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
Tacos:
- 12 fajita size flour tortillas
- Chopped cilantro
- Queso fresco crumbled
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Trim the chicken thighs and place them in a 9×13-inch baking dish.2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, ketchup, hoisin, and garlic. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Turn the chicken to make sure it is coated in the sauce.1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup hoisin sauce, 4 cloves garlic
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over, then continue to bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes longer.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the slaw. In a bowl, combine the cabbage, onion, and cilantro. Add the avocado oil, lime zest and lime juice. Mix to combine, then season to taste with salt and pepper.4 cups thinly shredded cabbage, 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 tablespoons avocado oil, Juice and zest of 1 medium lime, Salt and pepper
- Remove the dish from the oven. Remove the chicken to a cutting board.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and the water. Whisk this into the sauce that is leftover in the baking dish. Return the baking dish to the oven to let the sauce thicken for about 10 minutes.1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons water
- While the sauce is in the oven, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven, whisk the sauce, then mix the diced chicken back into the sauce.
- To make the tacos, top each tortilla with some of the saucy chicken. Top with the slaw, then sprinkle on some extra cilantro, queso fresco, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.12 fajita size flour tortillas, Chopped cilantro, Queso fresco, Sesame seeds
Meg says
Can I use a different oil other than avocado oil
Deborah says
Yes – you can use any neutral oil.