Grilled Taco Chicken with Frito Slaw.
This grilled taco chicken with frito slaw will become your new favorite dinner! Spiced taco seasoned chicken is grilled to perfection and served over crunchy, refreshing slaw with chili cheese fritos. Tastes amazing! And it’s fun to serve too.
Time to make frito slaw your thing!
This grilled taco chicken with frito slaw is my new favorite meal! It is everything you want it to be: refreshing, crisp, crunchy, satisfying, easy and more. The slaw is delicious and the chips add such a perfect crunch. The chicken can be mixed right in or sliced on the side and the combo is SO good.
Fresh, light, flavorful and fun to eat.
This is a dinner here that everyone is absolutely LOVING.
My cousin Lacy and her mother-in-law found this recipe for frito slaw and we couldn’t stop thinking about it. And talking about it!
It sounded SO good. I’m not even that big of a frito fan but I couldn’t get it out of my head.
It sort of reminded me of that old school dorito salad (that I semi-recreated) where you drench everything in a bottle of catalina dressing and crush up the bag of doritos. I love it and hate it in the best way possible.
This slaw sounded like an even better version of that. It’s no secret that I am such a huge slaw fan – I will make a slaw out of anything so I can serve it with everything. The texture and crunch is unmatched. And it’s a fun way to spruce up a “salad.”
The original version that Lacy found used bacon and a creamy dressing with taco seasoning. I knew I didn’t want the bacon and had to put my own spin on the salad and the dressing. My cilantro lime dressing is always a hit, so a creamy version was in order. And here we are!
The best new dinner idea that you’re all going to love. And yes, you need a bag of fritos for it.
First up, the grilled taco chicken. These are chicken thighs that I use some taco-inspired seasoning on and then throw on the grill. Super easy and so flavorful.
Next, the slaw. You will want to eat this over and over and over! It’s crisp and crunchy but light and refreshing and tastes absolutely fabulous.
This is how it comes together:
The base is thinly shredded green cabbage. You can also use a cole slaw bagged mix if it’s easier. I just love the sliced cabbage. In addition to that, the toppings are where it’s at.
We have diced bell peppers and jalapenos, which give it that garden freshness. You can smell how refreshing and taco-y this is!
I use a can of black beans (or pinto!) and a bag of frozen corn. You can add as much of these things as you wish! More or less, whichever you prefer.
Chopped cilantro and green onions go in the base too!
Can’t forget the dressing! In this case, I make a creamy cilantro lime dressing that really coats every shred of slaw. It brings a creaminess to the dish too, because we’re not using cheese or sour cream. It doesn’t make the slaw too wet either.
Now the best part: the fritos! I really like to use the chili cheese fritos because they are my favorite ones. But feel free to use the classic version too. My kids like those ones better. You toss them into the slaw right before serving so they maintain their crunch.
If you find yourself with leftovers, the fritos still add incredible flavor. They just aren’t crunchy anymore.
Time to combine it! That’s what I love about this. You can serve the slaw on the side like a salad. Or chop up the chicken and add it directly to the slaw. A big slaw bowl, if you will.
This salad has all the nostalgic flavor we love with a refreshing crisp bite that keeps it modern and light. It’s the best!
Grilled Taco Chicken with Frito Slaw
Grilled Taco Chicken with Frito Slaw
Ingredients
frito slaw
- 1 small head green cabbage, very thinly sliced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 10 ounces corn, cooked if frozen (I use a steamfresh bag)
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 (9oz) bag chili cheese fritos
creamy cilantro lime dressing
- 2 cups fresh cilantro
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoons honey
- ⅔ cup greek yogurt
- kosher salt and pepper
chicken
- 1 ½ pounds chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
frito slaw
- Combine the cabbage, green onions, peppers, black beans, corn and cilantro in a large bowl. Toss with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle half of the dressing on top. Toss well until everything is combined. Add more of the dressing until it’s coated as desired.
- Right before serving, add in the fritos. Toss well. The chips will be crunchy if you serve right after adding them. As it sits, they get a bit softer but they are still delicious!
creamy cilantro lime dressing
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined.
chicken
- Preheat the grill to high. Let it heat for 10 minutes.
- Place the chicken in a dish and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper, then cover in the smoked paprika, cumin and garlic powder.
- Place the chicken on the grill and close the lid. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and then grill for 5 to 6 minutes more, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Let the chicken sit for 10 minutes before slicing or chopping.
- You can serve the chicken on the side or you can chop it up and add it directly to the slaw!
Did you make this recipe?
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You can even SEE the crunch!
2 Comments on “Grilled Taco Chicken with Frito Slaw.”
This is a fun, delicious recipe.
Totally reminds me of grilling with friends in Avignon — every weekend, they’d throw chipolatas sausage on the grill and we’d feast for hours. I’ve been trying to recreate that here in the States, and recently found a version that’s surprisingly close in both flavor and texture. Perfect for a nostalgic weekend meal without leaving home.