Jerk Chicken Tacos with Gold Kiwi Salsa and Coconut Plantains

Putting a Caribbean spin on taco night with these jerk chicken tacos. Topped with a gold kiwi salsa and jerk crema and served with a side of coconut plantains. They’re great for grilling season, easy to make, and ready in just 45 minutes!

Fire up the grill and take dinner outside—I love any excuse to cook on the barbecue once the weather warms up. These jerk chicken tacos are my go-to when I want something familiar but with a fun, tropical twist that feels a little special without being fussy.

I marinate the chicken in my homemade jerk seasoning, made with allspice, nutmeg, thyme, brown sugar, black pepper, and plenty of fresh lime. The grill adds a little char while keeping the chicken juicy, and those bold spices mellow into a warm, deeply flavorful bite.

I layer the jerk chicken onto warm corn tortillas with crunchy cabbage, then spoon over a bright gold kiwi salsa and finish everything with a drizzle of jerk crema. A side of caramelized coconut plantains makes it feel like a full-on island-inspired dinner—bold, colorful, and seriously satisfying.

Tip: For a slightly different variation, try using my jerk chicken marinade.

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Jerk Chicken Tacos with Gold Kiwi Salsa and Coconut Plantains

Prep: 35 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

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These delicious Grilled Jerk Chicken Tacos are topped with gold kiwifruit salsa and served with a side of sweet coconut plantains. Fire up your BBQ and get outside for dinner.

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Ingredients

Jerk Chicken

• ▢ ½ medium yellow onion
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning (see notes)
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic
• ▢ 2 limes (juiced)
• ▢ 1 jalapeño pepper (optional – see notes)
• ▢ 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Jerk Crema

• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream
• ▢ ¼ cup mayonnaise (can be light)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lime juice
• ▢ 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning
• ▢ 1 pinch sea salt

Kiwi Salsa

• ▢ 2 kiwis (see notes)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons diced red onion
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ▢ A pinch of sea salt

Coconut Plantains

• ▢ 1 ripe brown plantain
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Serve

• ▢ 12 4-inch tortillas (warmed)
• ▢ 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage

Instructions 

• Put the onion, oil, soy sauce, jerk seasoning, garlic, lime juice, and jalapeño into your blender and blend on high speed until mostly smooth.
  ½ medium yellow onion, 2 tablespoons cooking oil, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons jerk seasoning, 4 cloves garlic, 2 limes, 1 jalapeño pepper
  
• Put the chicken into a shallow bowl or baking dish and pour the marinade over the top. Mix it around a little so it is well-coated then let it marinate in your fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
  8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  
• While the chicken is marinating, prepare the rest of dinner. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, jerk seasoning, and salt.
  ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning, 1 pinch sea salt
  
• Dice the kiwi (we like to leave the skin on gold kiwi fruits) then mix them with the red onion, cilantro, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
  2 kiwis, 2 tablespoons diced red onion, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, A pinch of sea salt
  
• Slice the plantain into ½-inch thick rounds and toss them with sugar. Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat then add the plantains and cook, turning once, until they are soft and caramelized, about 3 minutes per side.
  1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 ripe brown plantain, 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• Preheat your grill to medium-high. Remove the chicken from the marinade and put it onto the grill. Grill for 10 minutes, turning once, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  
• Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing it into bite-sized pieces.
  
• To serve the jerk chicken tacos, pile some cabbage onto a tortilla then top with some jerk chicken and crema. Serve the sweet plantains on the side.
  12 4-inch tortillas, 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
  

Video

Notes

Marinade amount: If you’re cooking for a crowd, you can double the chicken without doubling the marinade.

Jalapeño: Traditionally, Scotch Bonnet peppers are used in jerk recipes. Since they are hard to find where I live, I use milder jalapeños instead. Feel free to substitute the spicy pepper with whatever is available to you, or omit it for less heat. 

Jerk spice: I use my homemade jerk seasoning in this recipe. While it has a fairly long list of spices, most are common pantry ingredients. I recommend making the full recipe to save you time next time you make a jerk recipe, but if you only want to make enough for this marinade, use these quantities:

• 1 teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne (spicy!) OR paprika (mild!)
• ½ teaspoon EACH: sea salt, black pepper, brown sugar, parsley, thyme
• ¼ teaspoon EACH: all-spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin

Nutrition

Serving: 3 jerk chicken tacos, Calories: 528kcal (26%), Carbohydrates: 30g (10%), Protein: 47g (94%), Fat: 26g (40%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 222mg (74%), Sodium: 757mg (33%), Potassium: 970mg (28%), Fiber: 6g (25%), Sugar: 15g (17%), Vitamin A: 1794IU (36%), Vitamin C: 66mg (80%), Calcium: 119mg (12%), Iron: 4mg (22%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

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