Nothing beats the smell of delicious food cooking over a campfire after a long day of hiking and outdoor fun. These cilantro lime chicken tacos bring restaurant quality flavors to your campsite with simple ingredients and easy cooking methods that work perfectly with camp gear.
This camping meal combines bright lime flavors with tender, juicy chicken and fresh toppings that will make everyone at your campsite happy. The best part? Most of the prep work can be done at home before you even leave for your trip.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 limes (juice and zest)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Slaw:
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 limes (juice only)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Pinch of salt
For the Avocado Crema:
- 1 large ripe avocado
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving:
- 8 to 10 corn or flour tortillas
- Crumbled cotija cheese or feta
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Lime wedges
How to Make Them
These tacos are easy to make with most of the work done at home before you leave. Follow these simple steps for the best results at your campsite.
At Home Before Your Trip:
- Poke holes all over the chicken with a fork
- Mix lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, garlic, cilantro, honey, paprika, salt, and pepper in a ziplock bag
- Add chicken to the bag and massage to coat well
- Keep refrigerated until you leave for camp
At Your Campsite:
- Let chicken come to room temperature for 30 minutes
- Mix slaw ingredients in a bowl and set aside
- Mash avocado in another bowl, then mix in yogurt, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, sriracha, oil, and water until creamy
- Heat your camp grill or grill pan over medium heat
- Cook chicken 4 to 5 minutes per side until it reaches 165°F
- Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then slice thin
- Warm tortillas and build your tacos with chicken, slaw, crema, and cheese
Why These Tacos Are Perfect for Camping
Camping meals need to be simple, tasty, and use ingredients that travel well. These cilantro lime chicken tacos check all those boxes and more.
The chicken marinates in a ziplock bag, which means no extra dishes to wash at camp. The marinade keeps the meat tender and adds amazing flavor without needing complicated spices or sauces. Plus, chicken cooks quickly on a camp grill or over a campfire.
The toppings are fresh and crunchy, giving you a nice break from typical camping food. The slaw uses sturdy vegetables that won’t get mushy in a cooler, and the avocado crema can be made right at your picnic table.
Getting Ready Before You Leave Home
Smart campers know that prep work at home makes camp cooking much easier. For these tacos, you can do almost everything ahead of time.
Mix up the marinade and chicken in ziplock bags the night before you leave. The chicken will be perfectly flavored by the time you reach your campsite. Pre-cut all your vegetables for the slaw and store them in separate containers. This way, you just need to mix everything together when you’re ready to eat.
Pack your spices and seasonings in small containers or bags. Bring pre-made taco seasoning if you want to keep things super simple.
What You Need at Camp
The great news is that this recipe works with basic camping gear. You don’t need fancy equipment to make amazing tacos.
A camp grill or grill grate over your fire works perfectly for cooking the chicken. If you don’t have a grill, a cast iron skillet will do the job just fine. Even a regular camping pan can work if that’s what you have.
For mixing the slaw and avocado crema, bring a couple of bowls and a fork for mashing. A small cutting board makes chopping easier, but you can prep everything on a clean plate if needed.
Don’t forget a meat thermometer if you have one. Chicken needs to reach 165 degrees to be safe to eat.
Campfire Cooking Tips
Cooking over a campfire takes a little practice, but these tips will help you get perfect results every time.
Let your fire burn down to hot coals before you start cooking. Flames will burn the outside of the chicken before the inside cooks through. You want steady, even heat.
If using a campfire, build a two zone fire. Keep most of the coals on one side for direct heat, and leave the other side cooler for indirect cooking. Start the chicken over direct heat to get those nice grill marks, then move it to the cooler side to finish cooking.
For camp grills, medium heat works best. If you can hold your hand about 5 inches above the grate for 3 to 4 seconds, the temperature is just right.
Making the Slaw Without a Kitchen
The cilantro lime slaw adds amazing crunch and freshness to these tacos. Making it at camp is easier than you might think.
Use pre-shredded cabbage and carrots to save time and effort. Most grocery stores sell bagged coleslaw mix that works perfectly. Just add some chopped cilantro and green onions.
Mix the lime juice, oil, honey, and salt in a small bowl first. Then pour it over the vegetables and toss everything together with your hands or a spoon. Let it sit for a few minutes while you cook the chicken so the flavors can blend.
Avocado Crema Made Simple
This creamy sauce takes these tacos from good to amazing. You can make it without any fancy equipment.
Mash the avocado in a bowl with a fork until it’s mostly smooth. Add the Greek yogurt, lime juice, and seasonings. Keep mashing and stirring until everything is mixed well.
Add water a little bit at a time until you get the consistency you want. It should be creamy enough to drizzle but thick enough to stay on the tacos.
If you don’t have Greek yogurt, sour cream works just as well. No sriracha? A tiny bit of hot sauce or even black pepper will add some kick.
Assembly Line Taco Making
When the chicken is done, set up an assembly line on your picnic table. This makes serving easy and lets everyone build their tacos exactly how they like them.
Warm your tortillas first. Wrap them in foil and place them near the fire for a minute or two. You can also warm them quickly in a dry pan.
Slice the chicken while it’s still warm. Let it rest for about 5 minutes after cooking, then cut it against the grain into thin strips. This makes the meat more tender.
Set out bowls of slaw, avocado crema, cheese, and any other toppings you brought. Don’t forget the lime wedges for squeezing over the finished tacos.
Storage and Food Safety Tips
Keeping food safe while camping is important, especially with chicken and dairy products.
Keep the marinated chicken in your cooler until you’re ready to cook. Use it within 2 days of marinating. If your cooler isn’t staying cold enough, cook the chicken sooner rather than later.
The avocado crema contains dairy, so it needs to stay cold too. Make it fresh at camp and use it right away, or keep it in the cooler for no more than a day.
Leftover cooked chicken can be stored in the cooler for a couple of days. Use it for breakfast burritos or camp quesadillas the next day.
What to Serve Alongside
These tacos are filling on their own, but a few simple sides make the meal even better.
Chips and salsa are classic camping food and pair perfectly with tacos. They’re easy to pack and don’t need any preparation.
Corn on the cob cooks great over a campfire. Wrap it in foil with a little butter and throw it in the coals while you cook the chicken.
A simple fruit salad provides a refreshing finish to the meal. Cut up whatever fruits you have and toss them together in a bowl.
Cleanup Made Easy
Nobody wants to spend a long time washing dishes at camp. This recipe keeps cleanup simple.
Use disposable plates and bowls if you want the easiest cleanup. Just pack out your trash like a good camper.
If you’re using camp dishes, most of the mess is just the chicken marinade bag (which you can throw away) and a few bowls for mixing. Rinse everything with hot water from your camp stove and you’re done.
Why These Tacos Beat Typical Camping Food
Most camping meals are heavy and filling but not very exciting. These cilantro lime chicken tacos are different. They’re fresh, flavorful, and feel like a real treat after a day outdoors.
The bright lime and cilantro flavors wake up your taste buds. The combination of tender chicken, crunchy slaw, and creamy sauce gives you different textures in every bite.
Plus, they’re actually pretty healthy compared to typical camping fare. You get protein from the chicken, vegetables from the slaw, and healthy fats from the avocado.
Making It Work for Your Group
This recipe scales up or down easily depending on how many people you’re feeding.
For a small group of 2 to 3 people, use one pound of chicken. For larger groups, just multiply everything. The marinade ratio stays the same no matter how much chicken you use.
If you have vegetarians in your group, the slaw and avocado crema work great on black bean tacos too. Just warm up some canned black beans with a little taco seasoning.
Kids usually love these tacos because they can pick their own toppings. Leave off the spicy stuff for little ones and let them build their own.
The Perfect End to a Camping Day
After a day of hiking, swimming, or just relaxing in nature, sitting around the campfire with these delicious tacos feels like the perfect reward. The fresh flavors and satisfying textures make this meal something special.
The best part might be watching everyone’s faces when they take that first bite. The combination of flavors always surprises people, especially when they’re expecting typical camping food.
These cilantro lime chicken tacos prove that camp cooking doesn’t have to be boring or basic. With a little planning and some simple techniques, you can enjoy restaurant quality meals in the great outdoors.