Sweet Chili Chicken Smash Tacos

Two sweet chili chicken tacos on serving platter.

Sweet Chili Chicken Smash Tacos, at a Glance

⏰ Total time: 25 minutes

🍽 Servings: 4

🛒 Key Ingredients: Ground chicken, mini tortilla, sweet chili jam (or sauce), garlic, ginger, soy sauce, cabbage, scallions

🧠 Skill level: Easy

🔥 Cooking Method: Pan-fried

💪 Protein: 29g per serving

🥗 Perfect For: Weeknight dinners, casual entertaining or dinner parties, taco Tuesday, a better-than-takeout night in

Why smash tacos are so great

Smash tacos are forever one of the easiest meals you can make. Whenever I’m asked for a simple recipe for someone who isn’t a super confident cook, smash tacos are often my answer.

They’re quick, very easy, loaded with flavor, endlessly customizable, and you can even prep them ahead of time.

These very lovely, sweet chili chicken smash tacos are excellent for a few reasons:

The chicken topping itself is packed with zesty, light Asian-inspired flavors.
They use lots of gorgeous sweet chili jam (or sweet chili sauce).
The crunchy, fresh slaw ties it all together.

This is a great one for light, summery al fresco dinners, and I love them for entertaining, too. You can set up a smash taco station with the toppings laid out for everyone to load up as they see fit.

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How to make sure your taco topping sticks to the tortilla

From experience, this is definitely the most common question I’m asked about smash tacos!

There are a few easy ways to make sure you’re set up for success:

Make sure you spread your topping into a thin, even layer on your tortilla. About 5mm thick – a thin coating, rather than a thick patty.
Use a non-stick pan to cook your smash tacos. It’ll make flipping easier and lessen the risk of any sticking.
Really press (smash) the tacos into the pan. I like using a flat spatula or a fish slice for this. It helps the topping stick and set into the tortilla as it cooks.
Your pan should be nice and hot when you add your tacos. This helps the topping cook quickly and ‘seal’ itself to the tortilla.

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These sweet chili chicken smash tacos are crispy, sticky, juicy, and just the ultimate quick, easy weeknight dinner. Garlicky, gingery ground chicken is smashed onto mini tortillas, pan-fried until golden, then finished with extra sweet chili jam and a crunchy scallion slaw. Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

For the sweet chili chicken topping –

1 lb ground chicken, (500g)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1- inch piece of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sweet chili jam, or sweet chili sauce

For the slaw –

½ white cabbage, shredded
2 scallions, (spring onions), finely sliced
1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

For the toppings –

Sweet chili jam, or sweet chili sauce
A handful of cilantro, coriander leaves
Sesame seeds, or furikake seasoning

Method

Mix the chicken topping.Add the ground chicken to a mixing bowl, along with the crushed garlic, grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of fish sauce, and 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam. Mix well to combine.
Make the slaw.Mix the shredded cabbage with the sliced scallions, then toss with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and set aside.
Press the chicken onto your tortillas. Scoop up a heaped tablespoon of the sweet chili chicken mixture and press it onto your mini tortilla, using the back of the spoon to smooth it right to the edges. Try to keep it quite thin and as even as possible (this will help them cook evenly). Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture and tortillas.
Cook the smash tacos. Set a large frying pan or skillet over high heat, then add a drizzle of olive oil. Place a topped taco, chicken side down, into the pan. Use a flat spatula or fish slice to really 'smash' the taco into the pan. This will help the meat stick to the tortilla and help it cook quickly. Cook for four minutes, then flip, and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to cook a few tacos at once.
Top the smash tacos. Drizzle the cooked tacos with more sweet chili jam, then divide the slaw between them. Finish with a scattering of cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, or furikake seasoning. Enjoy while lovely and hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 3tacos
Calories: 430kcal
Carbohydrates: 34g
Protein: 29g
Fat: 20g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g
Cholesterol: 100mg
Sodium: 850mg
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 8g

Notes

HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR TOPPING STICKS TO YOUR TORTILLA: There are a few tricks to this. Spread your topping into a thin, even layer on your tortilla. About 5mm thick – a thin coating, rather than a thick patty. Use a non-stick pan to cook your smash tacos. It’ll make flipping easier and lessen the risk of any sticking. Really press (smash) the tacos into the pan. I like using a flat spatula or a fish slice for this. It helps the topping stick and set into the tortilla as it cooks. And, your pan should be nice and hot when you add your tacos. This helps the topping cook quickly and ‘seal’ itself to the tortilla. INGREDIENT NOTES: You could swap the ground chicken for ground turkey, pork, beef, or a plant-based alternative. Use a store-bought slaw mix for ease if you prefer. I often love adding a drizzle of garlic aioli, Kewpie mayo, or spicy gochujang aioli for a nice creamy element too. Use corn or flour tortillas, both work well. PREP AHEAD NOTES: There are a few ways to get ahead with this recipe. You can mix the ground chicken topping up to 3 days in advance, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also top the tacos 24 hours in advance, then store them stacked on top of each other, with a piece of parchment paper between each layer, in an airtight container in the fridge. The slaw can be made up to 3 days in advance, and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.