Name: Summer Chicken
Yield: 4

Summer Chicken Recipe that wins every cookout—this grilled taco chicken with avocado corn salsa is next-level good.

Author’s Notes

I Could Honestly Eat This For Every Dinner Until Summer Ends!

Corn and avocado are two of my all-time favorites, and they’re even better together—creamy, crisp, sweet, and fresh. Especially when the corn is charred right off the grill and the avocados are evenly ripe… nothing beats that!

Don’t sleep on the chicken—it’s not just a base for the salsa! The quick marinade (just a few pantry staples) makes it so juicy, tender, and flavorful. Baste it as it grills, and it turns out so good it barely makes it off the cutting board.

Can’t wait to hear what you think of this Summer Chicken Recipe!

All the ingredients for this recipe are prepped and ready for straightforward assembly, including the meat, jalapeño, marinade, onion, seasonings, corn, lime, garlic, pepper, cilantro, and oil.

Summer Chicken Recipe Ingredients

You’ll find the full recipe below, but here are a few quick notes:

Chicken: This taco chicken is one of my all-time favorites—and a top recipe on the site! Use chicken breasts or thighs—whatever you prefer.
Corn: Fresh off the grill is my fave, but frozen works too (especially if you char it a bit!).
Avocados: Go for ripe, but firm so they hold up well in the salsa.
Cilantro: Adds a fresh pop—skip or swap with parsley if you’re not a fan.

The marinade is whisked together in a bowl, and the chicken is added to marinate for this summer chicken recipe.

Chicken Marinating & Grilling Tips

Here are my top tips for making this Summer Chicken Recipe on the grill—but if you don’t have a grill, the stovetop works too!

Slice or pound: Halve and pound chicken so it cooks evenly and soaks up more flavor.
Oil the grill: Use oiled paper towels and tongs to keep chicken from sticking.
Save marinade: Set some aside before adding the chicken to brush on while grilling.
Check temp: Pull chicken at 160°F—carryover heat brings it to 165°F.
Let it rest: Cover with foil for 5–10 minutes to keep it nice and tender.

The cooked meat fresh off the skillet for a satisfying dinner.

Summer Chicken Recipe Sides

Cilantro lime rice: Fresh and bright, goes great with the salsa.
Tortilla chips: reliable for scooping up extra salsa.
Black or pinto beans: Filling and tasty!
Simple salad: Keep it light with a cilantro-lime dressing.
Watermelon or fruit salad: Sweet and juicy, reliable with smoky chicken.

Mixing together the avocado salsa in a bowl for this summer chicken recipe.

Storage

Keep the grilled chicken and avocado salsa in separate containers. Store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 4 days. Cover the salsa tightly and eat within 1–2 days—it’s best fresh.

Featured Comment

Oh my goodness, this recipe is restaurant quality!!! It was AMAZING and it’s my new favorite dinner! My whole family raved about it and even requested it again next week! Thank you so much!
– Jen