Easy Chicken Tacos
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
Make easy chicken tacos at home with juicy chicken thighs, a bold spice rub, and all your favorite toppings like pico de gallo, avocado, and lime wedges. This chicken tacos recipe is quick, flavorful, and perfect for weeknight taco night.
Featured Comment
I think this will be my go-to weeknight meal for the next few weeks. No, wait, months probably. Because, guys, we just brought home a little baby corgi brother for Butters. So to say my hands will be full with these two little buggers is clearly an understatement.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Chicken Tacos Recipe
- Truly the easiest weeknight chicken tacos ever (also great for lazy weekends)
- Includes a simple make-ahead spice rub using pantry ingredients already on hand (chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and garlic powder), no marinade involved here
- So customizable – can be served in warm tortillas as tacos or burritos, and leftovers can be served as bowls, quesadillas or salads – the sky is the limit!
Tips for Perfect Easy Chicken Tacos Every Time
- Use a cast iron skillet for the best sear and juicy chicken. High, even heat locks in flavor so your easy chicken tacos cook fast and stay tender. Allowing for even cooking and a better sear. For the juiciest chicken taco recipe, use chicken thighs. They stay moist and flavorful compared to breasts, making this the best chicken taco choice for weeknights.
- Grill outdoors. When the weather permits, use an outdoor grill for even more smoky, charred flavors.
- Mix a bigger batch of the homemade spice rub and store it as your go-to chicken taco seasoning. It cuts prep for taco night and guarantees consistent flavor in every chicken tacos recipe. Prepped and stored in an airtight container ahead of time, cutting prep time even more. Season the chicken with the spice mixture when ready to cook. The spice mix doubles as homemade chicken taco seasoning, so you can prep jars in advance for faster taco night.
- Let your meat rest. For the juiciest chicken taco recipe, choose thighs and rest 5 minutes before dicing. The spice rub + cast iron skillet combo keeps every bite tender.
- Use flour or corn tortillas. Tacos are traditionally made with corn tortillas but small flour or corn tortillas can be used depending on personal preference.
- Double up the tortilla. Street tacos are typically served on two tortillas, known as la copia or “the copy”. This practice helps keep the filling together, and if the first tortilla breaks, the back up tortilla can be used for the rest of the filling.
- Serve with your favorite toppings. Serve with pico de gallo, salsa verde, guacamole, avocado, cilantro, cotija cheese or lime.
How to Make Chicken Tacos at Home
Making chicken tacos at home is simple: season chicken with a quick spice rub, cook in a cast iron skillet, and serve in tortillas with toppings like pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro, and lime. This easy chicken tacos recipe is ready in 30 minutes and works with either chicken thighs or breasts.
Best Sides to Serve with Chicken Tacos
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron skillet — essential for quick, even heat and that golden sear. Also handy: tongs for flipping, a sharp knife for slicing, and a cutting board for toppings.
Large cast iron skillet
Easy Chicken Tacos: Frequently Asked Questions
How long to cook chicken for tacos? About 4–5 minutes per side in a hot cast iron skillet until 165°F.
How do you make chicken tacos at home? Just season, cook, and serve in tortillas with toppings.
Yes, chicken breasts can be used in this chicken tacos recipe, but thighs make juicier, more flavorful easy chicken tacos.
Keep but optimize: Yes! For quicker prep, try our Instant Pot chicken tacos recipe linked here.
Yes, we have a recipe for that here.
Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Classic chicken taco toppings include pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro, cotija cheese, salsa verde, and lime wedges.
Season the chicken with spice rub, cook, and store for 2–3 days. Reheat and assemble tacos just before serving.
Chicken tacos use small tortillas with simple toppings, while burritos are larger, wrapped, and loaded with rice and beans.
Easy Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 12 mini flour tortillas, warmed
- 1 cup pico de gallo, homemade or store-bought
- 1 avocado, halved, peeled, seeded and diced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Season chicken with chili powder mixture.
- Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
- Serve chicken in tortillas, topped with pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro and lime.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
My family loves this recipe and I make it often. The lime really elevates it!
I tried these chicken tacos last night and they turned out amazing! The flavors were so vibrant and fresh, reminded me of the vibe at loaded cafe long beach where everything feels homemade and delicious. Definitely saving this recipe to make again next week.
Tried this tonight and wow—so quick, flavorful, and juicy! Definitely adding this to my regular weeknight dinner lineup.
Perfect seasoning. Will add to regular rotation. Thank you for sharing
This was amazing. We usually make other styles of Mexican dishes like chicken fajitas or our simple version of crockpot chicken and salsa tacos. After making this, we are never going back to the crockpot. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and was great having it bite sized along with pico and avocado. Next time I might add charred peppers and onions just for something different. This WILL be in our rotation.
My family loved these tacos. It’s a great weeknight meal when you don’t have a lot of time.
Delicious! Made it on the grill. (Oiled the chicken after the rub). High heat for about 5-7 mins a side. Yum!
This is DELICIOUS! A huge hit with the whole family, including my young picky eaters. So flavorful, juicy and amazing with the pico de gallo, avocado (like she has pictured) and hot sauce. I’m amazed at how simple this was to make but tastes like restaurant quality. Another DD recipe that doesn’t disappoint. Definitely making this again!
Excellent combo of spices. Thank you!
very good!
10/10 was really good and simple and made a great meal
Thanks! Made for fast and delicious chix taco meat.
This is my go to recipe ! its the best. Going to try and use it and bake it in the oven as I have to multitask and need to be hands free some hoping it turns out !
This was amazing! I didn’t have enough chicken so I subbed it a little with large mushrooms. Highly recommend.
This recipe could not be any easier! Simple ingredients! And best of all it’s delicious. Thank You❣️
Was looking for a chicken taco recipe to switch it up a little. So I googled recipes, this was the first one to pop up and boy am I glad!!! Had all the staples in my pantry and the chicken whipped up quickly. I go too alot off ratings and seeing this one was pretty high really sealed the deal. Thank you for sharing it.
Amazing! Made myself with a few modifications! Add Greek yogurt to spice mixture and tortillas! Delicious!
This was so good! Thank you! Would the spices work for ground beef tacos?
can you use non-stick pan to cook chickem
This was so good! Thank you for the recipe. Do you think the spices would work with ground beef for tacos?
This was outstanding. Absolutely Delicious. I diced the chicken first into bite size pieces, seasoned it with the spices then cooked it in the cast iron skillet. I added Mexican corn to the skillet while the chicken cooked. You can add any topping you like – it’s now the only way I will make fresh tacos! Yum