Easy Chicken Tacos
by Chungah
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Weeknight chicken tacos! A 30-min dinner with an easy make-ahead spice rub, packed with so much flavor. Quick, speedy, and a family-favorite!
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 Chicken Taco Recipe
- Makes weeknight dinners so effortless. These are truly the easiest weeknight chicken tacos ever (also great for lazy weekends).
- Make-ahead friendly. The recipe includes a simple make-ahead spice rub using pantry ingredients already on hand (chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, and garlic powder), meaning there is no marinade involved here!
- So customizable. The seasoned chicken can be served in warm tortillas as tacos or burritos, and leftovers can be repurposed for bowls, quesadillas or salads – the sky is the limit!
How to make easy chicken tacos
- Make the spice rub. Combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pro tip: double or triple the batch as needed to keep on hand for later, storing in an airtight container.
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and season with the spice rub thoroughly in an even layer.
- Cook the chicken. Cook the chicken in a cast iron skillet until golden brown and cooked through (165°F), working in batches to avoid an overcrowded pan.
- Let cool. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Letting the chicken cool first ensures that the meat stays juicy and prevents it from tearing.
- Assemble the tacos. Warm the tortilla (instructions below), add the diced chicken and top with pico de gallo, avocado, cilantro, and lime juice.
How to warm tortillas
Stovetop
Heat each tortilla on a hot cast iron skillet over medium high heat (not using any oil) until puffed and toasted, about 15-30 seconds on each side.
Microwave
Wrap 4-5 tortillas in a stack in a damp paper towel or kitchen towel, heating for 20-30 seconds.
Oven
Wrap 5-8 tortillas in a stack in aluminum foil, baking for 8-10 minutes at 350°F until warmed through.
Best Sides to Serve with Chicken Tacos
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Easy Chicken Tacos: Frequently Asked Questions
The ideal homemade seasoning should be savory, smoky and salty, using a blend of chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content, which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken tacos.
Yes! Repurposing rotisserie chicken is one of the best and easiest shortcuts for making chicken tacos. Shred or chop the chicken, heating in a cast iron skillet over medium heat with the spice rub and a splash of chicken broth (to keep it moist).
Both flour and corn tortillas are solid options. Flour tortillas are more pliable, great for heavy tacos, whereas corn tortillas are more traditional for street tacos, offering more rustic, earthy flavors.
The tortillas can be warmed on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the oven (instructions above) to make them soft and pliable, preventing them from tearing when assembling into tacos.
We have a recipe for that here!
Absolutely! When the weather permits, use an outdoor grill for even more smoky, charred flavors, warming the tortillas directly on the grill grates until pliable and slightly charred, about 30 seconds on each side.
Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Easy Chicken Tacos
Video
Ingredients
- 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
For the spice rub
- 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
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with spice rub.
- 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.
For the spice rub
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Equipment
Notes
- Chicken thighs are juicier. For the juiciest chicken tacos, opt for chicken thighs instead of breasts. Because of their higher fat content, the chicken thighs are juicier, more flavorful, and much more forgiving if overcooked.
- Use a cast iron skillet. A cast iron skillet offers unmatched heat retention and distribution for the best sear while keeping the chicken incredibly juicy and moist on the inside.
- Neutral oils with a high smoke point is ideal. Use a neutral oil such as avocado, peanut, canola or vegetable oil, offering the ability to withstand high heat without smoking, burning, or changing the flavor of the chicken while producing a perfectly golden-brown sear.
- Cook in batches. Cook the seasoned chicken thighs in batches for a proper sear and to prevent the pan from overcrowding. An overcrowded pan will inevitably steam the chicken instead.
- Let the chicken cool before dicing. Let the chicken rest and cool prior to dicing, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness without tearing when dicing.
- Grill outdoors. When the weather permits, use an outdoor grill for even more smoky, charred flavors.
- Double the spice rub and store for later. Double or triple the batch of the homemade spice mixture and store it as your go-to chicken taco seasoning in an airtight container. It cuts down prep time even further for taco night, and guarantees consistent flavor in every chicken taco recipe!
- 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. Always warm the tortillas first to prevent tearing (stovetop, microwave and oven instructions above).
- 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.
Did you make this recipe?
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Better than I expected! Super flavorful
Thanks for that recipe it was soo yummy . I saw the recipe today and I thought hmm why i dont try to cook that dish for today’s dinner. I will definitely keep that receipt and do it time to time.
Absolutely delicious. Spice rub was perfect and everyone loved these tacos. Definitely a recipe to keep.
Thanks!
This is my go-to website for recipes that I know I’ll love. I have made several of Chungah’s recipes and they are always a hit. I made these chicken tacos tonight and they were delicious. I was tempted to use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs because I already had the breasts on hand, but I’m glad I went ahead and got the thighs because they were so much more tender and perfect for these tacos. The recipe was quick and easy, just like the name states. My household is pretty wimpy when it comes to spicy foods so I only used 1/4 tsp of chili powder and it was just right for us.
Easy to make and so damn delicious!!!
Just made them! So good! Fast and easy. Great meal during quarantine
Yum!!! Very easy and delicious.
I’ve never done a spice rub before, so I just had a question if anyone could answer it. Sorry I am 24, and a mom of a 2 year old, and have been living with my boyfriend for 4 years. I’m trying to be a good mom and wife and make new recipes to try and find some staples everyone loves to make for years to come. Basically just trying to make our own little family traditions. But anyways, for the spice rub would I rub that onto the chicken, sprinkle it on the chicken, coat the chicken or would like dicing the chicken before I cook it and tossing it in the spice rub be better? Sorry I know it’s a dumb question but I just want it to be right.
Shana, you could do any of those things and it will turn out fine. I prefer to dice the chicken first just because it cooks faster that way and everyone is always hungry at dinner time.
way too much salt but I enjoyed the flavor and had all the the ingredients!
Great spice rub, the chicken was delicious! We cooked it on the grill – the whole family loved it! Thanks for another great recipe!
Made this chicken with my Hospitality Students at a BOCES. We were learning how to cut chicken with a chef knife. We cubed the chicken before cooking, seasoned and then cooked!! Completing and eating Tacos tomorrow.
Thanks!!
I found this recipe for taco night and haven’t looked for another one since. The first time I used it, I thought to myself, this is a lot of seasoning; however, it turned out perfect. I did find it easier to cut the meat into bite-size pieces first ensure it is done the first go around. Overall this recipe is the best!
It’s better if you chop up the meat first then add the spices onto the meat and throw it into the pan on high with 3 table spoons of oil for 6 minutes, but over all it’s a great recipe .
I used chicken breast came out so delicious am adding it to my favorite recipes
This was really tasty
Simple, quick, delicious!! What’s not to love??! Thanks for another keeper!
I can mess up any recipe, but this chicken is awesome. Everyone loved it!
Delicious! We didn’t change a thing and loved it —- even our picky 4 and 2 year olds loved it. Definitely a keeper!
This was honestly so easy I looked like a chef! Thank you for sharing this simple yet delicious recipe
We love this recipe, and it has become a new family staple. I especially love these tacos with a little bit of guacamole or plain avocado for a little creaminess.