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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These are ABSOLUTELY yummie My Daughter is vegetarian so i made another batch with chick peas instead of chicken, just as yummy
Easy as to make,great recipe
This recipe is sooooo good and easy ! It was a hit !!
Quick, easy, flavorful! Will make again soon!!
Okay, this was AMAZING. That spice rub was so bomb, this week has been unbelievably busy and I was looking for a super quick delicious meal. This was it!! I’m definitely keeping this one for all my busy weeks 🙂
This was AMAZING!!!!! My husband including my 4 little guys gobbled up a double recipe. I made my own pico de gallo and it was just soooo, sooo good!
You went all out! Homemade pico de gallo? So awesome. Thanks, Maggie!
Awesome! I sliced the chicken and cooked it in the air fryer for about 10 minutes. I’m not sure I’ll cook chicken any other way. It was so moist. Also, not sure we’ll ever do ground beef tacos again either.
Oh that sounds so easy. I might try it this way instead.
So you sesoned the chicken, then cut it up, then air fried it? I’m new to an air fryer. I would love to try this!
These did not disappoint. Delicious.
We are so glad to hear these tacos did not disappoint, Lynn! 🙂
Oh my! These were absolutely delicious! I didn’t make the chicken in the skillet but coated the chicken with the spices and baked them in the oven at 425 for 30 minutes. The seasonings on it are perfect! Well done!!!
What a great way to do it! Thanks for sharing with us, Saba!
Made this yesterday for dinner ( Taco Tuesday) easy and delicious!
Awesome! Love that you have a Taco Tuesday, Robin! 🙂
This was great! I used chicken breasts and diced them small before tossing into the spice mixture and cooking – this made them get a nice fond on all sides. I also sautéed a red onion and a diced jalapeño and added with the chicken to serve. Super fast and easy.
That sounds amazing, Emily!
I love chicken tacos!!! Pinned this recipe right away 😀 Looks so easy and yummy.
I love Tacos and these look and sound amazing. Can’t wait to give them a go!
Delicious chicken. I used a lower calorie pita bread for my taco shell and it worked out perfectly. So tasty and the family loved it as well. Will add it to our regular menu!! I have found so many quick, delicious family friendly recipes on your site.
We’re so happy it’s making its way into your dinner rotation! 🙂
Eye popping delicious.
Quick quick marinade, quick grill, and stupendous flavour.
Ps the corgis are so damn darling
Aw, thank you, Nancy! 🙂
Cannot wait to try these, I’m no good at using spices so appreciate ratios! How do you prepare your tortillas? I can never get mine to look or taste as delicious as pictures, but sure it’s got to be something simple. Thanks for all your deliciousness!
I honestly just throw them in the microwave to warm them up. But the tortillas here have been styled a bit simply for photographic purposes (not needed for taste purposes though!). 🙂
What’s his name? Can we see a picture?
His name is Cartman! You can follow his adventures with his brother, Butters, here! 🙂
https://www.instagram.com/butterscorgigram/
Omg…was just reading some of the reviews….then I clicked the doggie insta….and 30 mins later I finally realized what I was supposed to be doing…bahaha…too cute…oh, & I’m going to make the tacos!!..
Thanks
These chicken tacos look amazing! Definitely making them for Taco Tuesday next week!
I love you for using chicken thighs in EVERYTHING!!! This looks like a winner and I can’t wait to try it!
I love this recipe except for tortillas. Fluor tortilla is made with soy flour and or soy oil, I am very allergic to both. I’ve tried corn tortilla and are very chewy. I appreciate suggestions other than corn tortilla? Thank you
MaryBeth, you can use any kind of tortilla that suits your dietary restrictions. 🙂
Sounds tasty! I usually just use a premade seasoning mix so bookmarking for later. I like a fruity salsa with chicken – something like a pico but with mangos (if I can find good ones) or peaches (if I can’t) added also. It’s good with fish too.