Easy Chicken Tacos
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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?
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This is cooked regularly at our house. Damn delicious!
Thank you for the easy tacos recipe, Chungah! It was a big hit with the whole fam. I added some chopped Japanese sweet potato and refried beans. Btw. your blog looks beautiful! I feel like I remember Damn Delicious from years ago.. and your dogs. 🙂
I loved this seasoning mix. I didn’t have any boneless chicken on hand, only quarters. I separated the thighs and legs, put them in a large bowl. I then drizzled with a bit of lime juice and massaged the seasoning blend into them real good. I baked at 350 f. I made some Mexican rice. I cut my chicken off the bone and served on top of a rice bowl with lots of toppings! Hubby had his chicken with tortillas on the side. We loved this spice. It is now in my recipe box for frequent use! Thank you!
I have looked @ your recipes many times! Have to tell you that every time I open your site I absolutely melt when I see your picture! Thank you for the eye candy and some great recipes!
awesome!
Excellent!! My husband and I loved it. I did use olive oil. Used chicken breast tenderlions. Cut them into bite sized pieces before seasoning. Much easier!! Googled a homemade Pico de gallo recipe. Everything blended well together. This will definitely go on our regular dinner rotation!!
My family absolutely loved these tacos! They have a regular place in our dinner rotation now.
How many does this serve?
In the box with the prep and cook times, it says it yields 6 servings.
Easy, quick and tasty! Thank you
It says 6.
Quick, easy and taste delicious.
Yuuuummm, yuuummmm!
Yum, was a big hit! Will be a keeper to make again!! Thank you!
This will now be my go-to chicken taco recipe. So good. The only thing I changed is I also made a cilantro-lime sauce which I also drizzled on the tacos.
Easy and delicious. Trader Joes had a chili lime powder and followed the rest of the recipe as is. Thank YOU. Will make again.
How many calories per taco?
These are delicious and so easy to make
This is an east way to make ckicken tacos, and I appreciate that. I served them to our guests and was happy to see them enjoying the meal. No left-overs!
Nice recipe. The chicken takes a bit longer than called for, but seasoning is yummy
Tried these tonight and they were delicious! The seasoning is great. Probably the best chicken tacos I have ever made. Thank you!
This was perfection! I used a pk. of chicken tenderloins because that’s what I had on hand. Mixed my avocado chunks into the pico & We fried white corn tortillas in oil like street tacos & had grilled carmelized onions on the side too. It was gone fast.