Easy Chicken Tacos
by Chungah
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
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?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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
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?