Easy Chicken Tacos
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With a simple spice rub, the chicken is cooked quickly on the stovetop! Serve with pico de gallo, avocado + lime wedges!
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.
reasons to make easy chicken tacos
- 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 and tricks for success
- Use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets retain heat much better than a nonstick skillet, allowing for even cooking and a better sear.
- Grill outdoors. When the weather permits, use an outdoor grill for even more smoky, charred flavors.
- Make ahead of time. The spice rub can be mixed, 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.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes prior to dicing into bite-size pieces, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- 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.
what to serve with chicken tacos
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Easy Chicken Tacos: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 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.
Yes! We have a recipe for that 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.
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
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Been looking for a delicious chicken taco recipe. This one is super easy and quick and my kids loved it! Will make again.
Made these tacos tonight my husband keeps raving how good they were! Definitely going to make them again:)
how many people does it serve? I am a working mother of 23 kids and I need to feed all! Please.
six servings!
Just tried and it was a hit with the fam. Cut up the pieces before cooking might try the other way around to see if any flavor difference. But my bf loved them! Also cooked the chicken with some chopped up white onions!! I’m not much of a cooker and pretty impatient so fast meals like this is a dream! And who doesnt love taco leftovers!!!!
Third time making these tacos and each time they are a hit!!!! They remind me of a tacos from a food truck in Napa, 20 years ago!!
Easy and delicious. I have prepared this recipe 3 times and it’s a hit every time.
To save time for a busy weeknight I took another reviewer’s advice and chopped the chicken before cooking. IT WAS AMAZING! Plenty of flavor, nice and crispy. No leftovers at all. Thank you!
I made this last night. Soo good. I chopped the chicken into small pieces and fried them that way. Got some nice crunchy bits that really made it delicious.
It was easy!! I added some corn to the mix just for color and texture.
I made this tonight to put on nachos and it was perfection. My oldest (5) was picking at the chicken faster than I could put it on the chips. Thank you!
don’t use any of those too high in Omega 6 oils! Coconut oil or butter is safer/best for our bodies. Otherwise, I love your recipes! Omega 6s cause extreme inflammation.
Do you seriously think 1 Tablespoon of Canola oil is going to cause “extreme inflammation.” Your comment is ridiculous.
Yes it does. Why not use avocado oil instead? It won’t cause inflammation.
I use olive oil rather than canola. A hit every time!
So tasty! Will fix again for sure!
These were delicious!!! I will definitely be making these again!
Delicious! Good flavor and very easy prep. I will use again.
My husband stated that these are the best tacos he has ever had !! AMAZING ( and unbelievably easy ). Will take this on our camping trip for an excellent dinner. Thank you.
This was absolutely delicious! I will make this again.
Sooo good
Amazing. So easy to make. We used chicken tenderloins and cut them into bite size pieces after cooking them up. Super fresh snd so tasty!! My whole family raved about how delicious the chicken was. Squeezing the lime on the top of the tacos was definitely a key for all of us. I also added some finely sliced red onions for me, shredded Mexican cheese and cut up small grape tomatoes since my youngest doesn’t like pico de gallo .
These chicken tacos are fantastic. I didn’t change a thing and the whole family loved them. This will be my go to recipe from now on.
Made these with chicken thighs. Let the dry rub sit for about 2 hours, then put them on the grill which added great flavor. Everyone loved the flavor and complimented on the recipe. Will definitely make this again. We used a bunch of other “toppings” for the tacos, including a red cabbage slaw, corn salsa, crema, cotija, cilantro, guac, cheese, and made a taco bar so everyone could make their own. It was a hit!
Been looking for a better and easier chicken taco recipe and I found it here. Thank you