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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Awesome rub for chicken tacos. Add a couple things to kick it up..
1/2 diced poblano pepper
1/2 diced onion
1/4 stick Mexican chorizo
2 small tomatillos, diced
1 t diced smoked Chipotle peprs
Sautee all above till cooked and then stir in Chix and serv on warm tortillas. Wash back with favorite beer. Salud!
Do not overcook chix. Mix all
Made these today in the air Fryer they were great
that is exactly what I want to do.
Can’t wait to make these tonight! Going to add chipotle peppers, cheese and sour cream!
this is the best thing ive ever tasted in my entire life. Its best when you fry the tortillas in the pan and get your jiggy on. 10/10 recommend would do again. Please try this recipe. Will be making again!!!
Absolutely delish! Accidentally used tenders and still great! Served with homemade tortillas, seasoned sour cream, pico, and cheddar (avocado wasnt ripe!). Next time, will add some sautéed veggies after chix cooks and pair with some Spanish rice and black beans. Thank you!
Wonderful and easy!
VERY GOOD!!! I doubled the recipe for my family of 5. Cooked in my skillet….we ate like kings!!!!
I’ve made this recipe several times and the kids and I love it. We add shredded cheese, tomatoes, onions and sour cream as toppings. I bake my chicken in cut up pieces on 350 though with the seasonings, it’s still delicious.
This is a bomb recipe !!
I love the combination of the spices–a perfect blend. I used chicken breasts and this dish turned out delightful. I am sure I will use this recipe often.
This was the easiest thing to make…my husband and kids loved it! I’m a vegetarian so after I removed the chicken I added chopped mushrooms, peppers, and onions to the skillet and sautéed them up in the remaining oil and spices. Absolutely delish!
I have been making these for years! LOVE them!
This was a very good recipe to find! I had everything I needed so I put it all together. My dad, whose not a fan of chicken, went back for more THREE TIMES!!! Thank you very much for sharing. Will definitely be making this again.
Very nice recipe, the chicken tasted delicious, the taco’s turned out very good. Thank you for the recipe
This was a hit! Just enough for my daughter and husband and myself though. Followed the recipe, just cut up the chicken before cooking and used chicken breasts instead. Very good. Will make this again. Might try it with shrimp too.
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times now for family and friends and each time has been so delicious! I like to use thinly sliced chicken breast and they always come out juicy and not dry with this rub. I 100% recommend this!!!
Thank you so much! This has helped me a lot more! The chicken was not dry at all! Was perfect!
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!!