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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I mixed the spices, let it sit for 15 min. Then cooked it. The chicken was delicious. The flavors were smooth, and flavorful. No one spice overpowered the other.
This recipe was delicious. It reminded me of my favorite local Mexican restaurant that has a lime chicken taco. I used thin sliced chicken breast and it was very tender. I loved the smoky flavor with lots of lime. Thank you for the recipe!
Can you marinate it overnight for better flavor?
I put the rub on the night before i cooked them
Also cooked the chicken on the grill and used boneless breasts instead
Will definitely make again!
Very tasty and easy!
super tasty!!
Family favorite!
These tacos were beyond delicious!! I cut my chicken into pieces before seasoning and cooking. From start to finish was less than 15 minutes. Perfect for busy nights. Thank you so much!
I don’t have smoked paprika. So, could I use chili powder or can you recommend me another choice?
I just happened to come across your recipe after googling “chicken tacos” and these were a huge hit with my family! Thank you… I’m off to search for more recipes on your site now.
This recipe was delicious!!! My husband loved the tacos.
We just celebrated our daughter’s first birthday with a Mexican-themed fiesta. The recipe I was planning to use for the chicken tacos didn’t multiply well, so I was in a pinch to find something else. All I can say is THANK YOU for this delicious recipe!I made 15 pounds of the chicken and everyone LOVED it. I ended up using chicken breast and made it early in the morning the day of the party and then reheated it at 300 degrees F in a covered hotel pan. The chicken was perfect and was not dry at all. This will definitely be a staple recipe in our home (just like so many of your others)!
This was so quick, easy, and delicious recipe. My family and i loved this! This is going to be my go-to snack recipe. 🙂 🙂
Fan favorite, healthy and quick, what’s not to love? This recipe has been such a big hit with family and friends that I make/mix the taco seasoning in big batches. When I cook the chicken tacos, I use a cast iron skillet to add more flavor. This review is long over due!
Tried this recepie, the whole family loved it. Delicious.
This was delicious- my whole family loved it – thank you!
I didn’t have a crock pot but was craving tacos. This was the perfect solution! Super easy and you can cater the flavors to your liking!
This was so easy and delicious. My family and i loved this! Didn’t have garlic powder so I used garlic salt everything else I did exactly per the recipe. Served with a pico de gallo and a salsa verde. Will definitely be making again.
the chicken is cooked so quickly on the stovetop!
Delicious….
These were delicious! I used butterflied chicken breast (family preference) and just used my meat thermometer to make sure they weren’t overcooked.
These will definitely have a place in our Taco Tuesday rotation!
This recipe was very delicious and easy to make, My family loved it. The spices came together beautifully and the smell ”amazing”
I used coconut oil instead of canola and also included some leftover rice and red beans along with shredded queso cheese. Thank you, you have outdone yourself once again.
These were great! My boyfriend wanted a Taco Tuesday night and he wants these again! I added melted cheese at the bottom of the tortillas in the oven then added a little taco sauce on top w/ the pico sooo good.
This recipe was fabulous and I loved how easy it was to prepare! I used butterfly chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs and cooked the breasts whole in my cast iron pan on the stove. I think they stay more moist that way instead of cutting the chicken before cooking I also made regular tacos with cheese, lettuce and tomato on a soft flour tortilla with fresh guacamole and mango pico de gallo from the produce section at the store. This will go in my regular rotation of recipes. Thank you Chungah, another fine recipe!