These quick and easy Chicken Tacos are perfect for busy weeknights, picky eaters and anytime you need a taco fix. Slightly healthier than beef tacos, they’re full of tender, juicy marinated chicken, salsa, sour cream and more.
Jump to:
Best Chicken Tacos
If you don’t have a regular taco night at your house, then these Chicken Tacos are a great place to start. They’re super easy to make and everyone loves them - it’s a win win!
We start these easy Chicken Tacos off by making a simple Southwestern marinade for chicken thighs where they can sit and soak for up to 24 hours before cooking over the stovetop. Once they’re finished cooking, just dice, warm a stack of tortillas and add your favorite toppings.
If you’re looking for even more tacos, try our Crispy Ground Beef Tacos, Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Tacos or Shredded Beef Tacos.
Ingredients in Chicken Tacos
- Chicken Thighs - boneless skinless chicken thighs stay super juicy and tender when cooked over the stovetop. Plus, they have an amazing flavor and tend to be cheaper! With that being said, you can absolutely substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts or any other type of cooked chicken that you might have around. Shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken works great for quesadillas.
- Tortillas - for tacos, it’s truly up to you. Corn tortillas are what you will usually find chicken street tacos being served up in. Plus, they are gluten free! Flour tortillas work just as well, as do crunchy taco shells.
Chicken Taco Marinade Ingredients
- Avocado Oil - you can use either avocado oil or olive oil for the marinade.
- Lime Juice - fresh lime juice tastes best.
- Taco Seasoning - either buy taco seasoning or make your own easy homemade taco seasoning.
- Brown Sugar - this is optional, but just a little bit of sugar goes a long way to balance out this marinade.
Taco Topping Ideas
- Fresh cilantro
- Pico de Gallo (homemade or store bought)
- Salsa (homemade salsa or store bought)
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced avocado
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced jalapenos
- Canned green chilis
- Refried beans
- Black beans (we love these Chipotle Black Beans)
How to Make Chicken Tacos
- Marinate the chicken. In a glass bowl, add the avocado oil, lime juice, taco seasoning, and brown sugar. Whisk together, then add the chicken and toss with tongs until everything is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (Note: you could also add the chicken and taco marinade to a ziplock bag, then seal bag and store in the fridge)
- Cook the chicken. Once marinated, remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium high heat until it starts to smoke, then add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade with tongs, shaking it gently to remove any excess. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, leaving a little space between the pieces of meat. Cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, on until the chicken is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest spot reads 165 degrees F.
- Slice cooked chicken into pieces. Remove the chicken from the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then slice into small pieces or shred.
- Build tacos and serve. Heat or pan fry the tortillas, keeping them tucked inside a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of diced chicken into the center of one of the warmed tortillas, then add cheese, salsa, sour cream, and shredded lettuce. Serve Immediately, and enjoy! This chicken taco meat i also amazing in Chicken Quesadillas too.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best chicken to use for Chicken Tacos is honestly whatever chicken you can get your hands on! In this recipe, we use chicken thighs because they turn out super juicy and flavorful when marinated and sauteed. However, chicken breasts work great, as does leftover shredded chicken and even rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
Tacos are definitely one of those things that you want to make and eat right away. With that being said, you can prep all of your ingredients ahead of time so that all you need to do is warm the ingredients, build them and eat. You can make your chicken taco marinade and marinate them up to 24 hours in advance. Or, you can even cook your chicken ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
All other toppings that need to be prepped can be chopped or diced then stored in airtight containers in the fridge.
While you can use a generic taco seasoning, or even our own homemade taco seasoning, you can also mimic chicken street tacos by seasoning the chicken with a little cumin, ancho chili powder, lime juice, garlic and salt and pepper. The seasoning in our copycat Chipotle chicken would be a great one to try.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: store any leftover ingredients in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freezer: cooked chicken can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. To thaw, simply transfer to the fridge overnight.
- To reheat: to reheat chicken taco meat, place a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add the chicken and heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
Chicken Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Taco Marinade
- 3 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Lime Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1.5-2 pounds Chicken Thighs
- 2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
Chicken Taco Ingredients
- 12 small Corn Tortillas or your favorite taco shells
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese
- ½ cup Salsa
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- 2 cups Shredded Lettuce
Instructions
- In a glass bowl, add the avocado oil, lime juice, taco seasoning, and brown sugar. Whisk together, then add the chicken and toss with tongs until everything is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Once marinated, remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium high heat until it starts to smoke, then add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade with tongs, shaking it gently to remove any excess.
- Add the chicken to the hot skillet, leaving a little space between the pieces of meat. Cook for about 3-5 minutes per side, on until the chicken is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest spot reads 165 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken from the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then slice into small pieces.
- Heat or pan fry the tortillas, keeping them tucked inside a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of diced chicken into the center of one of the warmed tortillas, then add cheese, salsa, sour cream and shredded lettuce. Serve Immediately, and enjoy!
Nutrition
More Easy Weeknight Chicken Recipes To Try
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie
- Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Red Chicken Enchiladas
- Easy Oven Baked Cornflake Chicken
- Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
- Grilled Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- More Chicken Dinner Recipes
- More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
These Chicken Tacos deserve a spot in your regular taco night rotation. They're full of tender, juicy marinated chicken, salsa, sour cream and more.
Leave a Reply