This is the best Chicken Taco recipe—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.
Chicken thigh taco meat turns out extra flavorful and juicy, but you can substitute chicken breasts and still get delicious results. And if you’re looking for even more tacos, try our Crispy Ground Beef Tacos, Birria Tacos, Chicken Birria Tacos or Shredded Beef Tacos.
Best Chicken Taco Recipe
If you don’t have a regular taco night at your house, these Chicken Tacos are a great place to start one up. They’re super easy to make and one of my favorite chicken recipes for picky eaters.
Start by making a simple Southwestern chicken marinade where the chicken thighs 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.
Key Ingredients
- 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 also work great for tacos.
- Tortillas – for tacos, it’s truly up to you. Corn tortillas are what you will usually find street tacos being served up in. Plus, they are gluten free! Flour tortillas work just as well, as do crunchy taco shells.
- 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.
Topping Ideas
The sky’s the limit when it comes to adding toppings to your tacos. Here are a few that I use most often:
- 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. Whisk together the avocado oil, lime juice, taco seasoning, and brown sugar in a large bowl, then add the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Cook the chicken. 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 and cook the chicken for about 3-5 minutes per side, on until 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.
- Assemble tacos and serve. Heat or pan fry the tortillas. 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!
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.
What to Make with Leftovers
You’re gonna want to make a double batch of this and make another meal or two out of it. Here are some ideas…
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.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Best Chicken Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 pounds chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, (to cook the chicken)
Taco Ingredients
- 12 small corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
Instructions
- In a mixing 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 cut into small bite-sized 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!
Notes
Nutrition
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More Easy Weeknight Chicken Recipes To Try
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie
- Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Easy Oven Baked Cornflake Chicken
- Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
- Grilled Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- More Chicken Dinner Recipes
- More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
These chicken thigh tacos deserve a spot in your regular taco night rotation. They’re full of tender, juicy marinated chicken, salsa, sour cream and more.
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