Chicken Tacos

Chicken tacos are juicy and tender, loaded with flavor, and so easy to make. This Mexican dish is packed with seasoned chicken, wrapped in soft tortillas, and topped with crunchy onions and fresh cilantro for the perfect balance of flavor and texture. It's savory and delicious.

I mean, you really can't go wrong with tacos. Plus, they are ready in 45 minutes so they are perfect for Taco Tuesday, a Cinco de Mayo Mexican fiesta, or any day of the week. Everyone loves them!

Why You'll Love Chicken Tacos

• What’s not to love about tacos? Tacos are popular for a reason. These handheld wraps are so delicious. Whether you prefer store-bought or homemade tortillas, corn or flour tortillas, you’ll love these chicken tacos without a doubt.
• The most flavorful chicken. Seasoned with garlic, lime juice, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper, the chicken filling is savory, flavorful, slightly spicy, and delicious.
• Add your own toppings. These chicken street tacos are topped with onions and cilantro, which are the traditional toppings for street tacos. Salsa can also be added if keeping things traditional. But you can customize it however you'd like with your own toppings. Try avocado, fresh tomatoes, shredded cheese, or hot sauce.
• Taco night is ready in just 45 minutes. These chicken tacos take about 45 minutes to make from start to finish, and it’s well worth it once you take that first bite. Try serving it in a taco-bar style where everyone can build their own taco. This will also make storing leftovers easy. For more taco night ideas, try Fish Tacos with Lime Crema, Mexican Ground Beef Tacos, Pulled Pork Tacos (Carnitas), or Shrimp Tacos with Lime Crema Slaw.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this delicious Chicken Tacos, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in recipe card below):

• chicken breasts - we like using boneless and skinless chicken breasts for these tacos. You can also use boneless and skinless chicken thighs for meat that is a little more tender.
• chicken marinade - made in just minutes with a combination of olive oil, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, dried oregano, salt, ground black pepper.
• flour tortillas - our homemade flour tortillas were perfect for this recipe. You can also use store-bought flour tortillas or corn tortillas. We opted for larger 8-inch tacos and ended up with 8 tacos. If you are using 6-inch tacos, you will likely end up with about 10 tacos.
• onions
• cilantro

Taco Toppings

We topped our chicken tacos with onions and cilantro, inspired by the tacos at our favorite local Mexican restaurant.

You can enjoy them without any toppings, or switch up the toppings. Try them with:

• Pico de Gallo or Mango Salsa
• diced lettuce
• diced tomatoes
• shredded cheese

For a saucier topping, feel free to add sour cream, Lime Crema, Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing, or Guacamole.

How to Make the Best Chicken Tacos

First, cook the chicken

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and all seasoning including chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Toss well to coat. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes or overnight in the fridge. You can also combine everything into a large Ziploc bag and press the seasoning around the chicken to coat.
2. When ready to cook, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes per side. The internal temperature for the chicken should reach 165F as read on a meat thermometer.
   • Air fryer instructions: You can also cook the chicken breasts in the air fryer at 350F for 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer.
   • Oven instructions: You can bake in a preheated 375F oven for 30-35 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165F as read on a meat thermometer.

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3. Transfer the chicken breasts onto a cutting board and dice into small ½-inch pieces. Return the diced chicken to the skillet and toss in the pan juices to coat. Set aside.

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How to Assemble Chicken Tacos

1. Heat the tortillas according to the package instructions, or heat in an ungreased cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds per side. You can also heat it directly on a gas burner for a few seconds to get char marks on the edges. Repeat with all tortillas.
2. Divide the chopped chicken into each tortilla and top with chopped onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. You can also top chicken tacos with Pico de Gallo, Lime Crema, Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing, Guacamole, or Mango Salsa.

How to Serve

Serve Chicken Tacos with your favorite Mexican dishes. I like to serve it with:

• Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
• Mexican Chicken Caesar Salad
• Sheet Pan Nachos
• Beef Taco Soup
• Shrimp Taco Salad

More Taco Recipes

• Fish Tacos with Lime Crema
• Mexican Ground Beef Tacos
• Shrimp Tacos with Lime Crema Slaw
• Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos (Carnitas)
• Vegan Chickpea Tacos
• Fish Stick Tacos
• Korean Beef Steak Tacos

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