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Easy Chicken Tacos with a 30 minute shredded chicken in a homemade taco seasoning. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, or busy day.
These chicken tacos come together so quick and easy, making them the perfect weeknight family dinner idea. Our popular Mexican Shredded Chicken is loaded up in tortillas and topped with cheese, sour cream, guacamole and all your other favorite toppings.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Seasoning: Use our homemade Chicken Taco Seasoning blend, included in the recipe card below, or use your favorite store-bought seasoning blend.
Best Chicken To Use
I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. It’s easy, and the method we are using to cook the chicken makes the chicken juicy. You can substitute with chicken thighs though for a mixture of dark and light meats. The method will stay the same.
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
How to Make Chicken Tacos
- In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients to make the chicken taco seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Coat the chicken on both sides with the chicken taco seasoning. Drizzle the olive oil and heat in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Pour in the chicken stock. Cover the skillet and let the chicken cook in the broth for about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken registers 165 degrees internally and is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet, shred using a fork, then return to the skillet.
- Stir to coat the chicken in the remaining sauce in the skillet. Let sit and keep warm on low heat for about 3-5 minutes, to get good flavor throughout the chicken.
- Serve warm on tortillas with any additional toppings you would enjoy!
Topping Ideas
- Guacamole- this recipe is super simple and comes together quickly.
- Pico de Gallo– a fresco (fresh) salsa made with chunks of tomato, onion and jalapeño.
- Homemade Salsa– a blended salsa that is perfect for pouring over any taco recipe!
- Cheese, crema, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, diced cilantro, diced tomatoes, and lime juice.
Storage
- Storing: Store leftovers in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cooked chicken can be stored in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheating: Heat chilled chicken in a skillet over medium low heat until warmed through, approximately 8-10 minutes.
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30 Minute Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Chicken Taco Seasoning
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Mexican Chicken
- 1 Chicken taco seasoning ingredients above
- 2 lbs Chicken boneless skinless breasts or thighs
- 1 cup chicken broth low or no sodium
Chicken Tacos
- tortillas
- shredded cheese
- tomato diced
- guacamole
- sour cream
- cilantro diced
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients to make the chicken taco seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Coat the chicken on both sides with the chicken taco seasoning.
- Drizzle the olive oil and heat in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Pour in the chicken stock. Cover the skillet and let the chicken cook in the broth for about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken registers 165 degrees internally and is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet, shred using a fork, then return to the skillet.
- Stir to coat the chicken in the remaining sauce in the skillet. Let sit and keep warm on low heat for about 3-5 minutes, to get good flavor throughout the chicken.
- Serve warm on tortillas with any additional toppings you would enjoy!
Video
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by KJandCompany.co
Recipe first published January 29, 2019. Updated May 6, 2024.
This recipe is sooo yummy!!! First time making street tacos at home and it was a hit! You’re so awesome!
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.
I cannot wait to make this. I love your method of cooking the chicken in a skillet to start and finishing it by poaching it. What a great and quick technique to get homemade shredded chicken in a hurry!!! Thank you
Love this. The big test, of course, is the kids. They raved over these taco’s. Definitely on rotation. Thanks for the recipe!
Looks delicious! Definitely going to try this. How many tacos can be made using the amount in this recipe?
Thanks in advance!