30 Minute Chicken Tacos! This is the EASIEST, most flavorful shredded chicken taco recipe! Perfect for a weeknight dinner, or busy day. Only 30 minutes is needed to cook up and shred the chicken.
Homemade Chicken Tacos
I’m pretty sure my love for tacos is apparent on this site. So it’s about time I finally created a chicken taco recipe! The base for this recipe is the chicken taco seasoning. Which is very similar to my regular beef taco seasoning. But I upped the spice, because I feel the chicken needs more flavor, there is nothing worse than bland chicken. So not only are we using chili powder, but a bit of paprika also.
These chicken tacos come together so quick and easy. They are perfect for a weeknight dinner.
How to Make Chicken Tacos
- These chicken tacos start with a quick mixture of the chicken taco seasoning (recipe below of course!)
- Then coat the chicken with the seasoning.
- Sear the chicken in a large skillet with some olive oil.
- Pour in a cup of low or no sodium chicken broth and cover the skillet. This will poach the chicken and cook it, making it easy for us to shred it. It’s very similar to the method I use when I need to shred chicken for any other recipe.
- Once the chicken is cooked, shred it, stir it back into the sauce leftover in the skillet to thoroughly coat the chicken with flavor. And you are all set to make the BEST EVER Chicken Tacos!
Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
Does slow cooking work better with your schedule? You can absolutely make this chicken taco recipe in your slow cooker and it is just as easy.
We will follow the same basic steps. However, add it to the slow cooker instead of using a skillet on the stovetop! Mix up the chicken taco seasoning and coat the chicken breasts. Add the chicken to the slow cooker and add in the 1 cup of chicken stock. Don’t worry, it will be plenty, the chicken will create more juices as it cooks. Let this cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Shred the chicken, then add back to the slow cooker to stir the chicken into the remaining sauce. This adds more flavor.
Then you are all set to make your chicken tacos!
What is the best chicken for Chicken Tacos?
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.
What toppings do I use for Chicken Tacos?
The possibilities are endless! Some of my favorites include:
- Guacamole- this recipe is super simple and comes together quickly.
- Pico de Gallo– basically a fresco salsa made with chunks of tomato, onion and jalapeño.
- Homemade Salsa– a blended salsa that is perfect for pouring over any taco recipe!
- Cheese, Sour Cream, pickled jalapeños, diced cilantro, diced tomatoes, and lime juice. Basically anything else you want!
More Taco Recipes:
- Best Ever Ground Beef Taco Recipe
- Slow Cooker Barbacoa
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Taco Stuffed Avocados
- Breakfast Tacos
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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
Equipment
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!
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!
I made this last Tuesday. I am also making it tonight and doubling the recipe with a second pan. As my kids have invited some friends over. I did add half of a lime I squirted the juice all over the chicken it was so good everybody loved it we do tacos every Tuesday and we were getting pretty tired of the basic beef tacos so I’m so glad I found this quick and easy recipe thank you so much for sharing this we really really enjoyed it
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thank you!
I made this today in my crockpot and it was very good.
Super easy and delicious. I will make it again and add a little less salt because it was salty.
You got the slow cooker times in the recipe backwards. Tried it both ways – stove top as well as slow cooked, and both came out quite nice. Kids are already asking to add to the rotation.
Is the olive oil part of the chicken taco seasoning or it part of the Mexican chicken ingredients?
Thanks!
It’s part of cooking the chicken. Don’t mix it into the seasoning. Just use the oil to heat in the pan before adding the chicken to cook.
Just made this recipe and turned out to be a huge hit!!! Added cilantro and a couple tablespoons of lime once I shredded the chicken and returned it back to the remaining sauce. Quick, easy, and so SO GOOD!
This recipe was delicious!!! The family loved it .. they thought chicken was moist and flavorful ?. Great dinner .. we will continue to use recipe . Thanks ?
Do you use the entire recipe of seasoning or just enough to coat the chicken?
The amount in the recipe is what I use when I make 2 pounds of chicken.
My husband loved it and it was easy to make. I was even out of avocado, cilantro, salsa, but used the crispy taco shells and made it with Spanish Rice. Will definitely do this again!
So glad you enjoyed Kathy! Thanks!
This is the first time I tried a chicken taco recipe, it is the best chicken taco I ever had ?
Made these tacos for my husband and he said the chicken was the best!! And it was really easy. This method of cooking the chicken kept it really moist. Thank you.
When the lcjicken is covered with the lid, what heat setting should it be on?
Keep the heat to a medium or medium low. You should see a simmering happening with the liquid, but you don’t want it to be aggressively boiling.