If you've been in search of your new favorite taco Tuesday recipe, look no further! This easy chicken taco recipe is made with flavorful chicken taco marinade, simple pico de Gallo, and done in 30 minutes!
The Best Chicken Tacos Ever
I tend to keep my weeknight dinners simple in nature, but that doesn't mean they are going to lack in any other department. These chicken tacos are a fan favorite for a lot of reasons!
Budget friendly! You can grab a huge pack of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and use some for this and freeze the rest! (Bonus points if you debone your own chicken thighs!)
Meal prep friendly. Since we are using a quick homemade taco seasoning and marinade, you can get these chicken thighs all prepped and let them sit for up to 24 hours soaking in all of that flavor!
Lean protein, healthy dinner! Maybe most of all I love that this easy chicken taco is protein packed and healthy for any family dinner.
What Cut of Chicken For Chicken Tacos?
While you could really use any piece of the chicken for these tacos, I tend to lean more towards the chicken thigh.
I like using chicken thighs for many reasons, one being that they are nearly impossible to overcook. So they stay juicy and tender for the best tacos ever!
But if you don't have chicken thighs you can definitely substitute in boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Ingredients For Easy Chicken Tacos
Simple? YES! Even with a homemade taco seasoning and marinade, chicken tacos are quite simple to make with a handful of fresh ingredients.
& if you don't feel like whipping up your own simple pico de Gallo, store-bought is totally fine or substitute in my 5 minute fresh garden salsa!
For The Tacos
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 2-3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken)
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 white onion, diced
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 green onions
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ cup mexican blend cheese
- ½ cup pico de gallo
- 8 small tortillas
Taco Topping Ideas
One of my favorite parts of the tacos....TOPPINGS! Everything from guacamole, to sour cream, corn Chile salsa, and fresh cilantro...yum.
- guacamole
- shredded cheese
- sour cream
- pico de gallo
- salsa
- cilantro chimichurri sauce
How To Make Chicken Tacos
Like mentioned above, these chicken tacos come together in less than 30 minutes and that's a huge deal for me. I love a quick dinner and this easy taco recipe takes the cake!
- In a large mixing bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, spices, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine.
- To the marinade add in the diced chicken thighs.
- Let this set for 30 minutes up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove from the fridge and preheat a cast iron skillet.
- Heat the skillet over medium high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- To the onions, add the diced chicken and don't stir it around immediately, just let it sit for 1 minute.
- After 1 minute, stir the chicken around and continue to cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Cover and remove from the heat. Let rest for 2-3 minutes.
- When ready to serve, prep the cilantro lime cream by whisking together the juice of 1 lime, chopped cilantro, and sour cream. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
- To the tortillas add a scoop of chicken and top with pico de Gallo and the cilantro lime cream. Enjoy!
Other Methods of Cooking
If you are a fan of the instant pot, feel free to use that to make some easy chicken tacos in an instant pot!
- Sauté the onion on saute mode then add the chicken.
- Cover and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- Naturally release the pressure and remove the lid, enjoy!
You could also do this in the slow cooker. Slow cooker chicken tacos would be a wonderful meal to come home to after a day at work! & if slow cooker pulled chicken is your thing, try out my Hawaiian Pineapple Slow Cooker Chicken!
Tools You’ll Need
To make these super simple chicken tacos you only need a few basic kitchen tools...
- large mixing bowl
- whisk
- cast iron skillet
Tips for Making the BEST Chicken Tacos
Don't skip the marinating process! While it doesn't take too long to marinate the chicken, it definitely infuses flavor to the chicken tacos that you don't want to miss out on.
Don't overcook the chicken, grab yourself a meat thermometer and never overcook (or undercook!) your chicken again! So handy to keep in the kitchen.
What To Serve With It?
So chicken tacos are complete! Serving these delicious tacos up for dinner is a must and they'd be great for parties too, serve the tacos along side...
More Recipes Like This One
If you love chicken recipes and need more 30 minute dinners, I also have other recipes similar such as my Spicy Margarita Chicken Fajitas which are also great for a crowd!
Easy Chicken Enchiladas are freezer friendly and another easy way to use up some leftover shredded chicken if you have it.
Lastly, Marinated Chicken Stir Fry is a unique flavor combo and it's loaded with healthy vegetables too.
📖 Recipe
The BEST Easy Chicken Taco Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 2-3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 white onion diced
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 green onions
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ cup mexican blend cheese
- ½ cup pico de gallo
- 8 small tortillas
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine the olive oil, lime juice, spices, salt and pepper. Whisk well to combine.
- To the marinade add in the diced chicken thighs.
- Let this set for 30 minutes up to overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove from the fridge and preheat a cast iron skillet.
- Heat the skillet over medium high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- To the onions, add the diced chicken and don't stir it around immediately, just let it sit for 1 minute.
- After 1 minute, stir the chicken around and continue to cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Cover and remove from the heat. Let rest for 2-3 minutes.
- When ready to serve, prep the cilantro lime cream by whisking together the juice of 1 lime, chopped cilantro, and sour cream. Add a pinch of salt to taste.
- To the tortillas add a scoop of chicken and top with pico de Gallo and the cilantro lime cream. Enjoy!
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