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Skip the wait and cost – whip up restaurant-quality chicken tacos at home in under 30 minutes for a satisfying crunch and explosion of flavor!
Restaurant-style Tacos
One of the main dishes we have at almost EVERY Mexican family get-togethers is our famous chicken tacos.
Each of us makes it a little differently, but it’s something we always have and expect when we are having Mexican food at a Luna event, along with our famous Beef Empanadas and Red Cheese Enchiladas.
Chicken tacos have become one of our go-to Mexican recipes. It’s definitely our #1 taco recipe, followed closely by Steak Tacos and Pork Tacos. But, who are we kidding?! All tacos are our favorite!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Fast and Flavorful. Get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes! Chicken tacos are a lifesaver for busy weeknights.
- Customizable. Spice it up with your favorite hot sauce or keep it simple with fresh toppings like lettuce and Pico de Gallo and Salsa.
- Family-Friendly Fun. Tacos are a great way to get the whole family involved in meal prep. Let everyone customize their tacos with their favorite toppings, making dinner a fun and interactive experience.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken – Cook up a boneless skinless chicken breast or use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Or purchase a rotisserie chicken and shred it.
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese – other flavors can also be used such as Colby Jack cheese, cotija cheese, sharp cheddar, or Monterey Jack cheese.
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles
- salt and black pepper to taste
- vegetable oil – you can also use canola oil or olive oil
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- optional toppings – Our favorite toppings include shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, extra cheese, and green onion slices. You can also add fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, sour cream or Greek yogurt, freshly squeezed lime juice, Pico de Gallo, or Homemade Salsa.
Keep Chicken On Hand
Keep shredded chicken in the freezer to make this an easy, quick meal (defrost overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours before making it). We also like using rotisserie chicken whenever we’re in a pinch
How to make chicken tacos
- FILLING. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups shredded chicken, 1 cup cheese, 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles, salt and pepper, and mix.
- PREP. Fill a large saucepan with about ¾ inch oil. Heat over medium heat to 375°F.
- ASSEMBLE. Add ¼ cup of chicken mixture to the middle of a corn tortilla, then fold like a taco and grab with your tongs. Rock the taco back and forth in the oil until it can lay down without opening, then place into the oil on its side.
- COOK. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side. When both sides are cooked, remove from oil and place on a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- SERVE. Add your desired toppings to fill the tacos before serving.
PRO TIP: Prevent Cracked Tortillas
Corn tortillas can tear when rolled, especially if they are old.
- To help keep this from happening place the corn tortillas in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel.
- You can also flash fry them in the oil for a second or two on each side, then fill, fold, and re-fry.
We like to use fresh Kroger brand corn tortillas which don’t crack easily and don’t require flash frying first.
Complete the Meal
- Side dishes: Spanish Rice, Canned Refried Beans, Mexican Street Corn
- Toppings: Homemade Salsa, Guacamole, Sweet Salsa Verde, Black Bean Corn Salsa, Avocado Cream Sauce
- Desserts: Arroz con Leche, Tres Leches Cake, Flan, Churro Cheesecake Bars
- More taco recipes: Steak Taco Recipe, Pork Tacos, Carnitas Tacos, Ground Beef Tacos
More collections: Mexican Dinner Ideas, Mexican Chicken Recipes, Easy Dinner Ideas
Chicken Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles
- salt and pepper, to taste
- vegetable oil
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken, cheese, green chiles, salt, and pepper.
- Fill a large saucepan with about ¾ inch oil. Heat over medium heat to 375°F.
- Add ¼ cup of chicken mixture to the middle of a corn tortilla, then fold like a taco and grab with your tongs. Rock the taco back and forth in the oil until it can lay down without opening, then place into the oil on its side.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side. When both sides are cooked, remove from oil and place on a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Add your desired toppings to fill the tacos before serving.
Video
Notes
- Soft Tacos: Combine the chicken, chiles, salt and pepper and heat in the microwave, then add the cheese. Serve with toppings in soft flour tortillas.
- Rolled Tacos: You can roll these instead of making them in a taco shape—when rolled, they are called flautas.
- Meat: Switch up the chicken for other meats like shredded beef (the same as our Pot Roast recipe) or pork (the same as our Kalua pork recipe).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Fried. Roll the chicken mixture in a flour tortilla and fry to make Chicken Flautas. Be sure to fry them seam side down first, then flip.
Soft. Heat the chicken, salt, and pepper, and green chiles in the microwave. Add the cheese before filling the soft flour tortillas.
These tacos are best served right after being fried, however, you can make the chicken filling up to 48 hours in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Remove any added toppings and keep the chicken tacos in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To reheat. The best way I have found to reheat chicken tacos is in an air fryer. If you don’t have one, I suggest broiling them in the oven on both sides.
Can you please make a video foe these chicken tacos. They look so good and i loVe resta chicken tacos but im doing something wrong. I think its my frying technique. The first one fell apart and the next one was Super greasy and heavY. Please!
I am sorry they weren’t working out. I’m not sure what you are doing, but it doesn’t take long for them to fry & I don’t put too much oil in the pan. Is your temp low-med?
These tacos were so easy and tasted great. I was a little afraid of frying the shells, but that turned out to be simple and to be honest, that’s what put this dish over the top.
Yay! I am so glad you liked them 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Hi Love your recipes. There awesome and I so want to get really good at making Mexican Food. I have learned to make and Can Green Sausa Verda so as to have it year round. I so want to learn to make Fajata’s and Burritoes. Thank You for your Lovely Recipes. Please Keep them Coming.
Thank you so much!! That’s great that you can salsa verde. I love that stuff. I hope you find some recipes to try & like.
I love all of your recipes, they look delish, and will make all of them and thinking they are inexpensive. I always use chicken, good grade of ground beef, and for pork I buy a pork butt and shred.. Thank you so much for you passing on “GREAT STUFF”…
Marie and her furry four legged SHELTIES.. 🙂
Thank you Marie!! I like to share when I try and find new recipes 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!
This is the way Mama made beef tacos when we were kids, they were the best ever! Your recipe brought back fond memories, I’ve never tried fixing them, but I will now, thanks.
Oh, thank you!! I’m glad this recipe could bring back good memories!!
DO YOU HAVE A BEEF TACO RECIPE.WOULD LOVE IT.
I MADE THE RED ENCHILADAS…THEY WERE WONGERFUL.
THANK YOU FOR GREAT RECIPES.
You can use a good grade of ground beef or chuck roast (cooked in crock pot) and shred it like you would the chicken or pork. I use Pork Butt (in crock pot), that is all to it. Hope this answers your question.. GOD BLESS
Marie Czarnecki and her furry SHELTIE’S
TACOS ARE NEXT. I KNOW THEY WILL BE GREAT.
I don’t understand. When you put the tortilla in the oil, doesn’t the chicken get all oily?
It does get a little oily, but that’s what makes these so good. I do let the oil drip out and also place them on a plate with a paper towel to let drain when done. 😉
Thank you for clearing this up.
No problem. 🙂
that is why in Mexico, these tacos are rolled and not folded. Furthermore, in mexico we add sour cream, cheese and green sauce on the top, we also add tomato, lettuce and avocado.