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A collection of our MOST favorite Mexican chicken recipes, from main dishes to appetizers and soups! Each recipe is packed with zesty Mexican flavor and a hearty amount of chicken.
More Collections: Mexican Dinner Ideas, Mexican Appetizers, Mexican Desserts
Zesty Chicken Recipes Everyone Loves
We make Mexican chicken recipes often! A lot of these recipes can be used as main dishes or as appetizers, they’re so versatile!
Why we love chicken recipes:
- Bold spices and flavors. Onions, garlic, Mexican oregano, chili powder, chipotle peppers, and cumin, along with Green Chili Sauce, Red Chili Sauce, and Salsa are tell-tale signs of yummy Mexican cuisine.
- The perfect canvas. Protein like Chicken can naturally take on a variety of flavor profiles and tastes and these robust flavors are perfect!
- From make-ahead to freezer-friendly. Many of these dishes can be prepped or frozen ahead of time, and all of them are simple!
Tips for the tastiest Mexican chicken dishes
- Precooked chicken. Many of these recipes call for precooked Shredded Chicken. Or use canned chicken, shred up a rotisserie chicken, or slow-cook boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts.
- Substitutions. Turkey can be substituted in almost all of these recipes.
- Tortillas. I keep corn tortillas and Flour Tortillas in the freezer to pull out to use with my recipes.
- Lime. Squeeze fresh lime juice over dishes to brighten up the flavors and finish off a Mexican dish.
- Topping ingredients. Let the main recipe shine! Use sour cream, avocado, extra cheddar cheese, tomatoes, green chiles, and other toppings sparingly so the flavor of the dish doesn’t get overpowered.
- When cutting peppers, be cautious. They are not only hot in your mouth, but can be hot when making contact with your skin. Wearing rubber gloves when prepping your chilies can be helpful.
- Cilantro. Always try to use fresh cilantro. The dried stuff just does not have the same flavor.
Cooked Cubed Chicken
For a new cook, it can be tricky when a recipe calls for cooked chicken pieces with no instructions on how to do so. For an easy route purchase cooked chicken pieces in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
To cook your own:
- Cube the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with some seasoning such as salt, black pepper, garlic salt, or paprika.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a little olive oil.
- Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Don’t crowd the pan otherwise the chicken will steam instead of fry. If needed work in batches to get them all cooked. Allow the pieces to cook for about 4 minutes, stir, and cook another 3 minutes.
- The internal temperature of cooked chicken should reach 165°F.
Our Favorite Mexican Chicken Recipes
Many of our favorites use shredded chicken. Make meal prep a breeze and freeze cooled chicken in an airtight container to be used later in these delicious recipes. We especially love a good chicken quesadilla and Burrito Bowls.
We love to pair these with our favorite sides: Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe, Mexican Street Corn Recipe, Canned Refried Beans, Guacamole, or Cilantro Lime Rice.
1 Chicken Flautas
2 Creamy Chicken Enchilada Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe3 Chicken Tacos
4 Chicken Quesadilla Recipe
5 Taquitos Recipe
6 Baked Chicken Chimichanga Recipe
7 Cafe Rio Chicken Recipe
8 Chicken Tortilla Soup
9 Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe
10 Chicken Fajitas
More Mexican Chicken Dishes
Here are even more casseroles and tasty Mexican chicken dishes that show up on our meal rotation and are sure to become a staple on yours!
11 Cilantro Lime Chicken
12 Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
13 Mexican Casserole
14 Salsa Verde Chicken Recipe
15 Salsa Chicken Recipe
16 Mexican Chicken
17 Green Chili Chicken Recipe
18 Mexican Lasagna Recipe
19 Creamy Chicken Enchilada Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe20 Chicken Taco Salad Recipe
21 Slow Cooker Creamy Fiesta Chicken Recipe
22 Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas Recipe
23 Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipeRestaurant-Style Tacos
Everyone’s favorite day of the week might be Taco Tuesday or any day we can serve up these delicious Chicken Tacos.
These are the BEST chicken tacos, loved by the entire family. They taste just like the chicken tacos found at your local Mexican Restaurants – crunchy and delicious!
Here is the recipe:
20+ Mexican Chicken Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles
- salt and pepper to taste
- vegetable oil
- 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Instructions
- Combine shredded chicken, cheese, green chiles, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add about ¾ inch oil to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat to 375°F.
- Scoop a 1/4 cup of the chicken into the center of a corn tortilla and fold like a taco. Carefully grab the taco with some tongs and rock the taco back and forth in the hot oil until it can lay it down on its side without opening.
- Let the taco cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side and remove from the oil once sufficiently cooked. Place the taco on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and repeat the process with the remaining tacos.
- Before serving, add the toppings to each taco and enjoy!
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.
Family Favorite Mexican Chicken Recipes
These savory Mexican dishes are some of our family favorites and are sure to be a big hit in your home too! And so many of them can be made ahead, which is a huge bonus! Let me know which recipes are your family favorites – I’d love to hear from you!
More Collections: Mexican Casserole Recipes, Mexican Beef Recipes, Mexican Side Dishes
Would like to see beef recipes for Mexican authentic foo
Here are some: https://lilluna.com/mexican-beef-recipes/
I make your chicken tacos at least twice a month. With summertime here I ventured out and tried the cilantro lime chicken. YUM!
Your chicken enchiladas & chicken tacos are my family’s favorite!! I love making them when we have people over, because they are always a hit!!
Best Mexican food ever. Great for cinco de mayo too! You’ll have fun trying to decide what to make. All so good!
So awesome and delicious