These easy soft chicken tacos are perfect for an easy weeknight meal, and they are packed full of flavor. The chicken is perfectly juicy and it hardly takes any time to prep!
Top the tacos with all of your favorite toppings for a meal that the whole family will love! These tacos are made with a handful of ingredients and come together so easily!
One of my go-to dinners for entertaining is tacos. They’re universally liked and unbelievably easy. Everything but the meat can be prepped in advance (nap time!).
I almost always serve them in a taco bar style which saves time and allows guests to customize, which for this picky eater, is key! If I’m serving a crowd, I like to serve them alongside my Ground Beef Tacos and even these Mini Tacos so everyone can pick their favorite.
Chicken Tacos
For this recipe, my reader-favorite Baked Chicken Breast is perfectly seasoned with my favorite Homemade Taco Seasoning and finished with all of my favorite toppings!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Taco Seasoning – I love to use my homemade taco seasoning for this recipe, it only takes a couple of minutes to make a batch. Alternatively you can use your favorite store bought brand.
- Chicken Breasts – These chicken breasts are baked to perfection, and you can cube or shred them according to your preference.
- Corn Tortillas – When it comes to tacos, corn tortillas are always my first choice, but you can use flour tortillas if you prefer those.
Variations and Taco Toppings
- Avocado – Freshly sliced avocado adds a freshness and creaminess that I just adore. Use ripe avocados, but not so soft that they become mushy when you cut them. Learn How to Cut an Avocado here.
- Chihuahua Cheese – A soft white Mexican cheese that is similar in flavor to a mild cheddar.
- Crema – A Mexican thickened cream with a touch of sourness. You can use sour cream if you don’t have crema.
- Salsa Verde – A deliciously fresh salsa that really brings these tacos alive! If you prefer, any other kind of salsa or pico de gallo will work, too.
How To Make Chicken Tacos
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Coat – Lightly coat chicken in olive oil and sprinkle with taco seasoning.
- Bake 20 minutes, remove from oven and allow to rest (it will continue cooking) before slicing, cubing or shredding.
- Fill corn tortillas with shredded or cubed baked chicken breast, avocado, chihuahua cheese, crema and salsa verde and enjoy!
Free Printable Meat Temperature Chart
Get the free printable Meat Temperature Chart to ensure your chicken is cooked properly based on the cooking method and meat you select.
Tips
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- Do not to overcook the chicken breasts or they can become dry. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are lower in saturated fat than other meats, so watch your time so they don’t dry out! The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºf – this should never be over 30 minutes at this temperature.
- Substitutions – I like to use chicken breasts in this recipe, but if you prefer to use chicken thighs you absolutely can! You can also use your favorite salsa and substitute sour cream for crema.
- Warm your tortillas in the oven or microwave before filling them, this makes them more pliable and less likely to break.
- Learn more about the best cheeses for tacos!
Make More (or Less!)
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Serving Suggestions
Get the best Side Dishes for Tacos here, and here are a few of my favorite options for serving these chicken tacos!
- Cream Cheese Bean Dip (try it with black beans for a different texture/flavor)
- Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing
- Mexican Street Corn
- or this Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Easy Avocado Salsa
- Mexican Pasta Salad
- Zesty Pineapple Salsa Recipe
- Mango Guacamole
Dietary Considerations
- Gluten Free
- Nut Free
How to Store
- Room Temperature – You can leave these chicken taco ingredients out safely for up to two hours while serving.
- Refrigerator – Refrigerate your chicken taco ingredients in separate air tight containers for wonderful leftovers. You can use this chicken taco meat for up to 2-3 days after baking it.
- Freezer – You can freeze this chicken taco meat and use it any time! It’s wonderful in quesadillas and even chicken enchiladas later!
More Taco Inspiration
Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons taco seasoning (Or use your favorite seasoning, chipotle seasoning would be excellent as well.)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 corn tortillas
Toppings
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1 cup chihuaha cheese
- 4 tablespoons crema
- ½ cup salsa verde
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Lightly coat chicken in olive oil and sprinkle with your seasoning of choice.
- Bake 20 minutes, remove from oven and allow to rest 5-10 minutes (it will continue cooking) before slicing, cubing or shredding.
- Fill the corn tortillas with shredded or cubed baked chicken breast, avocado, chihuaha cheese, crema and salsa verde and serve.
Julie’s Tips
Tips
- Do not to overcook the chicken breasts or they can become dry. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are lower in saturated fat than other meats, so watch your time so they don’t dry out! The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
- Substitutions – I like to use chicken breasts in this recipe, but if you prefer to use chicken thighs you absolutely can! You can also use your favorite salsa and substitute sour cream for crema.
- Find my chipotle seasoning here and taco seasoning here.
- Warm your tortillas in the oven or microwave before filling them, this makes them more pliable and less likely to break.
- Learn more about the best cheeses for tacos!
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
