Chicken Tacos

Personally, I can’t get enough of tacos in every shape and form. That being said, when I'm looking for something simple to load up with all of my favorite toppings, I turn to these simple chicken tacos. While far from being authentic, these Americanized tacos load up corn tortillas with seasoned chicken and any variety of toppings to make your perfect taco. Pair with a classic margarita, and your Taco Tuesday (or Wednesday, or Thursday…) will be more than complete.

How To Make Chicken Tacos

INGREDIENTS

• Olive Oil: Use your favorite extra-virgin olive oil here, or checkout Delish’s list of the best (and worst!) olive oil brands.
• Chicken: While some recipes use chicken thighs, I use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe for a couple of reasons: they’re easy to cook, and I usually always have some on hand.
• Seasonings: My homemade spice mix for these chicken tacos only requires 5 ingredients: chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne for a bit of heat. Put the pre-made packet away—trust me, it’s worth it to make your spice mix from scratch.
• Tortillas: I love corn tortillas for this recipe, but if you're more of a flour tortilla person, feel free to sub those in instead! As far as heating your tortillas goes, you’ve got a few options. If you’ve got a gas burner, turn it to medium-low and place your tortillas directly on the burner. Let them toast for a few seconds (you can always peek using some tongs) flip, and toast some more. Not only will this give your tortillas some nice smoky flavor, it'll also make them more pliable. Never walk away from the stove when you're toasting tortillas on an open flame—no one wants to deal with a flaming tortilla! If you have an electric burner, heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and add your tortillas in a single layer. Toast, flipping occasionally, until warm and pliable.
• Toppings: I say the more toppings, the merrier. I like my chicken tacos topped with red onion (pickled onions would be great too), avocado, cilantro, and cheese. Pico de gallo, salsa, crema, or some crushed corn chips would also be delicious. Really anything goes with these tacos.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

While your oil is heating in a pan, season your strips of chicken with salt and pepper. Cook your chicken until golden, and then add your spice mix. Tip: To help the spices coat the chicken, add a little bit of oil or water to your spice mix before coating your chicken. Stir until fully coated, then cook for around a minute more.

Now, it's time for the fun part: Load up your tacos with your toppings! Add your chicken to your warmed tortillas (you can do this in a dry skillet over high heat, about 3 seconds per side), and go crazy with all of your desired toppings.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• When to season your chicken. I prefer to add my spice mix to my chicken while it’s cooking in the pan, but you can also marinate your chicken if you prefer. Add the sliced chicken to a large resealable bag and pour in olive oil, fresh lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate chicken for at least 30 minutes. When ready to cook, remove chicken from marinade and continue on with the recipe.

Chicken Taco Variations

• Grilled Chicken Tacos: If you're looking to get the grill out, then these grilled chicken tacos will be the perfect summer dinner.
• Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos: These cheesy, crispy tacos are flavor-packed in every bite. If you haven't tried this cheesy "taco shell" before, trust me when I say it's incredible.
• Shredded Chicken Tacos: I love a shredded chicken moment, and these easy tacos are a great way to use up any leftovers.

What To Serve With Tacos

• Elote: Grilled corn—covered in a creamy mayo and Mexican crema mixture before being topped with chili powder, cotija cheese, and plenty of lime juice—is the perfect side to these tacos.
• Mexican rice: This fluffy, flavor-(and veggie!) packed rice was made to be served alongside these chicken tacos.
• Refried beans: If you’ve never quite perfected this classic side, this recipe will save the day.

Storage

If you have any leftover chicken, store in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3-4 days. Translation: Tacos all week!