These shredded chicken tacos are super simple, healthy, and delicious! Plus, they are ready in less than 30 minutes which makes them perfect for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner.
Shredded chicken tacos are perfect if you are looking for a fuss-free and delicious taco recipe! They combine deliciously seasoned and baked chicken breasts with your favorite toppings and tasty tortillas. They really are perfect if you want to make something super easy and delicious!
Ingredients
To make these shredded chicken tacos, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Chicken breasts: Use boneless and skinless chicken breasts for this chicken taco recipe. Make sure they are the same size so they have the same cook time.
- Seasonings: You’ll need paprika powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder to prepare the chicken for the tacos. If you don’t want to buy all of the spices, you can use a seasoning mix like chili powder or taco seasoning.
- Tortillas: The tortillas you buy really depend on your preferences. I like regular flour tortillas, but you can use corn tortillas, cassava flour tortillas, almond flour tortillas or any other type of tortilla!
- Toppings: I love guacamole, salsa fresca, and sour cream. But feel free to use any other topping you like!
How to make shredded chicken tacos
Shredded chicken tacos are super easy to make! These are the steps you need to follow:
- Marinate and bake the chicken breasts: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Season your chicken breasts with olive oil and the spice blend. Then bake the chicken for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the oven and shred with two forks.
- Prepare your toppings: While the chicken bakes, you can prepare your toppings. I love this guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, and some extra cilantro. But you can use any other topping you like!
- Serve: Warm up the tortillas, build your tacos, and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
This shredded chicken taco recipe is super simple, but here are a few additional tips to check out before you try this recipe.
- Don’t overcook the chicken breasts. Chicken breast becomes dry very quickly, so make sure to not overcook the chicken breasts. You can use a meat thermometer to check if the chicken is cooked through or cut it open and check the color. Chicken is safe for consumption at 165 °F.
- Add more cayenne pepper for more spice. The shredded chicken in this taco recipe isn’t spicy, so feel free to add more cayenne pepper if you prefer foods that are a little spicier!
- Use a seasoning blend. You absolutely don’t have to use the seasonings I used if you’d have to buy all of them. Feel free to use chili powder or taco seasoning instead.
How to warm the tortillas
The perfect way to warm up the tortillas really depends on the kitchen appliances you have. Here are the different methods:
- Gas stove: If you have a gas stove, you can use it to warm up the tortillas and give them a nice char! Just warm them up on the open flame from both sides and enjoy immediately.
- Skillet: Another option is warming up the tortillas in a skillet. If you want to add some extra flavor, add some butter and heat the tortillas from both sides.
- Microwave: This is the method to go for if you are very short on time. Place a stack of tortillas in your microwave, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat them.
- Oven: You can also use the oven to warm up tortillas. This method is great if you want to feed more than just a few people. Wrap a stack of tortillas in aluminum foil and let them sit in your oven at 350 °F for 10-15 minutes.
Toppings
I already mentioned a few topping ideas for serving these shredded chicken tacos. Here is a comprehensive list of toppings I love and recommend.
- Guacamole: I absolutely love to take the time to make guacamole while the chicken breasts are in the oven. Alternatives are avocado slices or mashed avocados.
- Pico de gallo: Another favorite is pico de gallo as I love the combination of tomatoes and red onions! It goes really well with the tacos, but feel free to just use diced tomatoes and red onions.
- Sour cream: Sour cream is another favorite and is part of most of my tacos or burritos! It really adds to the taste of these pulled chicken tacos.
- Cilantro: Tacos without cilantro don’t feel complete. So make sure to add some!
- Lettuce: Another favorite for adding more veggies and texture is finely shredded lettuce. It always goes really well with tacos!
- Corn: If you love corn, feel free to add some to these tacos. That’s how I use any leftover corn.
- Cheese: If you are a cheese lover, then add regular grated cheese or Mexican Cotija cheese. If you want to use grated cheese, you can melt it on single taco servings while heating them in a skillet. It tastes really good!
- Lime wedges: Some extra lime always tastes great. So serve lime wedges with these super easy and delicious shredded chicken tacos!
Frequently Asked Questions
This depends on the tortillas you are using. There are many brands that offer gluten-free tortillas, so you can make this recipe gluten-free.
I like to bake and season the chicken myself as I find this more delicious, but you can totally use rotisserie chicken. Just shred the chicken, add it to a pan with some olive oil and spices, sauté quickly, and enjoy!
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. If I want to switch things up, I love to use any leftover chicken to make delicious taco bowls with rice, guacamole, sour cream, and black bean and corn salad.
More quick and easy dinner recipes
If you love quick and simple meals that taste great, check out the following recipes:
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 3 chicken breasts skinless, boneless
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ teaspoons paprika powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Other Ingredients
- 8 tortillas
- avocado or guacamole
- sour cream
- pico de gallo or tomatoes
- cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 °F (220 °C).
- Combine all spices for the chicken marinade in a small bowl. Then, add the chicken breasts to a baking dish and cover them in olive oil. Rub in the spice blend and bake the chicken breasts for about 20 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, prepare your favorite toppings.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the oven and shred them with two forks. Then toss them until all pieces are covered in seasoning.
- Serve with warmed tortillas and your toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Toppings: I love a combination of guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, and cilantro. In the pictures, I used mashed avocados (with lime, garlic, salt, pepper), tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. Feel free to use any topping you love!
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