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These simple yet flavorful chicken tacos are easy to make and filled with super juicy and delicious chicken! Perfect for weeknight meals and makes great leftovers!
If there’s a recipe that I make at least once a week, it’s definitely these easy chicken tacos!
Hands down, without a doubt, some version of this chicken taco recipe is on my plate every week. I also love to use this chicken for burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, taco salads or cheesy nachos.
This is one of my most popular recipes and a personal favorite of mine. Here’s how you make THE BEST chicken tacos ever!
What cut of chicken do you recommend for chicken tacos?
For the juiciest chicken tacos that you can make easily and quickly at home, I highly recommend using chicken thighs. They have a good white meat to dark meat ratio, which makes them a little fattier than chicken breasts and way more moist and tender.
To cut down on excess fat, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
The best part about these chicken tacos is that you only need to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!
Chicken Taco Marinade
The marinade is made with olive oil, white wine vinegar and dried spices that are common in most kitchens (onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder).
Once the marinade is mixed together, simply add the chicken thighs to the marinade, toss them together to coat, cover the marinated chicken and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
How to make chicken tacos
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken thighs to the skillet with tongs and cook 5-7 minutes per side, until fully cooked through. Discard the used marinade.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes. While the chicken is resting, warm up the tortillas on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and serve in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Topping Ideas
I served these tacos with some smashed avocado, red onion and fresh cilantro, but you can top them with your favorite toppings! Here are some more ideas for inspiration:
- diced avocados
- guacamole
- your favorite salsa
- sour cream
- pickled jalapenos
- pico de gallo
- crumbled queso fresco or shredded cheese
- shredded lettuce
- diced tomatoes
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
To store: Place the chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week
To freeze: Let the chicken cool completely in the fridge, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and freeze.
To reheat: Microwave the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until full heated through. Alternatively, heat in a medium-hot skillet for 3-5 minutes until fully heated through.
More Taco Recipes
Easy Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder*
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons lime juice (about 2 limes)
For the tacos
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 24 corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)
- pico de gallo or your favorite salsa (optional)
- queso fresco or your favorite cheese (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, baking dish or freezer bag, add all the ingredients for the marinade. Mix together to fully combine.
- Add chicken thighs to marinade and toss together to coat. Cover chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the skillet with tongs and cook 5-7 minutes per side, until fully cooked through. Discard the used marinade.
- Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. While chicken is resting, warm up the corn tortillas on a hot griddle or in the microwave.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and serve in warm tortillas with salsa and cheese.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi fellow blogger – I love the recipe and your pictures are great!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Sarah Gallen
Wander Lust Meals
Amazing chicken. We served with pico de gala, fresh guac, chipotle lime crema, purple cabbage and cilantro. Absolute keeper. Marinated for 2 hours and grilled checken over fire. New go to tacos for sure
had everything but 2 ingredients in my kitchen so I went for it. Just an FYI but I ALWAYS order/make Asada taco because I never ate a chicken taco I LOVED they were always aight. And GIRRRRLLL!!! These were literally the BEST chicken tacos I’ve ever had!!! & I’m from LA where we eat tacos almost everyday haha still shocked that I made something that tast so good I feel so accomplished, THANK YOU!!
Wow!!! This is amazing! I made a test recipe since I plan to make this for 5 de Mayo for a party I am hosting. The taste exceeded my expectations! I used red wine vinegar because I didn’t have white and I didn’t have fresh limes so I used real lime juice from the bottle. Thank you so much for sharing this!
My son is deathly allergic to wheat, so I am always looking for yummy easy gluten free recipes for him that actually taste good. This one is AMAZING! I have never tried to make tacos from scratch. This recipe was so easy to follow, and I had most of the ingredients already in my kitchen, which is great. After I cooked the meat and was slicing it up, I couldn’t stop nibbling on the chicken – it was SO good! Only left the meat to marinade for about 30-40 minutes – it was perfect. AND topped with the pico de gallo was a perfect adder!! Thank you so much!!
Can you make these in an instant pot or slow cooker?
These are the boom! Ive made them a few times with a few small tweaks for flavor, but they always turn out great.
I am planning on making these for my daughter ms first holy communion party. We are having 60+ people so i wanted to know if I could make them a day before and then reheat them?
Hi Ginger, I’m so honored to hear that you’re going to make on such a special day. Thank you! Yes, you can make them the day before and reheat them the next. I would either reheat them in a few skillets on the stovetop or on a few baking sheets in the oven – either in the oven at about 350 degrees for 5 minutes, or maybe a quick 2-3 minutes under the broiler. Just make sure not to overcook it too so as not to dry out the chicken. Luckily, if you’re using chicken thighs, the meat will still be pretty juicy. Let me know how it goes!
Enjoyed this chicken taco recipe. The marinade made the chicken tasty and moist.
Is it okay to marinate it longer. I am making this for a large part and want to prep the night before. What are your thoughts on marinating the chicken longer?!
The longest I recommend marinating the chicken in the mixture is up to 2 hours. Since it’s made with lime juice and vinegar, the texture of the chicken can start to change if you leave it in any longer. If you want to prep it beforehand and let it marinate overnight, I recommend making the marinade without the vinegar and lime juice. Then 2 hours beforehand, you can add in those two ingredients. I hope that helps!
Making this for a baby shower!!!!!
My new favorite recipe !!!!