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These chicken tacos are my go-to all year long. The marinated chicken thighs come out super juicy and so flavorful that I end up eating half of it straight out of the skillet.
A Note from Isabel
If there’s one recipe I make every single week, it’s these chicken tacos. My husband tells me all the time it’s one of his favorite things I make, and it’s also one of the most popular recipes on my blog!
After making them more times than I can count, I’ve learned that the chicken is everything. I always use thighs instead of breasts because they stay juicy in a hot pan. If you accidentally overcook them, they’re much more forgiving. I make it in a skillet most of the year, but in the summer I throw it on the grill for a little smoky char.
The chicken is good enough to eat on its own. I obviously make tacos with it, but I also pile the leftovers into burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, taco salads, and cheesy nachos. Here’s how to make them.
Why Chicken Thigh Tacos Are the Best
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.
Variations for Mexican Chicken Tacos
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
How to Serve the Best Chicken Taco Recipe
These tacos are pretty filling on their own, but I like adding a side or two to make it a full dinner. These are the ones I make most often.
- Something fresh. My avocado salad or ensalada de nopales is light and bright, which balances out the smoky, charred chicken.
- Something hearty. Esquites or Mexican rice make taco night feel like a real sit-down meal. Plus, they both make great leftovers for lunch the next day.
- Chips and salsa. Put out a big bowl of tortilla chips with my roasted tomato salsa, black bean and corn salsa, or guacamole salsa so everyone has something to snack on.
How to Store Chicken Thigh Tacos
- 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.
FAQs for How to Make Chicken Tacos
Use chicken thighs instead of breasts. They have more fat, so they stay juicy in a hot pan. Cook them just until they’re done (an internal temp of 165°F), then let them rest 5 minutes before chopping.
You can, but they won’t taste the same. The flavor comes from marinating raw chicken, and cooked chicken can’t soak it up the same way. For the best tacos, start with raw thighs.
Either one works! I love corn tortillas for a more street-style taco, but small flour tortillas are great too. My kids like flour better, so that’s what I use when I’m making theirs.
More Taco Recipes
Mexican 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.
This post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated with more helpful tips and information.
Isabel, these chicken tacos are delicious!! I marinated the chicken (I chose to use breast meat) in a Ziploc bag for easier clean up and grilled it over charcoal. I layered the meat on a carb-free cauli-rice bowl for my lunches, and put together some tacos for my kid’s lunches. He’s a super-picky 8 year old, and he declared your chicken “ohmygodsoyummy,” so thank you, thank you, thank you!
That makes me so happy, Kristen! I’m so glad everyone, including your 8-year-old, loved it! Cheers!
WOW!! Yes, that’s the first thing out of my mouth when I “taste tested” the chicken before building the tacos. Soooo much flavor! Hands down the BEST tacos I’ve ever had because the chicken was that great. I can’t believe I’ve never tried to make chicken tacos. I guess because when you think chicken taco, you think of that nasty shredded chicken they give you at eating places? Idk, but I’m already looking forward to making these again! I made mine with chicken tenderloins (what I had on hand) and avocado crema. Sooooo good!!
I’m so happy you loved it, Christie! Thank you so much 🙂
This was the best chicken recipe ever! It tasted so authentic, it was better than any of the Mexican restaurants in my city!
I can’t stop making these.
Thank you, thank you! I came across this recipe in search of tasty chicken tacos and you did not disappoint. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
FYI for other readers, I used chicken breast and it was still tasty (although presumably less moist and flavorful). I also didn’t have white wine vinegar so I used half mirin/half white vinegar.
Great recipe!!
Thank you, Irene! So happy you liked it!
This chicken recipe was soooooo delicious and best of all super easy. Loved the flavor and my 3 year old ate it too, which is a big win in my book.
Wow! This marinade is out of this world! I was missing a couple ingredients but the chicken still turned out very flavorful. I baked mine because I’ve had no luck pan cooking chicken. Thanks for the recipe. I will make this again and again!
I’ve made this at least half a dozen times now, and we love it! This is now our go-to chicken taco recipe forever!
I’m so happy you’re loving it! Thanks, Megan! 🙂
What a great idea about putting a tortilla on the plate to catch anything that drops out of your taco. Then you have another taco. I’ve got some ready made KFC my husband did’t quite like so I’m going to make it into tacos. Since it’s already cooked I won’t leave it in the marinade too long. I’ll top the tacos with aguacate salsa and white cheese. Maybe my husband will like that better. —Isabel*
This looks like the type of recipe I am looking for! I am having a taco bar for about 100 guests for my son’s graduation party. I am having both ground beef and chicken. Can I make this recipe ahead of time and freeze like I am doing with the ground beef?
I’ve never made such a large amount of food before, but I think it should work! Just make it like normal, cover or transfer to large zip-top storage bags and freeze. Then take them out a day or two beforehand and let them thaw in the fridge. Heat them up in the oven and serve!
Can you put in Crock-Pot to keep warm or oven?
Yes!