This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Rotisserie chicken tacos made with shredded rotisserie chicken, sautéed peppers and onions, a quick homemade roasted tomatillo salsa, and melty Monterey Jack cheese, all folded into flour tortillas and shallow-fried until golden and crispy.
A Note from Isabel
Rotisserie chicken is basically a staple in my house. It’s one of those things that’s always on my grocery list because it makes throwing together dinner so much easier, and honestly, I love eating it on its own, too. It’s so flavorful and fall-apart tender that even shredding it feels like zero effort. We’re talking one minute, maybe less.
But as much as I love a plain rotisserie chicken, I wanted to make something that felt a little more special without adding a ton of extra work. That’s where this recipe came in. A quick-roasted tomatillo salsa verde is what really takes these from basic chicken tacos to something that actually tastes like the tacos my family makes at home – bright, a little smoky, with just the right kick. And then shallow-frying the tacos at the end? That crispy golden flour tortilla exterior is so satisfying and really holds everything together in a way corn tortillas just don’t. (Though if you prefer corn, go for it. No judgment here.)
My kids eat these too. I just skip the salsa on theirs and load them up with cheese and sour cream.
Ingredients You’ll Need
| Ingredients | Notes / Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Tomatillos, Roma tomatoes, and jalapeños | These make up the base of the salsa. Roasting them under the broiler brings out a smoky, slightly sweet depth you just can’t get from raw. I left the seeds in the peppers because I like it spicy, but if you don’t, just remove them before roasting. |
| Árbol chiles | These add a little more heat to the salsa. You can omit them if you prefer the salsa on the milder side. Just 15-30 seconds under the broiler is enough to toast them. If you leave them any longer, they’ll burn. Trust me. |
| Bell pepper and onion | These add some color, flavor, and texture to the tacos. Use any color bell pepper, but I prefer orange or red for a hint of sweetness. |
| Shredded rotisserie chicken | This is THE shortcut that makes this recipe. It’s already cooked and seasoned, and it shreds in about a minute. Love me a rotisserie chicken. If you don’t have any, you can make your own shredded chicken. |
| Fajita seasoning | This adds extra flavor to the chicken and complements the roasted tomatillo salsa. You can use homemade or store-bought. You could also use some taco seasoning if you have that in the pantry. |
| Monterey Jack cheese | Melts easily and has a mild, creamy flavor that doesn’t compete with the salsa. Oaxaca or a Mexican-blend cheese works great too. |
| Flour tortillas | For a crispy exterior and a soft, pillowy interior, I prefer flour tortillas. They hold all the filling really well without falling apart. But you can also use corn tortillas if you prefer. |
This is just an overview of some of the ingredients and why I used them. For the full recipe, scroll to the bottom of the post.
How to Make Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
Make the roasted tomatillo salsa. Broil the tomatillos, tomatoes, and jalapeños for 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until charred. Add garlic in the last minute and árbol chiles in the last 30 seconds. Blend everything with the cilantro, seasonings, and broth until mostly smooth.
Make the rotisserie chicken filling. Sauté the peppers and onions until softened, then add the chicken, fajita seasoning, and ⅓ cup of salsa. Cook for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat.
Assemble and crisp up the tacos. Spoon the chicken filling and cheese onto one half of a flour tortilla, fold it over, and shallow-fry for 2 minutes per side until golden and crispy.
Serve with extra salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
Recipe Tips
- Make the salsa ahead of time. The tomatillo salsa keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, so you can make it ahead and cut down the cook time even more on the day of.
- Adjust the spice level. To tone it down, remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeños before roasting and reduce the árbol chiles. To turn it up, add a serrano or increase the árbol chiles.
- Don’t want to fry? Bake the tacos instead! For a lighter version, assemble the tacos on warm corn or flour tortillas, spray both sides with cooking spray, and bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe uses 2 cups of shredded chicken, which is roughly half a standard rotisserie chicken. Save the other half for another meal. It’s great in enchiladas verdes, chicken enchilada soup, chicken flautas, or ensalada de pollo.
Store the tomatillo salsa for up to 5 days and the chicken filling for up to a week in airtight containers in the fridge. Assembled tacos keep for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes to keep them crispy, or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. The chicken filling also freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and fry the tacos fresh.
Sour cream, guacamole, and the extra tomatillo salsa are all you really need. If you want to add more, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and Mexican crema are all great options.
More Recipes To Try
Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
For the tomatillo salsa
- 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 árbol chiles, stemmed and seeded
- ¼ cup cilantro stems and leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup chicken broth
For the tacos
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil plus more for shallow frying (avocado, canola, and grapeseed work great)
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (any color)
- 1 white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning (taco seasoning also works)
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (Mexican-blend, Oaxaca, and Chihuahua also work)
- 8 medium flour tortillas, warmed (8-inch soft-taco-size are perfect)
For serving
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
Instructions
- Make the salsa. Add the tomatillos, tomatoes, and jalapeños to a large baking sheet. Roast directly under the broiler for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the veggies are charred and blistered. Add the garlic cloves to the baking sheet when only 1 minute remains, and the árbol chiles when only 30 seconds remain to avoid burning them.
- Transfer everything to a large blender. Add the cilantro, salt, oregano, cumin, and broth. Pulse 5-10 times until mostly smooth. Set aside.
- Make the tacos. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers and onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add the rotisserie chicken, fajita seasoning, and ⅓ cup of the blended salsa. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a separate large skillet, heat enough oil to barely cover the bottom of the pan over medium heat.
- Assemble the tacos by adding a spoonful of the rotisserie chicken mixture and some shredded cheese to one half of a flour tortilla. Fold the other half over, add it to the hot oil, and shallow-fry for 2 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.
- Serve the tacos with the remaining tomatillo salsa, a spoonful of sour cream, and some guacamole.
Notes
- Rotisserie chicken. This recipe uses 2 cups of shredded chicken, which is roughly half a standard rotisserie chicken.
- Spice level. To keep the salsa mild, remove the seeds from the jalapeños and omit the árbol chiles.
- Don’t want to fry? You can bake them instead. Assemble the tacos on warm corn or flour tortillas, spray both sides with cooking spray, and bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
