Easy Chicken Tacos

5 from 2 votes

Easy chicken tacos that are juicy, tender, flavorful, and perfect for feeding a small crowd. The simplest way to get awesome chicken tacos with mega flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken tacos, easy chicken tacos

Servings:

Calories: 550kcal

Ingredients

For the taco meat

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup homemade taco seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil for the pan, divided
2 tablespoons butter divided
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

The rest

12 corn tortillas plus more
1 batch Blender Salsa
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 small white onion chopped
Sour cream
1 cup cotija
2 limes cut into wedges
2 Avocados diced or sliced

Instructions

Place chicken breasts in a zip top bag, or between sheets of plastic wrap, and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to even thickness. This will help it cook evenly and avoid the chicken drying out while cooking.
Place chicken breasts on a plate or in a dish and sprinkle with the taco seasoning, be sure to rub it all over the chicken breasts, flipping them to be sure to coat both sides evenly.
Place chicken in the refrigerator, covered, for a minimum of 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat for 3 minutes, until hot, and add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan, swirl to coat the entire bottom of the pan.
Once oil is in, use tongs to place the seasoned chicken breasts into the pan. Once they touch the pan, they stick, and you can't move them, so place them carefully, and plan to cook in 2-3 batches, do not crowd the pan.
Leave the chicken alone, not touching it or moving it at all for 3-4 minutes, to allow a nice sear, and for the flavors to develop.
Using tongs, flip the chicken. If when you try to flip it, it sticks to the pan, wait an additional minute and try again. It will flip easily when ready and if it has a nice sear. Let it cook 3-4 minutes to sear that side of the chicken.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and let it melt around the chicken. This helps develop more flavor and a richer brown sear. Then turn the heat down to medium. Cover the chicken and cook the chicken until it is a deep golden brown and an instant read meat thermometer registers 160-165 degrees F. About 5 more minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm, while repeating the process until all of the seasoned chicken is cooked through.
When all the chicken is cooked through, use a sharp knife to chop it into small taco sized pieces.
Place chicken in a large bowl, and toss with lime juice and chopped cilantro.
Pour any juices from the cutting board or pan into the chicken bowl and toss.
Serve warm with fixings to make tacos!

Notes

When chicken breasts are overcooked they tend to dry out, so get super juicy chicken by checking the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer and removing at around 160 degrees F. The chicken will continue to cook and reach 165 degrees F while foil tented. Check at about the 2 minute mark after flipping to ensure perfectly cooked and juicy chicken.

Nutrition