Chicken Tacos
Last month, I told you about The Family Dinner Cookbook and how it inspired me to create new traditions to make dinnertime more special and fun for my family. One idea from the book that I’ve already put into action is Taco Tuesdays. So far, it’s been a hit: the kids wake up on Tuesdays all “Yay, it’s taco night!” We’ve tried all sorts of tacos (definitely try these fish tacos) but these chicken tacos are the kids’ favorite. They’re a healthier spin on traditional beef tacos — and they’re just as good, if not better.
To make them, begin by chopping your vegetables. You can do this in a food processor if you like; just be sure not to purée them.
Normally, I don’t believe in hiding vegetables but in this case I dice them very small so my kids don’t notice them (or at least they can’t pick them out). I figure what they don’t know won’t hurt them, and one night where I’m not nagging them to eat their vegetables is good for all of us.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the vegetables.
Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until soft.
Add ground chicken and spices use a wooden spoon to break chicken into small pieces.
Turn the heat to high and use a wooden spoon to break the chicken into small clumps; cook until the chicken is partially cooked, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, then turn the heat down to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking chicken into smaller clumps, for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Meanwhile, heat the shells in the oven. To serve, spoon the chicken inside the shells and top with shredded lettuce and cheese.
Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
- 2 bell peppers (any color), finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 pounds ground chicken (not extra-lean all breast meat)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1-3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (see note)
- 12 hard taco shells
- 2 cups shredded lettuce or purple cabbage, optional for topping
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Heat the olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just starting to brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Add the chicken, paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne (if using), and salt. Increase the heat to high; use a wooden spoon to stir and break the chicken into small clumps. Cook until the chicken is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking chicken into smaller clumps, until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Meanwhile, remove the taco shells from the package and lay sideways on baking sheet. Pull the stack apart, overlapping the edges slightly. Bake for 6-7 minutes, or until crisp. Spoon the chicken into the shells and serve with toppings.
- Note: To save time, you can chop the bell peppers and onions in a food processor; just be sure not to purée them. You can also use 1 teaspoon ground coriander in place of the fresh cilantro; add it along with the other spices.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 460
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Sugar: 5g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Sodium: 1086mg
- Cholesterol: 130mg
Reviews & Comments
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Can you use canned chicken breast with this recipe?
I don’t recommend it, Katie – sorry!
I have tried several different tacos recipes from scratch and my family claims they’re all better than the store bought variety but I clearly hadn’t found the right one until now!! My husband and teenage boys said I can stop experimenting and just keep on making this one! I used ground turkey because it was what I had on hand. They were awesome!!!! Thank you as always for sharing your expertise.
I’ve always preferred ground beef tacos but this chicken taco recipe made me change my mind. It worked well as a weeknight dinner because it was quick and, other than adding a piece of fruit, a complete dinner. My family said this one was a keeper.
Can you substitute the ground chicken for ground soy? Thanks so much!
Hi Nisa, I haven’t cooked with ground soy, but I suspect it should work. (Depending upon how much sodium the ground soy has, you may need to reduce the salt in the recipe.) I’d love to hear how they turn out this way!
I made this for guests for the first time and everyone loved it. Another recipe to add to our collection!
These were delicious! I cut the recipe in half because there are only 3 of us and I still had leftovers. I couldn’t wait to eat one the next day!
I made this once and froze some to make at a later time, which I did last week and this week I am craving it again! Love the combination of flavors and definitely use the cabbage for the additional crunch!!
I just made this for the third time and every time a tweak it a little based on what I have on hand (what I forget to buy) and every time it’s been fantastic- such a great alternative to packaged taco seasonings- very fresh and you an control the salt. Truthfully I always do lean ground beef and it works great with that. Last week I made with without bell peppers, skipped the ancho chili powder and used smoked paprika it was terrific and still so flavorful. and the best part- my kids raved about it! Next time I make it I decided to measure out an extra portion and put it in a baggie for next time.
Delicious, very flavorful and quick! I used half the amount of oil just to keep down the calories. I also substituted red pepper flakes since I was out of cayenne.
Question: why not use the extra-lean chicken? Is it due to the loss of flavor from less fat?
Glad you enjoyed them, Maret! I find the extra-lean chicken a bit dry; it also doesn’t have as much flavor.
Can you freeze this?
Yes Rachel, the filling definitely freezes nicely!
DELICIOUS!!! Made tonight for my family. Everyone loved these tacos!!! I didn’t have Ancho chile powder so just used regular chilli powder. My 5 year old said they were delicious & I need to make these again & he loved them & anyone with kids knows that’s a make again recipe – lol. No more packets for us! We didn’t miss the beef either…no one noticed!!! TRY THIS RECIPE!!!
Forgot to put my 5 star rating!!!
I wondered if you have ever made the filling ahead of time and frozen it. I’m getting ready for a family beach trip and like to do as much as possible ahead of time. Seems like this recipe would freeze well.
Hi Mary Ann, This is a great freeze-ahead recipe. Enjoy!
***** FANTASTIC***** I do not know usually provide reviews, but had to tell everyone to try these tacos. I wanted to test them every 2 – 3 minutes to get another 3-4 spoonsful. I am sure I will never want ground beef tacos again. They were great with the margaritas on this website. The margaritas were so fresh and a lot less sugar. Great Reviews at Uno De Mayo get together. I cannot wait for your cookbook!. Your website is my secret weapon in the kitchen.
I’ll be honest. I have never cooked before with ground chicken and was a little skeptical how these would taste compared to beef tacos. I have to say, I loved them!! This will definitely be going into the rotation. Much better flavor than the seasoning packet that I am used to.
Made this last night and turned out fantastic. Fantastic flavor. Everyone agreed it was a keeper. Thanks….Trying the Easy Thai Curry tonight.
This recipe is AMAZING!!!! I like it even better than the traditional beef tacos. I’ve made it with both hard and soft shells …. Delicious! I top mine with some added raw chopped onion, diced pickled jalapeños and low fat sour cream. I recommend this recipe 100%!!!!
This looks so delicious! I am going to try this recipe tonight! I think I will try it with soft tortilla instead of hard shell to see how that works.
I made these tonight, and they were a huge hit. I have been working through your recipes, and I have been enjoying all that I have tried.
You are HANDS DOWN the best at making the recipes easy to follow… I am very grateful I came across this site and will spread the word to my friends. You need to write a cookbook!
Thanks so much for the nice words Renee– glad to hear you’re enjoying the recipes!
Ahhhh, SO good! We made this tonight with leftover roast chicken instead of ground chicken, and homemade marinara instead of tomato sauce, and it was very yummy! Thanks for yet another keeper.
Just had to leave a review finally. I make this at least once a week (Taco Tuesdays!) My husband, 6-year old son, and I love this recipe! I won’t ever make tacos any other way. I love how easy it is too and of course so much better than the packet seasoning. I love the ancho chile powder because it adds a rich smoky flavor and doesn’t have too much heat for my son. My husband adds sriracha mayo and I add plain ol’ sriracha sauce and it becomes spicy for us. Thanks for this recipe! 5 STARS!
have you ever tried these with soft taco shells?
Hi Cathy, I haven’t but it would probably work; you might just need to cook the liquid down a bit more so they don’t get soggy.
This is to reply to Cathy regarding trying these with soft taco shells. We have had them with hard taco shells, and soft flour tortillas as well as soft corn tortilla and it’s come out great with each of them.
With the hard taco shells I just heat them in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds. Soft flour I wrap them in a wet paper towel and microwave them up to a minute depending how many there are. And for the corn tortillas I just heat them in a pan over a fire. No oil needed, just turn them over until they crisp up a bit. Hope this helps.
Is there an alternate to the Ancho chile powder? Having trouble finding it 🙁
Hi Farah, Try chipotle chili powder if you like heat — otherwise just use regular chili powder. Or you can always order it online 🙂
OMG this was so good! My 6 & 3 year old loved it, and apparently they were the best tacos EVER?! Not especially spicy but more delicate and aromatic in flavour. I used turkey mince instead of chicken as I was on a limited calorie day and switched out actual taco shells for lettuce bowls for just me. Big hit, this will be a regular occurrence in our house ?
This was another winner at our house, surprisingly for both my children despite one loving peppers and one hating peppers.
Love this recipe !
Can I use slow cooker ?
Thank you
Hi Kessy, I’ve never tried it, but in theory it should work 🙂
We didn’t have the red sauce so we just added about 1/4 cup of water to the spices. The tacos still still tasted great, but the meat didn’t “hold together” as well and tended to fall out of the shell. Nonetheless, it was delicious. Having made this once with lean ground chicken and once with ‘regular’ (85% lean) ground turkey, I have to say the latter ground turkey version had more flavor.
Absolute best tacos. I used turkey because my store was out of chicken but I know they were just as good.
Chicken Tacos: My son loves these! They’re so quick and easy. Simple to substitute or add vegetables depending on what you have on hand or if you need to stretch because a few friends showed up around dinnertime. Great family meal.
This is the first recipe from this site that I have prepared & it was delicious! I love the addition of all the fresh veggies to the taco meat mixture. We make tacos all the time with a homemade spice mix but this mix of spices was even better! I added 1 tsp of coriander to the spice mix as recommended in the recipe for those who do not care for cilantro – thank you, Jennifer for that great tip! I think coriander is my new favorite spice.
Do you have nutritional information on Chicken Taco recipe?
Hi Linda, Have just added the nutritional data; you’ll find it beneath the recipe.
Is the nutritional info just for the meat or does it include the tacos/. I am hoping to make it as a lettuce wrap so it is more healthy………can I get just the nutritional info on just the meat?
Hi Dawn, the nutritional info includes the taco shells. For just the meat, each serving has 321 calories. I’d love to hear how they turn out in the lettuce wraps!
It was delicious. To make it even more healthy I skipped the salt and did use ground chicken breast (extra lean). So much flavour with the chipotle Chili powder. Kids loved it will definitely make this again
These tacos are so good! The whole family loved them! I make these once a month.
Oh my goodness! I made these tacos for lunch today and they could not have been more delicious. Every recipe I have tried on this site so far has been AMAZING! So glad I found this one.
We love these minus the peppers. We add chopped spinach in their place.
Made these last night with the mexican rice pilaf and a side of black beans. Very yummy. I used turkey instead of chicken. I will be adding it to my rotation. I do have a question though…it was kind of wet, by this I mean made our taco shells soggy. Am I not reducing enough?
Hi Tori, Glad you enjoyed. It might be that the ground turkey released a lot of liquid; next time just pour out (or spoon out) any excess liquid before adding the tomato sauce.
AWESOME! Another winner! My husband and I loved the chicken tacos..you are 100% correct..we don’t even miss the beef. Thanks for the truly awesome recipes. We can’t wait to make and try a new one. Please keep them coming!
Another winner Jenn! Easy to make and delicious. Didn’t even have to tell Danielle it was chicken because she scarfed it down. Next time would be great for a taco salad.
Prepared these chicken tacos for dinner last night, along with your roasted garlic guacamole recipe. Boy were they a hit, even with my picky sister. Definitely will be making these again. Very good!
We’ve just had Taco Tuesday (on a Thursday) and got thumbs up from all around the table. We used minced Turkey as we couldn’t find Chicken and it was a little runny. We used Pasata instead of tomato sauce, perhaps that’s why? When you say tomato sauce, do you mean ketchup? Anyhoo, flavour was lovely and the kids all ate peppers, onions and tomatos with no grumbling.
Hi Lee, You must be in the UK? I’ve never seen pasata in the States but I believe it is uncooked tomato puree, while the tomato sauce I use is cooked tomato puree (it’s not ketchup). I don’t think that would have made a big difference, though. Sometimes ground meats release a lot of liquid; that was likely the issue. If it happens again, you can always spoon some of the excess liquid out before adding the tomato sauce. Hope that helps!
Hi! I’m making these with ground turkey for a new mom. How long can I freeze it for? Thanks!
I was browsing recipes…am making another recipe of Jenn’s, and noticed this question from Sam.
Meats can be frozen up to six months.
Also,
Thanks Jenn, for this site. I have browsed many and yours is a ‘step above’ others I have read.
Take care!
Made these tonight as well as the roasted salsa. I made the tacos with ground chuck and they were terrific! I wanted to try the chicken but knew my brother would be happier with beef. Next time I’m trying the chicken! So delicious!
These are SO good! Also, I love the spice mixture! I’ve begun making a big batch every time I make this dish. It’s great in chili too.
Is there a way of printing out the recipe without all the photos…other websites have a spot where you can hit “printable recipe”.
Hi James, Yes…for newer recipes, there is a “print recipe” button to the right of each recipe at the bottom of the post (alternatively, there is a pop-up box to the left of the screen with several options, including “print recipe.”) For my older recipes, there is a “printable recipe” option underneath the recipe title at the bottom of the post.
This is my go-to Sunday night family dinner. I serve it with shredded Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce. It’s a little labor-intensive, but worth it!!!!
I actually use the extra lean turkey when I make these, and they are not the least bit dry- still extremely tasty! I also substituted smoked paprika for the regular (because that’s what was in the cabinet and I wasn’t about to run to the store). The hint of smoke was actually a *really* nice addition! I’m about to make another batch for a “Taco Box” since my best friend just haad a baby. I always include the recipe when I do such a thing, because inevitably someone always asks for the recipe!!
Yummy! I accidentally used ground lean breast meat and it still came out moist and delicious. I didn’t have ancho chili powder so I ground dried ancho peppers and it worked great! Low fat, delicious and simple-a perfect trifecta!
I actually made this with super lean ground turkey, and it wasn’t dry at all! The flavor was still excellent, and of course, I looked like a cooking ninja to the boyfriend for making delicious tacos *with NO packet*! These tacos rock! (Plus, I really love that I can control the amount of sodium in them, unlike the packet…) Yay Tacos!
I have made these several times, love the addition of the extra veggies in them! Thanks!
Soooooo delicious.
These were absolutely delicious & oh so healthy!. I like the chicken to have as few chunks as possible, so toward the end of cooking time I used a potato masher on them over & over. I will definitely make these again!
Mom and I made the chicken tacos last night. Never used paprika in it. They were good. For the non meat eaters, she used beans. I ate one of each. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I made this recipe for the first time the other night and this one will replace all my other taco recipes. It was easy and delicious and had all the spices on hand already. I did saute my veggies separately and kept them separate including putting the cilantro in with the veggies as my son does not like many of the veggies. I also used a red onion for more color. This also means I can pile on more veggies! I used ground beef instead of the chicken too. It was good, easy and will definitely be a repeater…maybe not every Tuesday, but more often than I make it now. Thanks!
Just tried this last night and the tacos were delicious. Loved it! The seasoning was perfect, as I have come to expect from all your recipes! Thank you, Jenn!
Love different types of tacos! Will try this week!
This recipe has become a family favorite! My kids insist on ‘taco tuesdays’ now every week. I found that you can throw in any kind of vegetable that you have on hand. I have diced up zucchini, carrots, different types of peppers (among other things) along with the onion and it tasted great. Nice, easy way to get the kids to eat lots of veggies.
This is one of my family’s all-time favorite recipes. The kids love it almost as much as we do. Given the outstanding flavor, it’s hard to believe how healthy it is. We include it in our weeknight rotation, but have also made it for company. We’ve paired it with your Black Bean Avocado Salad with the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette and margaritas. Delicious!
Yum!
These chicken tacos are delicious and so easy! While chicken is a great alternative to the staple ground beef tacos, either meat works great with this recipe! I used to buy a seasoning packet, but after finding this recipe, I make my own taco seasoning and it is much healthier! I can control the amount of sodium in my tacos.
A great recipe that can be used for a variety of “Taco Tuesdays” and a staple in my house now!
Tastiest chicken tacos ever!
I’ve made these a couple times now. Super good and really easy to make!
This is one of my “go-to” meals on weeknights. Nice and quick and delicious! I usually use ground turkey though because we buy it in bulk.
These look fantastic! I have this recipe on next week’s menu. Can’t wait!
Because of your blog, we’ve also instituted a “taco Tuesday” in my household. Your chicken tacos are simply fabulous. I usually use turkey (our store doesn’t stock ground chicken) but the turkey makes them so yummy! I like that there are the chopped veggies in there too; my kids get a little extra boost! Thanks for all your fantastic recipes!
I made these last night with turkey and they are very good.
Another terrific recipe from this site! I made it for my in-laws’ family, two of whom are Mexican, and they all loved it! It was so flavorful! I forgot to add in the garlic until the very end and forgot to add in the cilantro at all because I was in a time crunch (although I did have cilantro on the side for the tacos), it still turned out wonderfully. My son who normally loves beef said this was his favorite of the night. The ground chicken made it healthier without compromising the taste. I can’t wait to try more recipes from this site. Thank you!
These were a big hit tonight and will be a family staple! My kids loved them! Thanks!
This has become a new family favorite. Better than meat tacos! Thank you!
I had been wanting to make these tacos since the moment I read your post. Finally got around to it earlier today. They were amazing. Even my “would rather eat beef” boyfriend loved them, as did his mother. All around fantastic! Thank you!!
I particularly love the hint about putting the meat in the shells before warming the shells to soften the ‘hinge’! Thanks!
These are so yummy!! And I love that they’re so healthy. It makes a lot…we enjoyed the leftovers in a taco salad.
I just made these for dinner and they were a huge hit. Thanks also for all the tips on getting it right! I really love love love your blog; I’m not a natural and it gives me the motivation and confidence to get myself in the kitchen. Suzanne
I am loving your chicken tacos. I always use ground beef..dont know why..but I am going to have to switch things up a bit
Looks delicious! I love all of the wonderful pictures.
Looks amazing! It must be fate. I have ground turkey defrosting for shepard’s pie, but I’ll be making this instead tonight. Taco’s are D’s favorite meal…