Chicken Tacos
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These family-approved chicken tacos, packed with bold spices and tender ground chicken, are a healthier spin on my traditional taco recipe — and they’re just as good, if not better.
When my kids were younger, I came up with a few weeknight traditions to make dinnertime feel special (kudos to past me—I was way more ambitious back then!). Taco Tuesday was always a favorite. Every Tuesday, the kids would come home from school all “Yay, it’s taco night!” We made everything from shrimp tacos to Baja fish tacos, but this chicken taco recipe was always a top pick. Even now, as young adults, they still request it! A lighter take on my traditional hard-shell beef taco recipe, these pack just as much flavor and always hit the spot.
Pair this chicken taco recipe with Mexican rice—and round it out with salsa and/or guacamole for a complete Tex-Mex meal.
“I love a delicious ground beef taco but I would choose this over ground beef any day!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Tacos
- Olive oil – Used to cook the veggies and adds a little richness to the filling.
- Onions, bell peppers & garlic – The flavor base of the filling; adds sweetness, depth, and a little bite.
- Ground chicken – The base of the filling. I recommend using a mix of chicken breast meat and dark meat (not extra-lean) to keep it juicy and flavorful.
- Spices (paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne) – Bring warmth, smokiness, and just a touch of heat.
- Tomato sauce – Adds a subtle tang and rich flavor to the filling, helping everything come together.
- Fresh cilantro – Adds a pop of freshness and color (feel free to skip it if you’re not a fan).
- Hard taco shells – Made from corn tortillas, these are the perfect crunchy vessel for the flavorful filling.
- Toppings (shredded lettuce or cabbage, Mexican cheese blend, sour cream, avocado, etc.) – Optional, but they add crunch, creaminess, and flavor).
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To make this chicken taco recipe, start by chopping the vegetables. You can do this by hand, but I like to use a food processor to make life easier. Normally, I’m not one to hide veggies, but in this case, I chop them super fine so my kids don’t notice (or at least can’t pick them out!). I figure what they don’t know won’t hurt them—and if it means one meal without me nagging them to eat their vegetables, that’s a win for everyone.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the vegetables. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until very soft.
Add the ground chicken and spices, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Adding the spices now lets them bloom—basically, the heat wakes them up and brings out their best flavor.
Crank the heat to high and break the chicken into small clumps with a wooden spoon. Let it cook until it’s partially done, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the tomato sauce, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking the chicken into smaller pieces as it cooks. Once the chicken is done, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, give it a taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Meanwhile, heat the shells in the oven. To serve, spoon the chicken inside the shells and top with shredded lettuce and cheese. If you don’t want to bother with the shells, you can serve the filling with tortilla chips for scooping.
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Ingredients
- ¼ 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
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce (1 cup)
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (see note)
- 12 hard taco shells
- 2 cups shredded lettuce or red 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.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The taco meat mixture can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve, simply reheat it on the stove over medium heat, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen the sauce. For longer storage, the taco meat can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm it up in a skillet, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
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
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This is my go to recipe. The seasoning is spot on and way better than any package seasoning. Thank you Jenn!
These are remarkably bland. Needs more cumin, chili powder, oregano…. Wish I hadn’t spent almost $50 on ingredients. I hoping for more flavor once it sits overnight in the fridge.
I went back for fifths! Really couldn’t get enough of these amazing tacos.
Once again, you have another great recipe! My husband told me he was tired of the packaged tacos, but still had a craving for tacos. I know exactly where to turn for an amazing recipe. You did not disappoint. The taco recipe above was incredible and will never have another boxed taco again. Spicing was just perfect. Meat was so tender.
Thank you for always taking the time with your recipes to be sure we have the best one out there. It’s always so nice to know that whatever recipe I choose from your site or cookbook is going to be company worthy and delicious thank you thank you thank you!
I’m wondering if I could turn this into a casserole!? Maybe rice on the bottom then tortillas chopped up then the meat mixture? What do you think?
Hi Shelly, thanks for your very kind words about the recipes – so glad you like them and that the tacos were a hit! I think turning this into a casserole is worth a try but not certain how it will translate. If you try it, please LMK how it turns out ! Another alternative is to look online for a chicken taco casserole recipe that’s already been proven.
I loved these, but my family found them too spicy. What should I cut down on to limit the spiciness? Thanks
Hi Melissa, glad you liked them but sorry you found them too spicy. Did you use the optional cayenne pepper? (That’s the only thing that would add heat here. If so, I would just omit it.) If not, is there a chance you used chipotle chili powder instead of ancho chili powder?
This is such a great taco recipe! My four boys devour this every time, and my husband and I love to put this over TJ’s mexican cauliflower rice. Also a great way yo have a “taco night” with a white meat alternative. Making it again tonight.
DELICIOUS! I didn’t have ground chicken, so used chicken thighs instead and just cut them into VERY small pieces. Another great recipe! THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for this recipe. It was delicious. Five stars all day long. Your recipes are healthy and will be my go to from now on
This was the first recipe I made from this website. The tacos were different from other tacos that I’ve had. I really liked all the onion and peppers minced up with the ground chicken (gave it a somewhat fruity aroma). Thanks to that recipe, I have now found a new ally in the kitchen with this website!