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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Quick, satisfying, and packed with flavor, these chicken tacos are perfect for busy weeknights!
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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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!