How to Make Easy and Delicious Shredded Chicken Tacos
Chicken tacos are great. I make them every month, sometimes from scratch, sometimes repurposing some left over chicken. *Note rotisserie chicken totally works.
Really, all you need to do is create a flavorful chicken broth spiced onions, cumin, and oregano, or use some taco seasoning from a satchel. Just get the flavor of the broth to where you like it, and then cook the chicken, or if using leftover chicken, just reheat it in the broth, so that it can absorb the flavors. Then it is decision time!
Flour tortilla or corn tortilla? Up to you!
Crispy tacos or soft tacos? Up to you!
Salsa, jalapeños, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce tomatoes, cheese? Up to you!
In Mexico, a taco means a corn tortilla, but you have many options these days.
I love corn tortillas, but be aware. The corn tortillas you buy at the store will disintegrate, if you don’t steam them first. You can put them on a steamer, or wrap 5 of them with a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 or 30 seconds to make them more pliable.
If you are using flour, I recommend you put them on a preheated pan for 30 seconds on each side, but you can skip this step.
At my house it is mandatory to serve any and all Mexican food with tortilla chips and salsa.
Easy and Delicious Shredded Chicken Tacos Ingredients:
What You’ll Need
To Make Easy and Delicious Shredded Chicken Tacos, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Chicken breasts or thighs, (bones and skin are fine, just discard before shredding)
- Chicken broth, fresh or from the satchel
- Taco seasoning mix, or make your own blend
- Tomato sauce
- Vinegar
- Garlic
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Sugar
- Oil
- Taco shells or tortillas (corn or flour)
- Your choice of toppings (such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, etc.)
How to Make Easy and Delicious Shredded Chicken Tacos
Follow these simple steps to make your shredded chicken tacos:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub with oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the water, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, and sugar. Set aside.
- When the chicken is done, let it rest for 10 minutes and then shred it with two forks. Transfer it to a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour the sauce over it. Stir well to coat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Warm up your taco shells or tortillas in the microwave or oven according to the package directions. Spoon some chicken and sauce onto each shell or tortilla and top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Easy and Delicious Shredded Chicken Tacos Tips and Tricks:
Here are some tips and tricks to make your shredded chicken tacos even better:
- Use any kind of chicken you like, such as thighs, rotisserie chicken, or leftover cooked chicken. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Make your own taco seasoning by mixing together chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- You can make the sauce ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just reheat it in a saucepan over low heat before adding the chicken.
- Prepare the shredded chicken ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just reheat it in a skillet over medium heat before adding the sauce.
- Customize your tacos with any toppings you like, such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, lime juice, hot sauce, etc.
Why Shredded Chicken Tacos works:
These shredded chicken tacos are:
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Juicy and tender with a rich and flavorful sauce
- Versatile and adaptable to your preferences
- Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a casual party
- Fun and delicious for the whole family
I hope you enjoyed this recipe about shredded chicken tacos. If you try this recipe, let me know how it turned out in the comments below. And don’t forget to share this post with your friends who love tacos! 😋
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless chicken breasts, or thighs bone-in, or boneless - just adjust the cooking time
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 16 oz Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, or something similar
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp ancho chile powder
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil, like corn or sunflower
- 2 Tbsp canned chipotle, with sauce Pepper chopped - to taste
- 10 corn tortillas, or flour if you prefer, just make sure they are taco size, and not burrito size warmed
For the Garnish:
- 1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- 4 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- pico de gallo, salsa, or hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub with oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes or until cooked through. (Internal temp. of 170℉, juices run clear)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the water, taco seasoning, tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic, oregano, cumin, and sugar. Set aside.
- When the chicken is done, let it rest for 10 minutes and then shred it with two forks. Transfer it to a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour the sauce over it. Stir well to coat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
- Warm up your taco shells or tortillas in the microwave or oven according to the package directions. Spoon some chicken and sauce onto each shell or tortilla and top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
- Your choice of toppings (such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, etc.)
- Serve with tortilla chips, or nachos, and refried or black beans, and maybe some elote (Mexican style corn on the cob), and Mexican rice.
Notes
Serve with these dished for a complete dinner:
Restaurant Style Mexican Rice Elote - Mexican Street Corn Pico de Gallo - The Ultimate Mexican SalsaNutrition
Easy and Delicious Shredded Chicken Tacos
These taste more southwest, than the tex-mex tacos I get here. Or maybe it was the salsa recipe. Either way, they were tasty, and easy, and sadly no leftovers