Introducing the best chicken tacos ever. An easy chicken taco recipe made with chicken thighs, plus a simple onion & cilantro topping. This is our all-time favorite chicken taco recipe. They taste like they just came off a food truck!
Everyone in your family will love this recipe — they’ll gobble it up, AND it only takes a few minutes. You’ll be the star of dinner!
Best Chicken Tacos Ever
Taco Tuesday holds a strong place in my heart and in the hearts of my kids, but we have been in a major taco slump lately. The only thing I’ve been making is standard ground beef tacos, and while those are fine, they just aren’t all that exciting after eating for them the the millionth time.
I decided to get a little creative in the taco department and go for some amazingly flavorful but simple food truck-style chicken taco recipes. You guys, they turned out amazing! It only took about 12 minutes to get the chicken cooked, a few more minutes to get the tortillas hot, and then we just threw them together.
These tacos are super simple in the fact that they are only made with some chicken meat (that is super delicious and full of flavor) and a simple onion and cilantro topping on corn tortillas. Give the whole thing a squeeze of lime before you eat them, and that’s a wrap! I feel like keeping them simple is what makes them taste like they are straight off of a food truck (you might also call them a street taco), because you’ll just pick them up and eat two. They aren’t fussy, they don’t have a lot of layers, and they are so full of flavor. You could add a bit of avocado or a sprinkle of cotija cheese, but those aren’t really needed. Keep it simple, friends!
Why chicken thighs are awesome:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs are the moist and flavor-packed version of their chicken breast counterparts. They don’t dry out, and I LOVE using them.
- They tend to be a lot less expensive than chicken breasts, which is always a win.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs do have a bit more fat on them, but you can trim any visible fat before using and they’ll still be moist when cooked.
- Here’s a hilarious article from Epicurious about their love of all things chicken thighs, if you need further convincing.
- Instant Pot Lovers: Here’s my favorite Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Taco Meat recipe for you. SO good.
Have I convinced you yet to try them? Seriously, just get a pound (for a couple of bucks) to make this recipe, and that will be enough to get you on team chicken thigh. So easy to use and full of flavor!
Tips and tricks for making the best chicken tacos ever:
- The two tortillas aren’t a must, but it helps to keep everything in. When you just use one tortilla they seem to break and fall apart.
- If you don’t want the topping too spicy, you can remove the seeds from the jalapeno or omit it all together.
- The lime for serving isn’t optional; it really makes the dish!
Because these chicken tacos are so simple and easy to make, feel free to add a side of chips and salsa and guacamole plus some fun drinks (I recommend some fresh homemade lemonade for this recipe)! You’re going to feel like you are eating out while sitting in your own kitchen.
How much chicken do I need for tacos?
This recipe makes 4 servings, and I get one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Feel free to adjust the amount of chicken you purchase depending on how many people you’re serving (and if you have too much, it does make great leftovers!).
What do you put inside tacos?
You can literally put whatever you want inside tacos — that’s the beauty of these little customizable wraps! For this recipe, I kept things simple and added some chopped onion, cilantro, and jalapeno with a little lime juice, salt, and pepper. It was DIVINE! You can also add cheese, sour cream, and any other veggies you like.
Can tacos be healthy?
Um, totally! You’ve usually got some sort of protein and veggie, and these tacos use corn tortillas, which are slightly healthier than flour. They’re packed with all sorts of wholesome goodness, so go ahead and add this to your “healthy meals” roster.
How do you make perfect tacos?
Now, this is a great question. I firmly believe in the power of warming the tortillas in the skillet so they get a little toasty and maybe even a little crisp around the edges. It’s a MUST, and you have to try it out if you’ve never heated yours up. I also like to double layer my tortillas so it keeps all the toppings in better without tortilla breakage. Finally, a sprinkle of lime is absolutely necessary to bring everything together and really add a kick of freshness.
The Best Chicken Tacos Ever
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 4 1x
Description
Introducing the best chicken tacos ever. An easy chicken taco recipe made with chicken thighs, plus a simple onion & cilantro topping. This is our all-time favorite chicken taco recipe. They taste like they just came off a food truck!
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the topping:
- 1/3 cup finely chopped red or sweet onion
- 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 finely chopped jalapeño
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lime, cut into 8 pieces
16 small corn tortillas for serving
Instructions
- In a large zipper-topped plastic baggie or in shallow dish, add the chicken, all of the spices, lime juice, and oil. Close the bag and use your hands to mix everything together. If you are using a shallow dish, use tongs to work the spices evenly into the chicken. You can let this rest for up to a half-hour or work with it right away. I like to let it rest a minute to increase the flavor.
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the chicken. Cook for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 10 minutes. If you have an extra-large chicken thigh, you’ll need to cook them longer, so turn down the heat to medium and cook them until no longer pink (could take up to 25 minutes or 12 minutes per side).
- While the chicken cooks, stir together the chicken taco topping by placing the chopped onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and the juice of one lime in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
- While the chicken rests, wipe your skillet clean with a warm rag or paper towels, and place the skillet back on the heat over medium-high to high heat. Place two tortillas (still stacked together) on the skillet and cook until the underside starts to char. Flip over and cook the other side (so the middle of each tortilla won’t be cooked against the skillet but it will get warm all the way though). Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Chop the rested chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- To serve, place 1/8 of the chopped chicken in each set of tortillas (still two stacked together) and top with 1/8 of your onion mixture. Serve each taco with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the taco just before serving.
Notes
- The two tortillas aren’t a must, but it helps to keep everything in. When you just use one tortilla, they seem to break and fall apart.
- If you don’t want the topping too spicy, you can remove the seeds from the jalapeño or omit it all together.
- The lime for serving isn’t optional; it really makes the dish!
- You can also bake or grill the chicken for this recipe.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: easy chicken taco recipe, how to use chicken thighs, chicken thighs dinner idea, food truck tacos recipe
Want To Save This Recipe?
This chicken taco recipe hitting the spot? You might also like these chicken recipes:
- Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowls (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
- Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Taco Meat
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas
- The Best Chicken Tostada Recipe
- The Best Baked Chicken Legs
- Grilled Chicken Tacos
- Crispy Sheet Pan Baked Chicken Taco Meat
- Crunchy Baked Chicken Tacos
- Baja Fish Tacos
This post was originally published in 2017, and has been updated and rephotographed in January 2020.
I can’t wait for you to make these Best Chicken Tacos Ever, try boneless skinless chicken thighs (if you aren’t already using them), and to thank me after you make this awesome meal. Enjoy, from my kitchen to yours!
Literally made my wife stop, look up, and say “Wow!” Thanks for a keeper recipe!
★★★★★
Such a great comment! That’s awesome. And thank you for coming back to leave a review, that’s so helpful.
We’ve made this twice now; its so good! For me, the lime is not overpowering at all. We are using lime juice from a bottle and not actual limes. Tonight I am going to try this in the slow cooker. I’m not great with cooking so hopefully I don’t screw it up!
★★★★★
So glad you like it! Let me know how it turns out.
The family loved the recipe. I made one change by grilling the marinated chicken. Wife really loved the lime/onion topping. Thank you
★★★★★
I love the idea of grilling it, totally trying that soon!
Looking forward to making these tomorrow night!
My fiance and I enjoyed these very much! I WILL be making them again, the exact same way, except I added salt to the thighs, I almost could have gotten away without ANY, with exception of the topping, as your recipe states. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
I made these last weekend for my birthday. I made pork shoulder tacos as the main dish, but one of my friends doesn’t eat pork, so I also made this chicken. And it was a huge hit. She loved them, as well as the other people who tried some of the chicken. Sooo full of flavor. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Hooray! I’m so glad that everyone like it. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment, that’s so helpful!
We love this recipe, really authentic easy tacos. I cooked them in the oven though as I found that easier!
★★★★★
Such a great tip to make the recipe a little more hands off! So glad you like them Emma!
My family loves these tacos. My kids even like cilantro onion salsa. I tried cooking the chicken in a skillet the first time and the chicken ended up being blackened. The last 3 times I have grilled them and it was even better! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Sounds so good! My kids like the salsa too which isn’t super typical for them, it just goes with it!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can honestly not thank you enough for sharing this. I make these at least 2-3 times a month now. These are THE BEST tacos I’ve ever made and quite possibly the best tacos I’ve ever eaten in my life. It makes me feel like I just got tacos from a street cart in Mexico City. They are just perfection!??
★★★★★
And I do want to note, I just used chicken breasts and pounded them down thinner instead of using chicken thighs. A bit healthier for sure and no complaints on flavor!
★★★★★
Great idea and thank you for sharing! I often have people ask me about using chicken breast so this will be a great resource for them!
Loved this recipe! Never tried with chicken thighs before, and it truly made a difference for us in our quest to replicate our favorite tacos since moving away from Texas. I always find the corn tortillas we buy are always so dry (and too thick). Any brand recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks!
★★★★★
I really like the Mission brand white organic tortillas. And thank you for a great review, I really appreciate that! How are you preparing your tortillas? I find that if I spray a little cooking spray on both sides and toss them in a skillet for 10-20 seconds per side they are really good.
Delicious! Will make this again. And again. Thanks!
So glad you liked them as much as we do! Happy Taco Eating friend!
It looks delicious. I wish this were in front of me right now.