Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos. {Video!}
Are you mourning the continued nonexistence of the taco emoji?
I am.
I mean, what the heck? How do the emoji people think that we don’t need a taco emoji? The taco emoji HAS to be the most requested emoji. Right? Ugh. Whatever.
Real or cartooned tacos, let’s talk about these ones. GUYS.
I cannot even count the number of times we have eaten these exact tacos in the last few weeks.
Actually wait. Yes I can.
At least 16. Yep – SIXTEEN. I say that because Max is almost 18 weeks now and we have had these tacos at least once a week since right around Christmas, soon after he was born.
We are slightly obsessed.
Also, I realize I should stop saying that word “obsessed.” It’s so over. We’re all over it. I think someone told me to stop saying it in HIGH SCHOOL.
Clearly I’m not over that.
Anyhoo. Let me tell you things.
This is what we love about these, in no particular order (ooh we fancy today):
…The chicken thighs. I highly, highly, highly suggest you try this with the boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I know I’ve been ranting and raving about them forever now, but they make such a huge difference here. This chicken is done in 30 minutes: you sear it, release some of the fat and juices, then roast it and shred it with spices. Toss is back with the juice and OMG – super moist and wonderful.
…They taste fantastically old school but also kind of new school (which is really old, anyway) authentic, too. And when I say that, I mean they have that comfort food feel – think ground beef tacos made with an old el paso seasoning packet (which is basically cumin, cumin, cayenne and – you guessed it – cumin) and mixed with yellow cheddar and iceberg lettuce. You know? Please tell me you had this growing up. My mom still makes it once a week these days.
These tacos have a bit of that flavor, what with our own seasoning spices and all – but also have a little trendy taco truck taste too. The quick pico de gallo, crumbled queso freso and crema contribute to that.
…They are ridiculously customizable. Duh.
…They don’t come out of the crock pot. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no stranger to the slow cooker. But sometimes I forget, I don’t prep my stuff in time to make a crockpot meal, and occasionally I just find that recipes in a slow cooker taste… like… a slow cooker. Do you get me? This method keeps the chicken flavorful and moist but almost a little crispy – sort of like carnitas. Now with that being said, if you want to do the crockpot? Do the crockpot. Toss in the chicken, all the spices and maybe ¼ cup of chicken stock. Boom. You’re done.
Other mini details? Use YOUR favorite tortillas. I go back and forth. Sometimes I love corn. I usually prefer flour. Eddie always wants flour. Warm them up, toast them, toss them in the oven for a few minutes right before the chicken is finished or even hold them over the gas burners on your stovetop with kitchen tongs. Who does that?
I’ve been doing a weird thing with my avocado and just eating it on the side. Or putting half on my tacos and keep half on the side. LOVE it.
So does this make sense? Do you get the whole these-sort-of-seem-new-and-tasty-but-also-old-and-tasty thing? I find it to be the perfect balance in my tex-mex loving mind. Especially during this very new and wacky season of my life where I’ve been craving all things nostalgic but still want things to taste somewhat fresh and not like a casserole from 1987.
Oh! Also!
The most important thing ever.
LEFTOVERS.
I can be a leftover snob. These? They are the perfect leftovers. You can make a quick salad, you can make a quesadilla, you can make a tostado or heck – just another taco night. But most importantly, you can make quick, kick ass OVEN NACHOS. Throw the chicken on top with lots of cheese and whatever you have in the fridge.
Ooooh I’m dying. I need a nacho immediately. Microwave 90s nachos? Maybe. Don’t judge. Just…
Give me a nacho.
Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos
Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 8 to 12 (4-inch) tortillas, flour or corn – your preference!
- 4 ounces queso fresco cheese, crumbled
- 1 avocado, sliced
- extra limes for garnish
quick chipotle lime crema
- 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, from a can of chipotles in adobo
- juice of half a lime
- zest of half a lime
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the skillet and once it’s hot, add in the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Cover the skillet and place it in the oven, roasting for 20 minutes. In a bowl, combine the cumin, paprika, chili powders, garlic powder and onion power in a bowl. Set aside.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the diced onion, tomatoes and cilantro in a bowl with the juice of the lime. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, half and half, adobo, lime juice and zest and salt, whisking well to combine. Set aside.
- As soon as the chicken is finished cooking, add it to the bowl of your electric mixer, or a bowl that you can use a hand mixer with. If you used the chicken thighs, there will be juices in the pan – leave them in the pan and do not discard them because we will use them! Turn the mixer on to low speed for a few seconds to break up the chicken. Add in the spices that you mixer before and mix the chicken on low speed for a full minute or two to completely shred it and mixx with the spices. Transfer the spiced chicken back to the pan with the juices and toss it well, incorporating the juice. This is how the chicken will stay moist (no – we can’t use another word)!
- To assemble the tacos, place the chicken in a tortilla and top with the quick salsa, the crumbled cheese and a drizzle of the crema. Serve with avocado on the side or on top and a fresh squeeze of lime.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
(I totally ate the nachos.)
313 Comments on “Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos. {Video!}”
My first chicken tacos and we loved them!!! I added corn to the salsa and did not purchase the chipotle chili powder. Other than that I did everything. My husband said I made his day, he said they are delicious. Will definitely make them again.
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This was a total hit!!!! So delicious!
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what is half and half
Half milk, half cream.
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Amazing! Best tacos ever! Thank you for this recipe. They are great served in toasted corn tortillas!
First chicken tacos the whole family came back for seconds on. I used breast’s but added a few tablespoons of chicken stock during the mixer step until just MOIST. Will make again and possibly be in the rotation weekly for taco 🌮 Tuesday!
Can you cook the chicken in the crockpot and if so how long and do you add all the seasonings? Thanks so much!
I don’t think my skillets are oven safe. Do you think I could use stoneware? I have a stoneware pan that I know is oven safe.
yes! that should work!
Thanks so much for the fast reply! I’m making these tonight now!
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These tacos are amazing but why the **** do you keep rambling I’m sure that some people would find this charming and i I enjoyed it for a bit but I’m on my phone and I had to keep scrolling and scrolling just to get to the recipe. Seriously a little ramble is good but it’s like 6 paragraphs.
So 2 stars because you dislike scrolling? Or did this recipe not taste good? Your review is confusing.
These tacos were killer. This comment is needlessly rude.
Loved this BUT I altered it to make it even easier. I took a rotisserie chicken, shredded the breast meat and set aside. I took the congealed rotisserie chicken drippings and put them in a non-stick pan with 1 tbsp veggie oil and heated it until the dripping were liquefied. Once liquefied, I dumped the dry spices in and blended them to allow them to bloom, THEN added the chicken and tossed to coat and warm. Once warmed and coated I started serving. This was SOOOOO good, even for leftovers!
These are so fresh and my family love them. I tried boiling chicken breasts instead and they were delicious! We have made these twice! Really good!!
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Is the crema supposed to be so liquid (?) ok if it is but did I do something wrong?
I was thinking the same thing
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AMAZING!!!!
Love these tacos. So do my 3 picky eaters who usually prefer their chicken fried or in nugget form. I keep a container of the seasonings already mixed on hand and this comes together very quickly. BTW – also makes great quesadillas. Thanks Jessica!
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This was probably one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. So so good! Thank you!
Delicious! Even without the mexican cheese.
I do love this recipe (Ticket to FlavorTown for sure) but I modified for a busy schedule and stupid tight budget. I dont bake in oven. I either Boil or just cook chicken up in a skillet. I use sour cream and salsa verde for ‘sauce’ then top with tomatoes, cilantro and mexican mix cheese as I almost always already have these for other meals. Not as fresh and pow but still a good dinner that family enjoys.
This crema recipe cannot be accurate?? It’s all liquids?
it’s accurate! it has greek yogurt in the recipe – that’s not a liquid! traditional crema is usually heavy cream mixed with sour cream or heavy cream mixed with buttermilk, so it’s very thin. this one is a little thicker, but it’s definitely something you drizzle!
So delicious. My whole family loved it, This one is a keeper,
This was a fantastic recipe, thanks!! The whole family loved it!
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Hi! Can you help me with cooking these in the crockpot? How long do I cook the chicken and do I just put the olive oil and seasonings in with it or do I need more juices? Thanks so much!!!
sure! throw them in the crockpot with about 1/4 cup liquid (stock, water, beer, etc) and add all the seasonings too. cook on high for 8 hours or low for 4. shred them once done!
I think you meant on high for 4 hours and low for 8 hours. Lol
I do this all the time. Even when I reread it, because i know what it is supposed to say I compleatly miss the mistake.
I was specifically looking for a chicken taco recipe similar to the one my mom made around 1987. I laughed when I read your comment about the 1987 casserole. I made these tacos, and my family loved them.
These are so good! I used my I start pot to do the chicken. Threw in the chicken, seasonings, and 1 cup of chicken stock. High pressure for 8 minutes. Perfect!
Instant Pot!
Is an insta pot like a pressure cooker
I made this last weekend. I am also making it tonight and doubling the recipe with a second pan. As my kids have invited some friends over. I did add half of a lime I squirted the juice all over the chicken it was so good everybody loved it we do tacos every Tuesday and we were getting pretty tired of the basic beef tacos so I’m so glad I found this quick and easy recipe thank you so much for sharing this we really really enjoyed it.
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Instead of chipotle chili powder, i like to use cayenne pepper powder. It’s a more authentic flavor, in my opinion. But i come from a Mexican family, so maybe it’s familiar for me.
Also, after the spices are mixed together, I’d start with adding 2 – 3 tsps. to the shredded chicken. Stir and taste, and add more if needed; depending on your preferences of spiciness and how much chicken you got to work with.
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These are very good. Well balanced spices. Love the recipe and so does my family.
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This was awesome! Can’t wait to try more stuff. Always looking for recipes similar to this.
I don’t have half and half and given the shelter in place getting to the store today requires a lot of effort. For the cream can I use whole milk instead?
yes!
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It’s Cinco de Mayo and this recipe SAVED me! Due to some errands, I got started on dinner later than I wanted. Miraculously, we had every ingredient except the chile powder and cumin (so I added a bit of Trader Joe’s Chile-Lime seasoning). The result was legitimately *delicious*. I don’t usually like dark meat, but the shredded/seasoned chicken turned out perfect — I intend to only ever cook them *this* way in the future. My husband loved it – and I was able to combine all the taco components into a low-carb salad bowl for me. Definitely keeping this recipe. Thanks for a great one!
Loved it! This was a perfect quarantine meal. I didn’t make the sauce, as I also made guacamole and used that, instead. Also, I don’t have an oven-safe skillet, so i just transferred the browned chicken thighs to an oven pan, and it totally worked. I did use a hand mixer to pull the chicken apart and it was fine (though even in low speed there was a bit of chicken flying out of, yes, a LARGE bowl), but wouldn’t it have just been easier to use a fork?
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