Chicken Tacos and a Taco Seasoning Recipe
Delicious and easy cheesy shredded chicken tacos with BIG flavors! These shredded chicken tacos with homemade taco seasoning is easy and delicious! Top these chicken tacos off with my homemade habanero chunky salsa. These shredded chicken tacos are so easy and delicious!
I’ve been craving shredded chicken tacos for the longest time. The last time I had chicken tacos was about a year ago. I don’t know why it took me so long to make these shredded chicken tacos but I recently made them and my family and I loved them so much that they requested that I make them again this week. I think I’ve had these cheesy chicken tacos about five times in the past two weeks.
I like to make a large serving of these chicken tacos so that my family and I can have something that tastes fantastic and quick to eat for lunch or even dinner. My teen loves eating a lot of different variations of chicken tacos and so far he says these are the best ones yet, so leftover shredded chicken is always a great option for making tacos.
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The tacos, habanero salsa and the homemade taco seasoning for my shredded chicken taco or any Mexican style recipe are all simple to make. The ingredients in this homemade taco seasoning are onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper, smoked paprika, Mexican chili powder, pepper. Mix all the seasonings together.
Season the boneless skinless chicken thighs liberally with 2 tablespoons of the homemade taco seasoning. I like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs for my tacos because chicken thighs have so much more flavor than chicken breast. Juicy tender chicken tacos is a good thing!
Cook the chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side. While the chicken is cooking, chop up the onions and mince the garlic. I used canned diced tomatoes and one small habanero minced.
Cook the onions until they’re soft then add the other vegetables. Using a wooden spoon smash the chunks of salsa as it cooks. Add a bit of sugar about 1-2 teaspoons to get rid of the bitter taste of the tomatoes. Lastly, add about 1 tablespoon of lime juice to the homemade salsa then season the homemade habanero salsa with salt and pepper. With two forks, shred the chicken thighs leaving some bigger pieces of shredded chicken.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray a bit of vegetable oil on the parchment paper. Place about 3 small soft tacos on the baking sheet (you may be able to add more or less tacos depending on the size of your baking sheet) and spray a bit of vegetable oil.
The vegetable oil will make the soft tacos have a soft crunch. Add the cheese, the shredded chicken then more cheese to the taco. Bake the chicken tacos for only 2-3 minutes then add the homemade habanero salsa, fresh sliced grape tomatoes and the lettuce. Add sour cream if you like. So good! Enjoy!
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Quesadillas in the oven (Sheet Pan Quesadillas), Enfrijoladas, Jamaican Beef Patties , Cheesy Jalapeno Ground Beef Tamale Pie
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Taco Seasoning
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp red pepper
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Mexican Chili Powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp pepper
Chicken
- 2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp of the homemade taco seasoning mix
Homemade Habanero Salsa
- 1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup diced onions
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tbsp lime juice
- 1-2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tbsp jarred jalapenos diced very smalll
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 habanero diced very small
- 6-8 soft flour tacos
Instructions
Taco seasoning mix
- Add all of the seasoning to a bowl or jar big enough and mix well. Season the chicken thighs with the homemade taco seasoning.
Habanero Salso
- Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is hot add the onion Cook the onions until softened. Add the diced canned tomatoes, habanero and jalapeno. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add sugar if the tomatoes are too bitter. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper for taste.
Chicken
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is hot add the Season chicken thighs. Cook for3-4 minutes or until done. Add the cooked chicken into a medium sized bowl. With two forks shred the chicken leaving some bigger pieces of shredded chicken. Add more homemade taco seasoning to the chicken if needed. I usually add an additional 1 teaspoon of homemade taco seasoning to the shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper for taste.
- Lightly spray the baking sheet with vegetable oil. Place the soft tacos on the baking sheet ( I was only able to fit 3 tacos on my baking sheet) Spray a tiny bit of vegetable oil on top of each soft taco.
- Add your choice of shredded cheeses. I use monterrey jack cheese and Mexican mixed cheeses. Add the chicken then add more cheese. Place the baking sheet into the oven and cook for about 2-3 minutes. You want the tacos to have soft crunch. Don't leave the tacos in the oven too long or they will become hard.Add the homemade salsa and fresh grape tomatoes and lettuce. Serve immediately.
Notes
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I was just thinking about making homemade taco seasoning as I can’t find it here in Spain! Thanks for the recipe!
These tacos look so perfect! I have to make these for dinner this weekend!
How I love chicken tacos! Your recipe looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
I love tacos. I have definitely got to try this recipe. Sour cream is probably going to be a must with the habanero salsa!
These look so yummy – I also love the soft warm lighting in the photographs… They really set the scene. Beautiful work April!
Tacos are always a good idea. Maybe I can make these with shredded jackfruit to mimic the chicken 😉 Thanks for the recipe.
Looks amazing! Will definitely try it.
That habanero salsa sounds awesome! Sometimes I think tacos are just a vehicle to get salsa in my mouth! I’d love to add some mango chunks to this too!
Every part of these tacos looks like it’s bursting with flavor. I know my family would be all about this meal. Thanks for the Taco Tuesday inspiration!
They really are bursting with flavor. They are mouthwatering good! Thank you so much Rachel!
This looks so delicious. And that salsa! My family would love it.
Thank you so much Annemarie!
I am always on the hunt for new taco recipes, because nothing is easier or more delicious. And my husband LOVE habaneros, so this one’s going on the list!
If he loves habaneros then he’ll definitely love these tacos! Thank you Danielle!
This is my kind of meal. We LOVE Mexican food….and this recipe sounds delicious. What a fun and easy meal to make on the weekend with the kids.
Thank you Gloria. I’m eating another one for lunch right now 🙂 no joke!
These look mouth-watering. And smoked paprika makes everything extra delicious!
I love smoked paprika. I use it in everything. You just reminded me to buy more because I’m all out of it. Thanks Jill!
So happy to see this happy. It’s a happy meal for me. Love the way chicken is cooked and stuffed in tacos. YUM
Thank you Jyothi!
Chicken makes a great filling for a taco, and these recipe idea sounds delicious and easy to make. Perfect for a family meal or as a tasty meal for two.
Yes its’ so delicious! I could eat them every day! Thank you Helen!
I love chicken tacos and have a favorite go-to recipe for them with garlic and lime, but I like the idea of a habanero salsa — but i noticed there’s no habanero in it? On purpose?
No. I forgot to add the habanero! Thanks for letting me know Lisa!