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Chicken Tacos and a Taco Seasoning Recipe
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5 from 1 vote

Shredded Chicken Tacos

Easy Homemade Shredded chicken tacos with great BIG flavors  These chicken tacos are so easy and delicious!  The chicken is tender and juicy, cooked in a flavorful mouth-watering taco seasoned adobo sauce.
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Mexican, Tex Mex
Keyword chicken tacos, Mexican shredded chicken, shredded chicken tacos
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 people
Author April Boller Wright

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

Cook tips
 

Instant Pot Burn Notice - 

 
 
 
No 1. Couple reasons for this warning. If you receive a burn notice you most likely need to add more broth or water (if you like) to the instant pot. Don't worry if you get the warning. I got the warning so of course, had to add more liquid. I initially tried to get away with 1/4 cup of  but it wasn't enough.  The liquid measurement in the recipe card is what you can start with. 
 
 
 
No 2. The knob was not turned to sealing position. Make sure the knob is set to sealing.
 
 
 
 
No 3. The burn notice could be that the lid wasn't locked. Make sure the lid is locked. For more instant pot troubleshooting info you can check out the pressure cooker site
 
Storage - Store in air-tight container. Place in the refrigerator for up to one week. Freeze up to a month in the freezer. 
 
 
Tools to make this: Visit my Amazon shop to purchase the Instant Pot that I use.  
Recipe has been updated 3/6/2019