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    Home · Recipes · Tex-Mex | Mexican Food · Tacos de Pollo (Chicken Tacos Recipe)

    January 15, 2020

    Tacos de Pollo (Chicken Tacos Recipe)

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    The road to authentic Tacos de Pollo is shorter than the drive to your favorite Mexican restaurant -- guaranteed. These 30-minute Mexican Tacos de Pollo make Mexican food at home quick and easy!

    Simply cut boneless, skinless chicken thighs into strips, toss them with taco seasoning, and throw them in a pan! Once the chicken finishes cooking, add the peppers and onions and call it dinner! Serve your tacos fajita-style, wrapped in tortillas, piled high with flavorful strips of juicy chicken and your favorite taco toppings!

    A chicken taco with a flour tortilla and strips of chicken, peppers, onions and cheese inside.

    Want more taco night inspiration? You'll love our slow cooker Pulled Pork Tacos, crispy Mexican Potato Tacos, and, of course, beefy Tacos al Carbon!

    HOW TO SEASON TACOS DE POLLO

    To season Tacos de Pollo you'll want to start with Mexican spices. Common spices used in Mexican recipes are cumin, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. And, of course, salt and pepper. These are the basic spices that make up standard taco seasoning.

    CAN TACO SEASONING BE USED ON CHICKEN?

    As mentioned above, the spices that are used to make up taco seasoning are commonly found throughout Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, and it works on way more than just ground beef! Taco seasoning tastes just as delicious on chicken. Feel free to use store-bought or Homemade Taco Seasoning to season the chicken!

    Three tacos de pollo plated. Made with flour tortilla, strips of chicken, peppers, and onions.

    HOW TO COOK CHICKEN FOR TACOS

    There are many ways to cook chicken for Tacos de Pollo.

    For example, you could slow cook chicken breasts with a Ranchero sauce in your crock-pot, just as we did for these savory Shredded Chicken Tacos, simmer it on the stovetop like in our Tinga de Pollo recipe...or, you could take a major shortcut, and use this recipe!

    For a quick and easy weeknight meal, we used a traditional chicken fajitas recipe for inspiration. Only rather than cooking on the grill, we cooked the chicken fast on the stovetop using boneless, skinless chicken thighs! Chicken thighs are much more forgiving than chicken breasts and are much more likely to stay tender and juicy after being subjected to high heat and fast cooking methods.

    1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and cut them into strips. 
    2. Drizzle the chicken strips with oil and taco seasoning. Then, toss to combine.
    3. Add oil to a pan and heat it up.
    4. Sear the strips of chicken, turning once, until cooked through -- about 7-8 minutes.

    HOW MUCH CHICKEN DO I NEED FOR TACOS?

    Because tacos are typically just as much about the toppings as they are the meat, they're a pretty great way to stretch a protein. You'll only need about a ¼ pound of chicken per person. 

    A close up shot of a chicken taco served fajita style with guacamole and peppers in the background.

    HOW TO MAKE TACOS DE POLLO

    1. Prep and cook the chicken on the stovetop.
    2. Remove the chicken from the pan and add sliced bell peppers and onions. 
    3. Sauté the peppers and onion until softened.
    4. Use flour or corn tortillas to assemble your tacos. Add the cooked chicken, then top with peppers, onions, and other desired toppings!

    CHICKEN TACO TOPPINGS

    As mentioned earlier, tacos are just as much about the toppings as they are about the protein. These particular Tacos de Pollo come with a built-in set of instructions for cooking peppers and onions! However, if you don't care for them, simply omit those ingredients altogether and sub in any of the following Chicken Taco Toppings:

    • Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Cotija Cheese
    • Shredded Lettuce or Cabbage
    • Guacamole or Diced Avocado
    • Chopped Tomatoes or Pico de Gallo
    • Sour Cream or Mexican Crema
    • Salsa or Hot Sauce
    • Fresh or Pickled Jalapeños
    • Chopped Onions
    • Chopped Cilantro
    • Lime Wedges For Squeezing

    WHAT GOES GOOD WITH TACOS DE POLLO?

    Rice and beans are traditionally served alongside Tacos de Pollo, and you can't go wrong with that classic combo. However, if you'd like to spice up taco night a bit, try making a special sauce to go on top of them like this Chipotle Sauce!

    Of course, other staples like salsa and guacamole should never be left off of the list, and if you want to serve something on the healthier side, Mexican Bean Salad is a great option.

    • Velveeta Cheese Dip

    • Chipotle Sauce

    • Easy Mexican Rice

      Easy Spanish Rice Recipe

    • Mexican Bean Salad

      Mexican Bean Salad

    • Black Beans with bacon, onions, and peppers

      Canned Black Beans | Mexican Black Beans

    • Charro Beans

    Two tacos de pollo sitting on a serving platter with guacamole next to them.

    5 MORE MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

    • Chicken Flautas
    • Healthy Taco Salad
    • Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
    • Chicken Taco Casserole
    • Southwest Chicken Salad Tacos 
    4.5 from 8 votes
    Print
    Chicken Tacos (Tacos de Pollo)
    Prep Time
    15 mins
    Cook Time
    15 mins
    Total Time
    30 mins
     

    These 30-minute Mexican Chicken Tacos make Mexican food at home quick and easy! Serve fajita-style with flavorful strips of juicy chicken and taco toppings!

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: Chicken Tacos, Tacos de Pollo
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 571 kcal
    Author: Kelly Anthony
    Ingredients
    Ingredients:
    • 4 tablespoons canola or avocado oil separated
    • 1 - 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
    • ½ a yellow onion cut into ¼" rings
    • ½ a red bell pepper stemmed, seeded and cut into ¼" rings
    • ½ a green bell pepper stemmed, seeded and cut into ¼" rings
    • Generous pinch of Kosher salt
    • Pinch of black pepper
    Optional Ingredients for Serving:
    • Flour or Corn Tortillas
    • Shredded Cheese Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Cotjia
    • Guacamole
    • Sour Cream
    Instructions
    1. Pat the chicken dry. With a sharp knife, cut into ¼" strips. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle over taco seasoning. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated with the spices.

    2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil has come to temperature, add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes. Turn each strip and cook for 3-4 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside. 

    3. Reduce the heat to medium. If the skillet appears dry, add the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onions and peppers. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and black pepper, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until softened.

    4. Remove from the heat. Add the chicken back to the skillet, toss to combine and serve. 

    Nutrition Facts
    Chicken Tacos (Tacos de Pollo)
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 571 Calories from Fat 216
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 24g37%
    Saturated Fat 3g19%
    Cholesterol 91mg30%
    Sodium 834mg36%
    Potassium 740mg21%
    Carbohydrates 49g16%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 6g7%
    Protein 38g76%
    Vitamin A 622IU12%
    Vitamin C 34mg41%
    Calcium 106mg11%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Comments

    1. Jayne says

      February 05, 2020 at 10:07 pm

      Love Taco Tuesday. Thanks for giving me so new topping ideas. Will be adding to the dinner table next week!

      Reply
    2. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says

      February 05, 2020 at 10:10 pm

      Can't go wrong with a good taco!! Can you believe that I have never made a taco at home before?? This needs to change, because your tacos are making me drool!!

      Reply
    3. Pamela says

      February 05, 2020 at 10:40 pm

      These are so flavorful and perfect for a weeknight where I’m strapped for time! A recipe saver, thank you, will be making again and again!

      Reply
    4. Anita says

      February 05, 2020 at 11:01 pm

      These are so good and super easy to make at home. We ran out of tortillas, so had to sub with pita bread, but they are still super delicious. 🙂

      Reply
    5. Katie says

      February 05, 2020 at 11:23 pm

      Made this for the family and it was a hit!

      Reply

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    I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

    Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

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