These Crispy Chicken Tacos are made with homemade taco shells filled with savory and slightly spicy tender chicken that is loaded with roasted green chile and Mexican flavors – the perfect family meal.

crispy chicken tacos platter of tacos       

This is an easy chicken taco recipe and the perfect family meal – set out ingredients and let kids make their own tacos with their choice of toppings.

ingredients to make crispy chicken tacos

Tacos are always a quick dinner. Even simple taco fixings like pico de gallo are very basic.

How to cook the chicken

This shredded chicken can be cooked in an Instant Pot or in a stock pot on the stovetop.

Taco seasoning

Tastefully Simple products can be purchased online and are clean-label foods that contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. 

crispy chicken tacos season

This Fiesta Party Seasoning makes a perfect taco mix and is a great addition to any Mexican dish. Sprinkle this blend of onion, salt, crushed red pepper, garlic, and parsley on chicken breasts.

This seasoning also tastes great with ground beef and pulled pork. And can even be sprinkled in sour cream for a spicy party dip.

Avocado oil how to cook with it

Avocado Oil is a light, slightly nutty oil, perfect for sautéing and stir-frying, particularly at high temperatures. 

Sauté: Avocado oil is a light, slightly nutty oil, and a perfect oil to sauté the onion and garlic in this recipe.

Dressing: Avocado oil also makes a great salad dressing or vinaigrette combined with balsamic vinegar.

Fry: Did you know avocado oil is by far the safest oil for high heat cooking, like frying. You can use avocado oil just like your regular frying oil to reduce the risk and make a healthier choice.

crispy chicken tacos roasted chiles

How to make chicken

  • Coat chicken breasts in Fiesta Party Seasoning
  • Sauté onion and garlic in Avocado Oil
  • Add a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • Add diced roasted chile – How to roast chile peppers
  • Add chicken broth
  • Combine and cook

shredded chicken to make crispy chicken tacos

How to serve shredded chicken

This shredded chicken recipe is great on its own or in burrito bowls, crunch wraps, lettuce wraps, nachos, or as Crispy Chicken Tacos.

How to store shredded chicken

This shredded chicken is great for family dinners or for a fiesta — it makes quite a bit.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for 5 days for meal prep for other dishes throughout the week or packaged up in freezer-safe containers and saved for other meals.

How to make homemade taco shells

No need to buy stale store-bought shells to make crispy tacos. This easy method turns fresh corn tortillas into crunchy taco shells. Packaged taco shells often contain partially hydrogenated oils. For a healthier version, make your own.

  • Heat 1-inch avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet.
  • Fry tortillas, one at a time, by folding in half and laying one half flat in oil while holding other half with a fork or tongs, and repeating with the other half to form a half moon shell, until golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Place taco shells on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

How to make Chicken Tacos

  • Shred and stuff chicken into homemade taco shells.
  • Garnish with your choice of toppings.

More taco recipes

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Did you make this Crispy Chicken Tacos? Rate the recipe and leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out!

crispy chicken tacos and a cerveza beer

Crispy Chicken Tacos With Mexican Shredded Chicken (Stovetop or Instant Pot)

5 (2 ratings)
Move over, Taco Bell. These from-scratch Crispy Chicken Tacos are made with homemade crunchy taco shells filled with slightly spicy Mexican shredded chicken and topped with your choice of garnishes. Made with just 10 simple ingredients in under an hour, they're the perfect easy family meal.
Print Pin Rate
Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 2 teaspoons Avocado Oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons Chicken Taco Seasoning, see notes
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 to 3 roasted Anaheim chile peppers, diced
  • 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • Salt to taste

Tacos:

  • Avocado oil, for frying
  • 20 corn tortillas

Optional toppings:

Instructions 

Chicken:

  • Season chicken breasts with fiesta party mix and set aside.

Stovetop:

  • In a large stockpot, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring continuously, until fragrant.
  • Add the chicken, tomatoes, chile, chicken broth, and give everything a good stir. Let come to a boil; reduce heat. Let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken.
  • Add shredded chicken back to pot and season with salt if needed.

Instant Pot:

  • Select Sauté on the Instant Pot and warm the oil. Add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 minute.
  • Add the chicken, tomatoes, chile, chicken broth, and give everything a good stir.
  • Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to Sealing.
  • Press the Manual/Pressure Cook button and set the cook time for 20 minutes at high pressure.
  • Let the steam release naturally for about 10 minutes, then turn the valve to Venting to release any residual steam.
  • Carefully remove the lid and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a bowl. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken.
  • Add shredded chicken back to pot and season with salt if needed.

Tacos: 

  • Heat 1-inch avocado oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet.
  • Fry tortillas, one at a time, by folding in half and laying one half flat in avocado oil while holding other half with a fork or tongs, and repeating with the other half to form a half moon shell, until golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Place taco shells on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  • Spoon shredded chicken into each taco shell, and garnish with lettuce, tomato, salsa, cheese, and avocado if using.

Notes

  • Make chicken ahead: Make shredded chicken and refrigerate for 5 days in an airtight container. Shredded chicken can also be frozen.
  • Taco shells: Use for tacos right away, or they may become chewy. Leftovers may be heated in the oven for crisping.
  • Make you own blend by combining the following spices: 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley. 
Serving: 6g, Calories: 392kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 353mg, Potassium: 764mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 123IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 2mg
Author: Yvette Marquez
Course: Entrees
Cuisine: Mexico, Tex-Mex

Photography by Jenna Sparks 

This post is sponsored by Tastefully Simple. Personal opinions and thoughts are my own.