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These shredded chicken tacos are absolutely perfect! Quick and easy to make, we like them even better than ones from our local Mexican restaurant. Easy to adapt to different diets and delicious loaded up with toppings!
What I Love About This Recipe
- They’re a total crowd-pleaser! Seriously. When I made these for my family, I got a resounding, “Mommy? I’ll be on your app for these tacos. I love these tacos.” from my 5-year-old. Even my husband weighed in with a, “Wow, these tacos are good…. whatever you did to them.” So there you go. Officially kid-tested, family-approved.
- Shredded chicken tacos are super easy to make, and they’ve got so much flavor. Seasoned salsa chicken, fresh pico, crisp shredded lettuce, tangy sour cream… My mouth is watering just thinking about them!
- If you’re a meal prepper, these are a great make ahead option for easy lunches! Refrigerate the prepared chicken in an airtight container (separate from the other ingredients) up to 5 days, or freeze it up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, just reheat the chicken (on the stovetop or in the microwave – you can add a little broth to keep it hydrated) then construct your tacos.
- Feel free to add your favorite toppings, or leave off anything listed on the recipe card that you’re not a fan of. Shredded chicken tacos are super easy to customize! You can even serve them deconstructed as a taco bar and then everyone can build their own!
Chef’s Tips
- I used the two-fork method to shred the chicken breasts in this recipe, but there’s actually 5 different but easy ways to shred chicken. You can read about them here. Use whichever method works best for you!
- Careful not to over-boil the chicken, especially if you’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which tend to dry out a little more easily than chicken thighs.
- Want a little more on your plate than just shredded chicken tacos? Serve them with cilantro lime brown rice (or cilantro lime cauliflower rice if you’re keto) and corn salsa for a total meal. You could top them with some creamy avocado salsa, too!
- I used flour tortillas here, but this recipe would totally work in corn tortillas, in lettuce cups, or even on tortilla chips for shredded chicken nachos. Let us know which vessel you try!
Recipe Variations
- Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten free tortillas, and watch for added starches in the shredded cheese.
- Make it Paleo: Use paleo tortillas or lettuce cups, dairy-free sour cream, and vegan cheese.
- Make it Lower Carb: Use low carb tortillas.
- Make it Keto: Instead of tortillas, use cheese wraps, egg thins, or lettuce cups. Make sure your tomato sauce (or salsa) has as few carbs as possible and zero added sugars. Skip the pico de gallo to save a few carbs and use fresh shredded cheese and full-fat sour cream.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Juicy shredded chicken stuffed into warmed tortillas and loaded up with your favorite toppings. Restaurant-style chicken tacos made right at home!
tacos
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Large bowl optional
- 2 forks optional, or tools for preferred shredding method
- medium saucepan
- Silicone spatula
- Large skillet
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into halves
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup salsa or tomato sauce
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- 8 flour tortillas
- 8 tablespoons sour cream divided
- pico de gallo
- diced avocado or thinly sliced avocado
- chopped fresh cilantro
- shredded romaine or other lettuce
- shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Place 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts in large saucepan and cover with water. Place saucepan on stovetop over high heat and bring water to rolling boil.
- Once water begins to boil, immediately reduce heat under saucepan to medium and simmer chicken 10 to 12 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 160° Fahrenheit.
- When target internal temperature is reached, transfer chicken to large bowl. Set chicken aside to rest until cooled.
- Once chicken has cooled, shred chicken into small pieces using 2 forks or other shredding method of choice. Set shredded chicken aside.
- Place medium saucepan on stovetop over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to saucepan and continue heating pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
- When oil is hot, transfer shredded chicken to saucepan. Add ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ cup salsa to saucepan and stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Increase heat under saucepan to high and bring mixture to boil, then immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are warmed through, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
To Serve
- Warm 8 flour tortillas in large skillet, microwave, or over open flame (see Notes).
- Brush 1 tablespoon sour cream on top of warmed tortillas (8 tablespoons sour cream total), then fill tortillas with shredded chicken.
- Top tacos with pico de gallo, diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, and/or shredded romaine. Finish tacos with sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and serve immediately.
- Warming Tortillas: To warm tortillas on an open flame, use this method.
- Slow Cooker Method: Use 1 cup salsa instead of ¾ cup and skip the water and avocado oil. Combine chicken, spices, and salsa in slow cooker. Cover and cook 5 hours on low or 3 hours on high. Shred chicken, then stir and cook uncovered another 30 minutes on high or 60 minutes on low. Assemble tacos with desired toppings and enjoy.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Serving Size: 1tacoCalories: 322calProtein: 28gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 965mgPotassium: 691mgTotal Carbs: 23gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gNet Carbs: 20gVitamin A: 468IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Was delicious! I added diced tomatoes and some salsa with my homemade taco seasoning. Also did a side of black beans, corn and rice.
Ooh, yum! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the shredded chicken tacos.