These 15-minute Ground Chicken Tacos taste just like your favorite fast-food tacos. They are so easy to make with ground chicken, spices, tomato paste, tomato, cheese, and shredded lettuce. They are perfect for a quick weeknight meal!
Recipe Overview
Time: 15 minutes, give yourself a few extra minutes if you want to prepare more toppings like guacamole or sliced green onions
Ingredients: Ground turkey, tortillas, cheese, spices, tomato paste, olive oil, and your favorite taco toppings
Ease: Easy
Sound Good? Jump to Recipe ⬇Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive Oil - Oil helps to keep the ground chicken moist and flavorful. You can substitute the olive oil with avocado oil or any other neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil.
- Ground Chicken - For juicy, flavorful taco meat, go for a fattier ground chicken (8% fat). Lean ground chicken might turn out a little tough and dry. You can also make these tacos with ground turkey.
- Taco Seasoning - I used my go-to Turkey Taco Seasoning for this recipe, and it did not disappoint. You will need chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, and pepper. You can also use a store-bought packet of taco seasoning, but the homemade version is truly better.
- Tomato Paste - This gives your tacos that classic Tex-Mex taco taste. If you don't have tomato paste, you can omit it. If you are using store-bought taco seasoning, skip the tomato pasta; the packets already have tomato powder in them.
- Tortillas - You can use either flour tortillas or corn tortillas. To warm them up, heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30-60 seconds per side, or wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 20-30 seconds until warm.
- Shredded Mexican Cheese - I love using a finely shredded Mexican cheese blend for a perfect melt and classic taco look. You can also use cheddar cheese or pepperjack cheese.
- Toppings - I have shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes as the toppings for this recipe. Other toppings you can use are green onions, sour cream, avocado, hot sauce, jalapeños.
Full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below
How to Make Ground Chicken Tacos
Step 1 | Cook Ground Chicken
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked and any excess liquid has evaporated.
Step 2 | Prepare Spices and Toppings
While the chicken cooks, mix the taco seasoning in a small bowl and prepare your toppings.
Step 3 | Season the Meat
Once the chicken is cooked, add the seasoning mixture, tomato paste, and water to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cook the mixture around 2-3 minutes until it thickens.
Step 4 | Assemble Your Tacos
Warm your tortillas and assemble the tacos.
Tips & Notes
Don't Overcook the Chicken: Ground chicken can dry out quickly, so make sure to cook it just until it's no longer pink and all the moisture has evaporated.
Warm the Tortillas: Warm tortillas bring out the best flavor and texture. Heat them on a dry skillet or in the microwave (wrapped in a damp paper towel) for a few seconds.
Make It Ahead of Time!
You can prepare the taco seasoning and chop any toppings (like lettuce, tomatoes, or onions) beforehand.
The ground chicken filling can also be pre-cooked and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Common Questions
Ground turkey makes a fantastic substitute for ground chicken, as the flavors are very similar. Just be sure to choose a fattier ground turkey (around 7-8% fat). I have a recipe specifically for ground turkey tacos!
Nope! These tacos are mild and kid-friendly. If you want to turn up the heat, add a dash of hot sauce or ¼-½ teaspoon of cayenne or chipotle chili powder to the spice blend.
Microwave until warm, adding a splash of water to keep it from drying out. You can also reheat it in a skillet over medium-low heat with a little water.
Sides
- No Fail Queso Dip and Chips - Classic combo to go with your tacos.
- Guacamole and Chips - Fresh and creamy, a must-have for taco night.
- Cilantro Lime Rice (Rice Cooker & Stovetop) - Can be made on the stove top or in a rice cooker.
- Refried Beans - Creamy, savory, and great for scooping up with tortilla chips.
- Mexican Rice - A classic, easy side that pairs perfectly with tacos.
- Texas Margarita - Round out your taco night with a classic margarita.
Tried this recipe? Let everyone know how it turned out! Your feedback and tips help others decide if they should make it.
Classic Ground Chicken Tacos (15 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 pound ground chicken 8% fat*
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 8 tortillas corn or flour
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- shredded lettuce
- diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground chicken to the skillet. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked through and any excess liquid has evaporated.
- While the chicken cooks, combine chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, and pepper in a small bowl, and prepare your toppings (shred the lettuce, dice the tomatoes, and have the cheese ready).
- Once the chicken is cooked, add the seasoning mixture, tomato paste, and water to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cook the mixture around 2-3 minutes until it thickens.
- Warm your tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave.
- Assemble the tacos.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and may vary based on the ingredients used.
Nancy says