These Shredded Chicken Tacos have juicy, flavorful chicken, fresh pico de gallo, and creamy avocado-every bite is a winner. Ready in just 30 minutes, these tacos will have everyone asking for seconds.
Recipe Overview
30 Minutes: From prep to plate, this recipe comes together quickly, making it ideal for weeknight dinners.
Easy to Make: Season, bake, and shred the chicken. This recipe couldn't be simpler, even on the busiest nights.
Full of Flavor: The homemade taco seasoning and pico de gallo give these tacos a bold fresh flavor!
Sound Good? Jump to Recipe ⬇Ingredients & Substitutions
Taco Seasoning: A homemade blend of chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Way more flavorful than store-bought, but store-bought taco seasoning mix will work.
Chicken Breast: Lean, tender, and perfect for shredding after baking.
Pico de Gallo: Made with tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime for a fresh, tangy crunch. Remove all the jalapeno seeds for a mild pico de Gallo, and keep a few in for a spicy pico de gallo.
Avocado: Adds creaminess and balances the spices. If you don't have avocado, sour cream is a great substitute.
Tortillas: Both flour and corn tortillas work well for shredded chicken tacos. Flour tortillas are softer and more flexible, while corn tortillas offer a more traditional flavor and texture.
Full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below
How to Make Shredded Chicken for Tacos
1. Prep the Chicken: Mix the spices together. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and coat them in the seasoning.
2. Bake: Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes. Shred the chicken with two forks.
3. Prepare the Toppings: While the chicken cooks, make the pico de gallo and mash the avocado.
4. Assemble the Tacos: Warm the tortillas and fill them with shredded chicken, pico de gallo, avocado, and your favorite toppings.
Alternative Cooking Method: You can also make your chicken in the slow cooker. Check out my recipe for slow cooker chicken tacos.
Tips
How to get Juicy Chicken: Overcooking the chicken can dry it out. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your shredded chicken for tacos is cooked to 165F. Also, let the chicken rest for a few minutes before shredding to keep it juicy.
Save Time: If you're in a hurry, use pre-shredded rotisserie chicken. Mix it with the seasoning and a splash of water, and warm it up.
How to Easily Shred Chicken
2 Forks: Place chicken on a cutting board and pull apart with two forks until it reaches your desired texture
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer: Add the chicken to a bowl, use a paddle attachment, start on low, then increase speed until the chicken is shredded, about 1-2 minutes.
Make Ahead!
Make Ahead: Cook and shred the chicken up to 3-5 days in advance and store it in the fridge. Pico de gallo can be made 3 days ahead, but make the smashed avocado fresh for the best color.
Leftovers Tip: Use leftover shredded chicken for easy wraps, burrito bowls, salads, or quesadillas the next day.
Other Toppings
- Salsa: Red or green salsa would work great; you can even swap out the pico de gallo for it.
- Mago Salsa: Swap out the pico de gallo with mango salsa for a different flavor.
- Sour Cream: a good substitute for the avocado.
- Shredded Lettuce: Adds crunch and freshness.
- Cheese: You can use Cotija or Monterey jack cheese.
Sides
- Cilantro Lime Rice - An easy, classic side made with simple ingredients. Instructions for stovetop or rice cooker included.
- Queso and Chips - This 15-minute white queso dip is the perfect taco companion.
- Mexican Fruit Salad - Fresh fruit tossed with chamoy and Tajín for a sweet, tangy, and spicy twist.
Tried this recipe? Let everyone know how it turned out! Your feedback and tips help others decide if they should make it.
30-Minute Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Chicken Taco Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Shredded Chicken Tacos
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes seeds removed (about 4 small or 2 large), chopped
- ½ cup finely chopped white onion about ½ small onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 finely chopped jalapeño ribs and seeds removed*
- juice from one lime divided
- salt to taste
- 2 avocados
- 10-12 flour tortillas
See it. Make it. Eat it!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425F.
- Mix together all the taco mix spices together in a small bowl.
- Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and coat with the spice mix. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board and shred with two forks.
- While the chicken is baking, combine the finely chopped tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and juice from half a lime in a bowl. Add salt to taste and mix well.
- While the chicken bakes, combine chopped tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and juice from half the lime in a bowl. Add salt to taste and mix.
- In a separate bowl, smash the avocados. Add salt and juice from the other half of the lime.
- Heat the tortillas in a skillet over medium heat or in a microwave.
- Add shredded chicken to each tortilla. Top with pico de gallo and smashed avocado.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and may vary based on the ingredients used.
- Spicy Buffalo Chicken Tacos: Mix the shredded chicken with buffalo sauce for a spicy kick.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!