These Shredded Chicken Tacos are seasoned to perfection in a blend of spices and green enchilada sauce. Each bite is so flavorful, it’s almost hard to believe they take less than 30 minutes to make!
You can never go wrong with taco night! There are so many ways to change the flavor of your favorite taco recipe just by using different ingredients. These pulled chicken tacos use a tomatillo enchilada sauce to make zesty taco filling that goes well with any of your favorite toppings! They are perfect for lunch or dinner any day of the week!
If you like easy Mexican-inspired dinner recipes, you will love my beef and cheese empanadas and beef taco pasta.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Tacos are always a great, easy meal option, and these pulled chicken tacos are no exception! They come together in less than 30 minutes with only a few simple ingredients.
- Customizable: One of the best things about tacos is how easy they are to customize to each person’s tastes. Like my shredded chicken enchiladas, you can add your favorite salsas, fresh cheese, avocado, and more to finish off your tacos.
- Perfect Make-Ahead Meal: Prepare the shredded chicken taco meat and keep it in the freezer to use on a busy night when you don’t have the energy to cook. You can also use the meat for lunches throughout the week!
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Shredded chicken breast is best for these tacos. You can also use leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken.
- Onion: A finely diced white onion or red onion adds an extra depth of flavor to the chicken and sauce.
- Seasonings: Use a combination of Slap Ya Mama seasoning, garlic salt, paprika, red pepper flakes, and pepper to season the chicken. Slap Ya Mama is a Cajun seasoning, so you can use a different Cajun seasoning if you don’t have that one on hand.
- Green Enchilada Sauce: This green sauce is made with a blend of tomatillos, green chilies, onions, and garlic. It’s more tart and tangy than a traditional red salsa or enchilada sauce.
- Tortillas: We’re using soft corn tortillas but you can also use homemade flour tortillas or even crunchy corn tortillas if you prefer.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Use Beef or Pork: The sauce for this easy shredded chicken tacos recipe works well with pork and beef as well. You could even use it with ground beef! These leftover pulled pork tacos are another variation you’re sure to love!
- Try Red Enchilada Sauce: Red enchilada sauce has a smoky and earthy flavor, so if you want to switch up the flavor of these tacos, try using red sauce instead.
- Reduce the Heat: Omit the red pepper flakes and buy a mild enchilada sauce if you’re making these tacos for people who don’t like spice!
How to Make Shredded Chicken Tacos
These tacos are perfect for a busy weeknight when you don’t have time to cook an elaborate meal. They turn out delicious every time, so no one will be upset it’s taco night!
- Step 1: Make the Chicken Filling. Melt a bit of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion to the pan. Once the onions are soft, add the shredded chicken and seasonings and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Step 2: Add the Enchilada Sauce. Stir in the enchilada sauce and cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce is heated through.
- Step 3: Serve on Tacos. Finally, serve your shredded chicken taco filling on hard or soft tortillas and top with your favorite taco toppings like cheese, lettuce, or salsa and serve with a side of easy Spanish rice.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Overcook the Chicken: When cooking your chicken for shredded chicken, don’t overcook, it will turn out tough and chewy. Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F to be fully cooked, but don’t go far beyond that.
- Make Shredding Chicken a Breeze: Use your electric mixer to shred the chicken instead of using forks! Place the fully cooked chicken in the mixing bowl, then use the paddle attachment on low until it’s perfectly shredded.
- Storing: For best results, store the ingredients separately. Place the shredded chicken filling in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat the chicken in the microwave in 60-second intervals until it is heated through. If you have assembled chicken tacos leftover, you can store them in the fridge and reheat in the oven to serve again.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is so simple and quick to throw together. Whether you need to make lunches for the work week, meal prep for the month, or just need a last-minute dinner, this is a go-to recipe every time. The result is tender and well-seasoned chicken that tastes amazing on your favorite tortilla.
- Top these tacos with a homemade jalapeno cilantro dip or fiery habanero salsa for a bit more heat.
- Make and serve with a side of avocado empanadas.
- Substitute this pulled chicken for ground beef and make a chicken taco crescent ring for a game day party or potluck.
Recipe FAQs
We love to poach the chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts in an even layer in the bottom of a large pot and cover completely with water. Bring the pot of water and chicken to a gentle simmer and cook the chicken for 10-15 minutes, until it is fully cooked. Then remove the cooked chicken and shred it into easy-to-eat pieces.
If you forgot to thaw the chicken for dinner, don’t worry! Frozen chicken is great for poaching without thawing; it just takes double the time to cook.
Yes! Add the chicken and a cup of water or chicken broth to the Instant Pot, then seal it and set it to High. Cook for 10 minutes, then do a Quick Release. Once the pressure is released, add the other ingredients and saute for 4-5 minutes.
Skip the first step of the recipe and make even easier rotisserie chicken tacos. Shred the rotisserie chicken and add it to the skillet with the onions, seasonings, and enchilada sauce. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is hot, then serve your taco meat.
It works great to make the shredded chicken filling 1-2 days ahead of time, it’s best to wait to assemble the tacos until you’re ready to serve. Reheat the chicken in a skillet before making the tacos and finishing them in the oven.
Try This Easy Shredded Chicken Taco Recipe Today
This dish comes together in a flash, and is absolutely delicious. You can’t beat that combination. Give these tacos a try, and I know the whole family will love them as much as I and my family do. You’ll be looking for reasons to make them!
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 10 corn tortillas
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded, or shred a rotisserie chicken
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 10 ounce green enchilada sauce
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 2-3 cups Boars’ Head 3 pepper Colby Jack cheese, shredded
- Optional toppings: shredded lettuce, Queso Fresco, sour cream, cilantro, Pico de Gallo, salsa
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×13 baking dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt butter and cook onion until soft.
- Add in shredded chicken, sprinkle with seasonings, and mix. Let cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in enchilada sauce, stir well to combine, and let cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
- Fill the bottom of each taco shell with shredded cheese, chicken mixture, and more cheese on top. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Place filled tacos into prepared dish and bake for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with desired toppings.
Notes
- Our go-to method for cooking the chicken for shredding is to poach it. Place the breasts in a single layer in a large pot, cover them completely with water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10–15 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Then just remove, shred, and you’re ready to taco!
- Skip the forks for shredding the chicken and use an electric mixer! Add cooked chicken to a mixing bowl and shred on low with the paddle attachment.
- Keep components separate for best freshness. Store chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave in 60-second bursts. Leftover assembled tacos? Pop them in the oven to warm them back up.
