25 Delicious Chicken Taco Recipes for Busy Weeknights

Shredded, grilled, fried or baked, chicken always makes a great taco filling. Whether you’re looking for an easy chicken weeknight dinner, or planning the perfect Cinco de Mayo feast, this collection of chicken taco recipes has something for everyone. From slow-cooker favorites to new twists on classic Mexican food, these tacos are packed with bold flavors and simple ingredients. Load them up with fresh toppings like fresh guacamole and homemade salsa, and you've got a family-friendly meal that's sure to impress.

One sauce, two uses. The cilantro lime vinaigrette in this recipe works as a chicken marinade and flavors a tangy sour cream topping. After some quick browning in a pan, the chicken is ready to be chopped and loaded into a tortilla with guacamole, diced red onion and sliced radish.

Spice up your weeknight with a little Mexican-Philippine fusion by making these chicken adobo tacos. After marinating in a garlicky sriracha blend, the chicken simmers in a vinegar-mushroom soy sauce until fork tender. Add it to a warm corn tortilla topped with sautéed bok choy and crumbled crispy chicharrones.

This stunning taco spread draws from traditional tacos al pastor to create the right flavor profile. Marinate a whole chicken in a spicy ancho chile rub overnight, then fire up the grill and roast the whole chicken on a pineapple “throne.” Save this impressive dinner for a fun evening with guests.

Give simple chicken tacos the chef treatment with this recipe from Bobby Flay. Rub chicken breasts with a spicy-sweet ancho chili spice mixture and grill until golden brown. Top the chicken with a homemade fire-roasted green chile guacamole, barbecued onions and a creamy cabbage slaw.

These spicy chicken tacos are perfect for game day. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs braise to tender perfection in a slow cooker covered in a cayenne pepper hot sauce mixture. Once, shredded, you can lay out a build-your-own taco bar with all the fixings.

Fresh pineapple combined with peppery hot sauce and fresh cilantro can make a saucy taco that’s loaded with flavor. Store-bought broccoli slaw tossed with mayo, chipotle sauce and lime juice makes a crunchy topping that requires no time-consuming knife work. Serve with tortillas or on a bed of lettuce for a low-carb alternative.

Enjoy crispy tacos fried to golden perfection by following this quick and easy recipe. Start with shredded chicken—either roasted in the oven or picked up at the store. Roll it up in tortillas and fry on all sides until golden brown and crisp. Don’t skip the fresh pico de Gallo salsa and dollop of sour cream to finish.

Smoky, saucy and packed with bold flavor, these chicken tinga tacos are a game-changer for taco night. Shredded chicken simmers in a rich, chipotle-spiked tomato sauce with onions and spices, creating the perfect balance of heat and depth. Pile it onto warm tortillas and top with pickled onions for an easy, irresistible meal.

It doesn’t get much simpler than these grilled chicken tacos. Coat boneless skinless chicken breast in a chili powder paste then grill until charred and cooked through. Chop the chicken and serve with your favorite tortillas and taco fillings, like salsa, shredded lettuce and pickled jalapeños.

Ground chicken comes to the rescue to make a filling taco meat that’s ready in less than 30 minutes. The chicken simmers with bell peppers, onions and bold spices, creating a juicy, savory filling with just the right amount of heat. Topped with crisp lettuce and a zesty homemade creamy salsa, these tacos strike the perfect balance between fresh, spicy and satisfyingly creamy.

These juicy chicken tacos get a flavor-packed marinade of hot honey, lime and orange juice—bringing the perfect balance of sweet heat and citrusy zing. The skewers make grilling a breeze, keeping the chicken evenly cooked and easy to flip. Stick to a simple chopped onion and cilantro topping so you don’t overpower the chicken.

Ground chicken can make for an affordable taco filling that doesn’t sacrifice flavor. Simmer the chicken in ground coriander, nutmeg and chili powder until fragrant and saucy. Add the filling to warmed flour tortillas topped with quick pickled red onions and dinner is served!

Why should the chicken get all the love? The taco shells in this recipe get their own dash of seasoning from a mixture of cumin, chile powder and coriander to take the dish to the next level of flavor. Add to that shredded rotisserie chicken simmered in a spiced tomato sauce and you have a quick weeknight dinner that everyone will love.

Garam masala and curry powder combine to create an east-meets-west marinade for roasted chicken thighs. Loosen tahini with lemon juice to create a creamy sauce that pairs perfectly with the spiced chicken. To finish, top with chopped onions and cilantro.

Mole is a classic Mexican sauce that’s well worth the effort to create. Rich, smoky and deeply complex, mole chicken is a labor of love that delivers bold flavor from roasted tomatoes, toasted chiles and warm spices. Top the chicken with pickled onions, queso fresco, fresh cilantro and, if you’re up for it, handmade tortillas.

Shredded rotisserie chicken helps make short work of this taco dinner that’s ready to eat in just 20 minutes. Topped with a jalapeño and watermelon salsa, it has a spicy-sweet flavor that’s rounded out by ripe avocado and crumbled cotija cheese. Warming the chicken in a sautéed tomatillo and lime mixture ensures the texture is far from dry.

Combine shredded rotisserie chicken and a jar of salsa verde and you have a tasty, juicy taco filling. These tacos get an extra level of deliciousness by frying them until crispy and golden brown. Finish them with a simple topping of shredded cheese, lettuce and diced tomato, plus a quick cilantro sour cream.

Keep this recipe in your back pocket for any time you need a tasty taco filling in a pinch. Using just a few pantry staples, chunks of boneless, skinless chicken breast simmer until cooked through and coated in a tasty sauce. Top the chicken with whatever you wish, from fresh guacamole to chopped cilantro and onions.

What could be better than a fried chicken taco? What about one where the fried chicken is the taco? Instead of a fried taco shell, this inside-out recipe wraps the outside in a filleted piece of fried chicken. Inside is a crunchy corn taco shell and a crisp mixture of shredded cabbage, carrots, fresh tomatoes and sliced avocado.

This kid-friendly recipe pairs creamy chicken tacos with a fresh avocado and hearts of palm salad. The salad is dressed simply with chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice to offset the savory taco flavors. A jar of prepared salsa is the secret ingredient to adding flavor to the chicken, both in the marinade and in the finishing sauce.

Fresh strawberries can put a fun, springtime twist on a standard chicken taco dish. The strawberries mix with red onion, peppers, and cilantro to make a tart and spicy salsa. A pour of tequila in with the chicken marinade gives the dish a surprising kick to balance with the fruity topping.

A simple spice blend adds tons of flavor to boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but the highlight of this recipe is the array of toppings. Once the chicken is cooked, set out a spread of accompaniments from tangy avocado lime crema to spicy-sweet mango de Gallo to chili pinto beans. If you’re a fan of spice, don’t skip the salsa diablo, a raging hot sauce with three kinds of peppers.

Enlist your handy pressure cooker or Instant Pot to make a quick batch of shredded green chili chicken that’s perfect for stuffing into a taco. The sauté function comes in handy for sweating scallions, garlic and jalapeño to release maximum flavor. Once the chicken is done cooking, spread into butter lettuce cups for a low-carb option, or stick to your favorite corn or flour tortillas.

Only 5 ingredients separate you from dinner. Roast a whole thicken with lime zest and juice until cooked through. After cooling slightly, shred and spoon onto warmed corn tortillas topped with spicy chipotle crema.