8-Ingredient Street Tacos with Chicken
If you like tacos and easy meals, you’ll love these delicious 8-ingredient street tacos with chicken!
The best part about these tacos is that they’re made with just eight ingredients, and the whole meal comes together in less than 30 minutes. Make extra—everyone always wants seconds, and they hold up well for meal prep, too!
Street tacos are smaller than the typical taco you might find in a restaurant. They are usually served on soft corn tortillas and topped simply with onion (I used raw white onion and pickled red onions) and cilantro, making them dairy-free and boosting the meal’s fiber and nutrition.
Why You’ll Love These Chicken Tacos
- Lean Protein Boost: Street tacos are an easy way to add more protein into your diet, especially with lean chicken, which is a healthy, low-fat option. The easy chicken recipe here is great on tacos, salads, in rice bowls and more.
- Quick & Easy: These tacos are ready in under 30 minutes, and you can make them with as few as eight ingredients.
- Nutrition Boost: Made right, street tacos with chicken are not only loaded with lean protein but contain extra fiber and nutrients from the fresh toppings. Street tacos made with corn tortillas are gluten-free and dairy-free, and they’re easy to customize if you need modifications.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: Make a batch for the week ahead! You can store the chicken separately or prepare the tacos and line them up in a food prep container with a lid; they keep surprisingly well all put together in the fridge for up to 2 days. I often pack 4 into a glass container with a lid, and my husband takes it to work the next day.
Street Tacos with Chicken Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin or butterflied open to cook on the stovetop; you can also use 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil (or healthy cooking oil of your choice)
- taco seasoning: use a packet or make your own with cumin, granulated onion or onion powder, granulated garlic or garlic powder, and chili powder or paprika (or black pepper); recipe below
- small corn tortillas: street taco size if you can find them, see the image below for the ones I use
- fresh lime juice: you’ll need 1 large or 2 small limes for up to 1 pound of chicken, grab more if you double this recipe
- white onion, minced, for topping
- pickled red onions (these are super easy to make)
- cilantro, chopped, for topping (omit or substitute with shredded cabbage or lettuce if you don’t like cilantro)
- optional: sliced avocado for topping
- sea salt (I use Real Salt)
- other toppings: street tacos are easy to make your own, grab some pico de Gallo, salsa, queso fresco, cotija cheese, hot sauce, guacamole, sour cream, or any other taco toppings you want
Chicken Street Tacos Recipe & Notes
I recommend watching the video on this page to see this process for the best results. Here are my tips to make this recipe easy and turn out great:
- Step 1: Slice & Season & Cook the Chicken Breasts: Slice the chicken breasts thin if needed, then coat them with oil and taco seasoning. These days, there are many options for taco seasoning. Use one you like, or make your own. To make your own, stir together the following spices: 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon granulate onion, 1/2 teaspoon granulate garlic, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. You can season them in a bowl or on a cutting board. You don’t need a lot of oil, just a thin coating.
- Chicken Breasts Notes: I like to cook boneless, skinless chicken for street tacos on the stovetop to slightly brown the outside, then chop it up small to fit into the tacos. For stovetop cooking, slice chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thick or buy thin-sliced. If you have time, let the chicken sit at room temperature (70°F) for 30 minutes before cooking to help it reach 165°F faster. If cooking straight from fridge temp (40°F), it may take longer and be less juicy, but you can simply adjust the cooking time. Chicken should be cooked until it reaches 165°F using an instant read thermometer.
- Cook the chicken breasts in a large skillet on medium-high heat on the stovetop or on a grill. I use my Hexclax pan, but a cast iron skillet or stainless steel work, too. See the detailed recipe card below for more instructions. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the chicken while it’s still hot so it can soak up the flavor—this is a “reverse marinade” of sorts. Lime juice can burn in the pan, so I prefer to squeeze it on while the cooked chicken is still hot for the best flavor. Tent with foil if you’re letting it sit for more than 10 minutes. Chop the chicken into small pieces to fit into the tacos.
- Oven method: Yes, you can cook the chicken in the oven if you prefer. Place the chicken breast in a baking dish or pan and bake at 375°F for 15-25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken.
- Tortillas: Corn tortillas generally do not have any fat in them, so they are not pliable. You’ll need to heat them up in some fat so they don’t fall apart. I use what’s left over in the skillet from cooking the chicken, and I spray extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil if needed to make them pliable. See the video here for how to do this easily. You can substitute flour tortillas, almond flour tortillas, or any that fits your eating preferences. I like to buy the “slider taco” size for these chicken street tacos.
- Toppings: Make these tacos your own! I love the combination of minced raw white onion (yes, it has to be a white onion, and it has to be raw), pickled red onion for tang and sweetness, and chopped cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro, leave it out or substitute it with shredded cabbage or shredded iceberg lettuce. I often add a slice of avocado if I have it, but they’re still great without it. Adjust the toppings to your personal preference to create a meal you love.
Storage
These chicken tacos keep surprisingly well assembled and covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can store the chicken separately in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Enjoy them cold, microwave them for 30 seconds, or re-heat them over medium heat on the stove.
Description
These easy 8-ingredient street tacos with chicken are packed with flavor and healthy ingredients. They’re ready in under 30 minutes and great for meal prep, too. Make extra—everyone loves them. 1 pound of chicken makes enough for 8 slider-size tacos.
- Prepare the toppings: Prepare the pickled red onions at least an hour, up to a week, in advance. Mince half of the white onion, chop some cilantro, and slice the limes into wedges. Slice the avocado if you’re using it. Set aside.
- Make the chicken: Butterfly the chicken breasts open and slice through if needed. Coat with a thin layer of oil and taco seasoning on each side. You’ll use about 2 teaspoons of oil 2-3 teaspoons of taco seasoning per 1 pound of chicken breast. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and swirl it around, then add the chicken breasts in 1 layer. Cook 5-6 minutes, then flip, cooking another 5-6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. (^ See note below.)
- Rest the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and douse it in fresh lime juice while it’s still hot. Use 1 lime per 1 pound of chicken. Let it rest for 10 minutes to retains its juice while you heat up the tortillas, then chop it into taco-size pieces.
- Heat the tortillas: There should be some oil left in the pan. Heat it back up if needed over medium-high heat, then add the tortillas. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side until heated through and pliable.
- Assemble: Place the tortillas on a plate, top each with a layer of chicken, 1-2 teaspoons minced white onion, a big sprinkle of cilantro, and as many pickled red onions as you like. Add a slice of avocado if you have it. Squeeze more fresh lime juice over all of the tacos and enjoy!
Notes
*Taco Seasoning: Use one you love, or make your own. For 1 pound of chicken, mix:
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and/or paprika (use black pepper if you don’t have either of those)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
^ For stovetop cooking, slice chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thick or buy thin-sliced. If you have time, let the chicken sit at room temperature (70°F) for 30 minutes before cooking to help it reach 165°F faster. If cooking straight from fridge temp (40°F), it may take longer and be less juicy, but you can simply adjust the cooking time.
