Shredded Chicken Tacos

135
Take your taco nights to the next level with this festive shredded chicken taco recipe, featuring salsa marinated chicken, fresh pico de gallo, and homemade guacamole.
Jump to Recipe

This week, we’re bringing you one of our favorite taco Tuesday dishes: shredded chicken tacos! Keep reading for our shredded chicken taco recipe, featuring our homemade guacamole and pico de gallo.

If there’s one thing you’ll learn about us from reading this blog, it’s that we love Mexican food. Like, we could eat Mexican for lunch and dinner every single night of the week (and honestly, some weeks we do). I think my obsession began as a child when my sister and I would constantly beg our parents to take us to Taco Bell. As I got older and discovered there’s better Mexican food out there than Taco Bell, the cravings only grew stronger. My desire to try new foods opened up the doors to a world of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and more.

A plate with three shredded chicken tacos, topped with pico de gallo and guacamole

Of course, my love for Mexican food made me want to learn how to cook it for myself. I couldn’t justify spending all my money on burritos, and those bottomless baskets of chips and salsa were just too easy to keep on eating… Somewhere along the way I decided that I would learn to make all my favorite dishes as well as the restaurants could.

And that’s why Alex claims his obsession with Mexican food started when he met me.

I started small with things like guacamole and pico de gallo. Then I convinced Alex to start experimenting with me, and we eventually worked up to cooking some delicious entrees, sauces, and even homemade tortilla chips. Our repertoire of Mexican recipes now includes fajitas, burritos, two types of enchiladas, Mexican-inspired rice, a few marinades, nachos, and of course, many variations on the taco!

Three shredded chicken tacos served with tortilla chips and a lime wedge

I have to say, these chicken street tacos are one of the best meals we’ve ever made. They’re our favorite option for Taco Tuesday dinners. I think it’s because we’ve learned to make almost all the components from scratch (minus the tortillas, but I’m thinking that’s a future cooking project for us!). They’re also so simple and easy to throw together on a weeknight, and we usually have plenty of leftovers to enjoy the next day. Sometimes I eat the leftovers on top of lettuce for a taco salad, or we use the meat and beans to make protein-packed quesadillas. The beauty of this recipe is that the basic components of a good taco are super versatile!

Although, who could complain about eating tacos two days in a row?

Three chicken tacos with pico de gallo and guacamole
How To Make Our Shredded Chicken Taco Recipe

We usually start by marinating the chicken for about 15-20 minutes. Then we throw it in the oven for 15 minutes until it’s cooked but still juicy – this way it just falls apart when you shred it. While the chicken is marinating and cooking, you’ll have about a half hour to prepare your toppings. I use this time to make our Homemade Guacamole and Pico de Gallo, then prepare the other toppings and sides.

(Alex usually makes us margaritas during this time, which is another reason why taco night is my favorite.)

When the chicken is done cooking, just shred it and throw it in a serving dish. Heat up some tortillas, then bring everything to the table for a delicious build-it-yourself taco night!

Let us know what you think of our shredded chicken taco recipe in the comments below!


Do you love Mexican food? You may like these recipes, too:

5 from 1 vote

Shredded Chicken Tacos

Take your taco nights to the next level with this festive shredded chicken taco recipe, featuring salsa marinated chicken, fresh pico de gallo, and homemade guacamole.
Servings 12 tacos
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Mexican Shredded Chicken see below
  • Pico de Gallo see below
  • 4 servings Homemade Guacamole*
  • 16 oz canned refried beans
  • 12 street taco-size tortillas
  • Tortilla chips
  • Optional toppings and sides: shredded Mexican blend cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce

Mexican Shredded Chicken

  • 1 lb raw chicken tenders
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ¼ cup medium picante sauce
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp ground red cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • Salt and pepper

Pico de Gallo

  • 2 to 3 medium tomatoes
  • ½ medium onion
  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper
  • ½ tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • Sea salt

Instructions

  • Prepare Mexican Shredded Chicken, Pico de Gallo, and Homemade Guacamole and set aside.*
  • Heat refried beans according to microwave directions on the can. Set aside.
  • Prepare small bowls of toppings and set aside.
  • Heat 4-6 tortillas in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
  • Assemble tacos with refried beans and chicken, then top with guacamole, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and hot sauce. Serve with chips and salsa on the side!

Mexican Shredded Chicken

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Combine all ingredients for the chicken in a large bowl, then toss gently using two forks until the chicken is coated evenly.
  • Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.
  • Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer chicken to the baking sheet one piece at a time, first letting any excess liquid drain off the chicken into the bowl.
  • Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
  • Transfer cooked chicken to a large cutting board and shred immediately using two forks.

Pico de Gallo

  • Dice the tomatoes, yellow onion, and jalapeno and add to a medium bowl.
  • Add lime juice, minced garlic, and sea salt to taste, then stir to combine.

Notes

Homemade Guacamole: Try our recipe for easy homemade guacamole as a topping or side dish for taco night!
Preparing the toppings: Use the downtime while your chicken is marinating and cooking to prepare the guacamole and pico de gallo. To make things even easier, we recommend prepping all the produce for both the guac and pico at the same time (i.e. chop all the tomatoes and then separate out the right amount for each dish). This will save you time in the long run since there’s a lot of overlap in the ingredients!
Pico de Gallo: Produce sizes can vary a lot, so we usually aim for 2 parts tomato and 1 part onion in our pico de gallo. Then add as much jalapeno as you want depending on your spice tolerance.
Serving suggestion: The part we love most about taco night is assembling your own tacos at the table! This way everyone can customize their taco to their tastes and use whatever toppings they want – plus it saves prep time in the kitchen.
Want more?Sign up for our newsletter here and never miss a new recipe!
Did you make this recipe?Mention @candidcooksblog or tag #thecandidcooks on Instagram!
Follow us on Pinterest!Visit our profile @thecandidcooks and don’t forget to pin this recipe!
Author: Nicole
Calories: 168kcal
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: cinco de mayo, flour tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, refried beans, shredded chicken

Nutrition

Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 509mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg

If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.

Join our email list and never miss a new recipe!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Looking for kitchen inspiration? Head over to our shop to see what we cook with every day, plus recommendations for foodie gifts and eco-friendly products.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE!

Join our email list to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox every week. Plus, we'll send you a free copy of our weekly meal planner as a thank you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Like
Close
The Candid Cooks © Copyright 2021
Close