Shredded Chicken Tacos

Our Mexican Shredded Chicken Tacos recipe is made with juicy shredded chicken that has been simmered in salsa, tomatoes, onion, garlic and Mexican seasoning and cheese.  This pulled chicken taco recipe is super easy to make and it makes the BEST tacos!

These shredded chicken tacos have been a family favorite for years. They’re juicy and flavorful and pretty addictive! Make them for Taco Tuesday and watch them disappear!

Why You Are Going To Love This Recipe

• Quick and Easy. This is a quick and easy recipe that you can make any night of the week. They come together in about an hour with little clean up.
• Great Tasting. The Mexican shredded chicken that we use for these tacos is rich and flavorful and it makes the best shredded chicken taco meat. 
• Simple Ingredients.  There’s no fancy ingredients here. Just boneless chicken breasts, canned tomatoes, salsa, garlic, onion, cheese and seasoning, corn tortillas and your favorite taco toppings.
• Meal Prep. Make the shredded chicken ahead of time, then all that’s left to do is reheat the meat, stuff it inside taco shells and add your favorite toppings for an easy weeknight meal.

Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe

If you like things on the spicy side, feel free to add a little extra chili powder or use medium or hot salsa instead of mild.  

• Chicken. We use boneless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can use thighs if you prefer.
• Olive oil. We cook the chicken breasts in olive oil for just a couple of minutes on each side before adding the rest of the ingredients.
• Salsa. Use Homemade Salsa or a good store-brought brand (Hatch brand has a good one). Salsa adds a lot of flavor to this shredded chicken!
• Canned tomatoes. Use drained diced tomatoes for this recipe. It creates a delicious stew-like consistency for the chicken to simmer in. 
• Aromatics. We use both chopped yellow onion and a couple cloves of minced garlic for this recipe.
• Seasoning. We use a delicious combo of chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, chipotle chili pepper and ground oregano to season this chicken with.
• Chicken Broth. This also creates a stew-like consistency for the chicken to simmer in and prevents the chicken from drying out.
• Cheddar Cheese. We swirl in about 1/4 cup of grated cheddar at the end, which gives this chicken an amazing flavor.
• Corn Tortillas. We use white corn tortillas to make hard taco shells for these tacos, but you can use soft taco shells if you prefer.
• Toppings. Add your favorite taco toppings (cheddar cheese, Jack cheese, pepper Jack cheese, Pico de gallo, avocado, etc).

Find printable recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Shredded Chicken Tacos

All of the ingredients for this shredded chicken get added to a Dutch oven, then it’s all simmered for about 2 hours.  

1. Heat Oil. Heat the olive oil to a Dutch oven.
2. Sear Chicken. Add the chicken and cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes each.
3. Add Remaining Ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 3 – 4 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for about 60 minutes. If your chicken is thick and it doesn’t shred easily, then cook it for 15-20 minutes longer. The chicken should come apart easily and shred easily.
4. Shred Chicken. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Using two forks shred the chicken.
5. Add Cheese. Return shredded chicken to the pot, stir in the grated cheese and let cook on low for an additional 5-10 minutes.
6. Prepare Taco Shells. Either fry the corn tortillas to make hard taco shells, or heat the tortillas over an open flame to make soft taco shells.
7. Add Favorite Taco Toppings. Stuff the taco shells with the shredded chicken and add your favorite toppings.

How To Heat Soft Taco Shells

1. Use tongs to heat the tortillas over an open flame on the stove or heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. This will give the tortillas a little charring (which we love).
2. You can also warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat, flipping them over so both sides are heated through.

How To Cook Hard Taco Shells

1. To make hard taco shells, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add one corn tortilla at a time to the skillet. You may need to add more oil to the skillet depending on how many shells you make.
2. Cook for about 30 seconds and turn over cooking another 30 seconds on the other side. As the tortilla starts to turn golden, use a pair of  tongs to fold the tortilla over in half.
3. While holding the top of the tortilla with the tongs, use your other hand to carefully poke a toothpick in the bottom of the tortilla and lay the top of the tortilla on top of the toothpick so that the toothpick is securing the tortilla open into the shape of a taco shell.
4. Use the tongs to turn the taco shell over on each side until they are golden and crispy.
5. Use the tongs to transfer the taco shells from the oil to a plate covered with paper towels to allow the excess oil to drain off. 
6. Remove and discard the toothpick before serving.

Tips For Making The Best Shredded Chicken Tacos

1. If the meat starts to dry out, add more broth and salsa. 
2. Cook over low heat so the meat doesn’t dry out.
3. Chop the onion small (almost minced) and cook it until its tender so it blends in with the meat, adding flavor. We don’t want large or uncooked pieces of onion in our taco meat.
4. These are mild flavored tacos, so add more chili powder (1/2 tablespoon more) if you want to add a little kick to the taco meat.
5. When making hard taco shells, keep the heat on low so you can avoid pops and spatter of hot oil. You will need a pair of tongs to make hard taco shells. We always use toothpicks to hold the tortillas open in the shape of a taco shell as they fry.  If you don’t use toothpick, you may end up with flat shells that break apart when you try to stuff them with meat and toppings.

Taco Toppings

Everyone has their go-to taco toppings. Here are some of ours…

• Easy Pico de Gallo
• Homemade Guacamole
• Restaurant Style Salsa
• Avocado slices
• Sour Cream
• Cheese (Cheddar, Jack, Pepper Jack, Mexican blend)
• Shaved lettuce (Romaine or ice berg lettuce)
• Coleslaw 
• Pickled Jalapenos
• Pickled Onions
• Pickled Radishes

What To Serve With Tacos

Here are some of our favorite sides to serve with tacos.

• Mexican Green Rice
• Homemade Spanish Rice
• Spanish Brown Rice
• Spanish Quinoa
• Cilantro Lime Quinoa
• Black Beans
• Borracho Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Homemade Tortilla Chips
• Chipotle Black Bean Dip

More Easy Mexican Dinner Recipes

• Ground Turkey Tacos
• Chicken Fajita Casserole
• White Bean Chicken Chili
• Caldo de Pollo
• Baked Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
• Chicken Taco Salad Bowl
• Mexican Shredded Chicken
• Taco Skillet

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 8 Servings

Shredded Chicken Tacos

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

Our Mexican Shredded Chicken Tacos recipe is made with juicy shredded chicken that has been simmered in salsa, tomatoes, onion, garlic and Mexican seasoning and cheese.  This pulled chicken taco recipe is super easy to make and it makes the BEST tacos!

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 -2 pounds chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup mild salsa
• 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste
• 8 Corn taco shells

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven.
2. Add the chicken to the Dutch oven and cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes each.
3. Add the remaining ingredients up to the cheddar cheese.
4. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 3 - 4 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer for about 60 minutes. If you chicken is thick and doesn't shred easily, return to the pot and cook it a little longer until it pulls apart easily.
6. Remove chicken to a cutting board. Using two forks shred the chicken.
7. Return shredded chicken to the pot and stir in the grated cheddar cheese. Let cook on low for an additional 15-20 minutes to absorb some of the liqui

How To Heat Soft Taco Shells

1. Use tongs to heat the tortillas over an open flame on the stove or heat a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. This will give the tortillas a little charring (which we love).
2. You can also warm the tortillas in a skillet over medium-low heat, flipping them over so both sides are heated through.

How To Cook Hard Taco Shells

1.  Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add one corn tortilla at a time to the skillet. You may need to add more oil to the skillet depending on how many shells you make.
2. Cook for about 30 seconds and turn over cooking another 30 seconds on the other side. As the tortilla starts to turn golden, use a pair of  tongs to fold the tortilla over in half.
3. While holding the top of the tortilla with the tongs, use your other hand to carefully poke a toothpick in the bottom of the tortilla and lay the top of the tortilla on top of the toothpick so that the toothpick is securing the tortilla open into the shape of a taco shell.
4. Use the tongs to turn the taco shell over on each side until they are golden and crispy.
5. Use the tongs to transfer the taco shells from the oil to a plate covered with paper towels to allow the excess oil to drain off. 
6. Remove and discard the toothpick before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 239Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 206mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.