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    Home » Recipes » Southwestern and Mexican Dishes

    Shredded Chicken Tacos

    Published: Mar 8, 2020 · Modified: Apr 30, 2022 by Elizabeth · 2 Comments

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    Shredded Chicken Tacos Pin

    These shredded chicken tacos will give you a new way to make chicken and shake up taco night all in one easy recipe. Here, chicken breasts are cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce. Then it’s shredded and added back to the sauce until it soaks it all up.

    Shredded chicken served in flour tortillas topped with sour cream, diced tomatoes, onions and cilantro.

    We serve the shredded chicken on flour tortillas, with diced tomatoes, crumbled queso fresco, diced onions, sour cream and chopped cilantro. Other topping ideas include fresh salsa, corn, black beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, or use your favorite topping!

    This site contains affiliate links to products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Chicken tacos ingredients

    • Chicken – Use skinless, boneless chicken breast.
    • Seasoning – A mix of chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and black pepper flavor the sauce and ultimately the shredded chicken.
    • Oil – The oil is used to brown the chicken. We prefer a neutral oil, like canola, but use your favorite.
    • Pantry – From the pantry you will need tomato sauce and taco shells. Use hard taco shells or soft tortillas, or offer both and let everyone choose their favorite.
    The ingredients for the shredded chicken tacos arranged on a wood cutting board.

    Recipe tips

    • Make a seasoning mix instead of standing over the skillet measuring out ingredients. Add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and black pepper to a small bowl, stir to combine.
    • After browning the chicken do not wash the skillet. Make the sauce in the same oil the chicken was browned in.
    • I like to add the water to the empty can of tomato sauce and give it a swirl, that way I get every drop out.
    • Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken breast is at least 165°F at the thickest part of the largest piece.
    • An easy way to shred the chicken is to use two forks. Hold the chicken down with one and use the other to shred.
    Two forks shredding a cooked chicken breast on a black cutting board.

    Serving and Storing

    Serve the shredded chicken with tortillas or hard taco shells and your favorite taco toppings. And, if you’d like a great cocktail to go with your dinner, try this homemade margarita.

    Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

    Shredded chicken served in flour tortillas topped with sour cream, diced tomatoes, onions and cilantro.

    You may also like Mexican-inspired recipes:

    • Shredded Chicken Enchiladas
    • Shredded Beef Tacos
    • Ground Beef Tacos
    • Refried Black Beans
    • Beef Taquitos

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    Shredded chicken served in flour tortillas topped with sour cream, diced tomatoes, onions and cilantro.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 7 votes

    Shredded Chicken Tacos

    These shredded chicken tacos will give you a new, delicious way to make chicken and shake up taco night all in one easy recipe.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Shredding the chicken10 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican & Southwestern
    Keyword: chicken, tacos
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 396kcal
    Author: Elizabeth

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
    • 2 tablespoon Canola Oil
    • 1 pound Chicken Breast boneless and skinless (2 breasts)
    • 8 ounces Tomato Sauce
    • 8 ounces Water
    • Hard or Soft Tortillas for serving

    Instructions

    Make the homemade taco seasoning

    • Add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and black pepper to a small bowl, stir to combine.

    Brown the chicken

    • Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken. Cook for about 3 minutes per side.
    • Remove the chicken from the skillet and set on a plate or pan. Don’t worry that it’s not cooked all the way through; it will finish cooking in the sauce.

    Make the taco sauce

    • Do not wash the skillet.
    • Set the skillet back over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, water and prepared seasoning mix, stir well to combine.
    • When the sauce comes to a simmer return the chicken to the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
    • Keep the sauce at a simmer. Turn the chicken about half way through the cooking time, and stir occasionally.
    • Make sure the chicken is at least 165°F at the thickest part.
    • Remove the chicken from the skillet and continue cooking the sauce, covered on low heat. It should be barely at a simmer.

    Shred the chicken

    • Place the chicken on a cutting board or pan and shred using two forks.
    • Return the chicken to the skillet and cook a few minutes until warmed through and most of the sauce is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
    • Serve the shredded chicken with tortillas or hard taco shells and your favorite taco toppings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1458mg | Potassium: 747mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 873IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 4mg
    The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate.This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.

    More Southwestern and Mexican Dishes

    • Easy Cinco de Mayo Recipes
    • Mango Salsa
    • Turkey Chili
    • Turkey Taco Casserole
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Melissa Cunningham

      October 05, 2020 at 2:16 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great recipe with tons of flavor!
      I substituted tomato sauce with blended stewed tomatoes because that was all I had. I also added two cloves of garlic. I used thighs vs breast bc that’s what I had in the fridge, but after shredding the chicken I cooked a little longer in the sauce since the thighs are so must more moist than breast’s and they needed time to soak up the flavor.
      My family devoured it. The whole meal was gone! We topped with shredded lettuce, cheese, a tomato, onion & cilantro trinity seasoned with salt pepper and lime, and a Chuy’s knock off Creamy Jalapeño Ranch sauce. It was better than any restaurant chicken tacos we’ve ever had!

      Reply
      • Elizabeth

        October 06, 2020 at 12:09 pm

        Hi Melissa,
        I love chicken thighs they’re super flavorful! Thank you for your kind review, and I’m really glad your family enjoyed it.

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Elizabeth! welcome to Cook2eatwell. Food is my favorite subject; I like to cook food, talk about food, write about food, and most importantly, eat food. Lucky for me, my husband Eddie feels the same way. 

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