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Three small street tacos filled with chicken, red onion, and shredded red cabbage, topped with roughly chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeños. Lime quarters are placed on the side. The tacos are served on a white plate.

SHREDDED CHICKEN TACOS

Anna | The Tasty Chapter
These Shredded Chicken Tacos are loaded with spicy shredded chicken, pickled onions, and red cabbage slaw, all drizzled with lime jalapeño cilantro sauce and served in warm corn tortillas. They’re easy to make and perfect for a quick dinner that comes together in minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8
Calories 372 kcal

Equipment

  • skillet to cook the chicken
  • cast iron skillet for heating the tortillas
  • Mixing Bowl Set
  • Kitchen tongs (are very handy fro flipping the tortillas)

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 chicken breast, boneless & skinless (about 2-3 lbs)
  • 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil for the pan
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter for the pan
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

For the Lime Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise full-fat
  • 1/3 cup sour cream full-fat
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 garlic clove pressed or grated
  • 2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 jalapeño, finely chopped leave out the seeds
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped (leaves & stems are ok)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt to taste

Quick "Pickled" Red Onion:

  • 1 small red onion peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey (liquid)

For the Tacos / Toppings:

  • 8 flour tortillas or corn tortillas about 5" in diameter, plus more
  • 1 1/2 cup red cabbage finely shredded
  • 1 small jalapeño thinly sliced
  • cilantro

Instructions
 

To make the quick "pickled" onion:

  • In a medium bowl, combine the thinly sliced red onion, lime juice and honey. Toss to coat. Leave at room temperature and toss few times while preparing the rest of the meal.

To make the lime jalapeño cilantro sauce:

  • Add the lime jalapeño cilantro sauce ingredients (mayo, sour cream, lime juice, chopped jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, smoked paprika, and salt) to a medium prep bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine, then taste and add more seasoning if needed. Cover and store the sauce in the fridge while you prepare the chicken.

Pan-fried chicken breast:

  • Clean the chicken breasts (if needed) and place them in a large Tupperware container or Ziplock bag. In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt. Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, then use tongs or clean hands to turn and coat the chicken evenly.
    Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and cook, undisturbed, for 10 minutes, or until deeply golden on one side. Flip the chicken, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F.
    Remove the chicken from the pan and transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes. Then, slice the chicken against the grain, then use two forks to roughly shred it into smaller pieces.
    Return the shredded chicken to the skillet, toss it with any accumulated juices, and serve immediately.

To warm Tortillas:

  • When you're ready to assemble your tacos, heat a cast iron to medium high heat (do not grease). Working with one tortilla at a time, heat one side of tortilla until warm and soft, then flip with metal tongs to heat the other side. This only takes a short time, so watch closely to avoid burning.
    Once warmed, stack the tortillas on a plate and cover them with a clean kitchen towel to keep them soft and warm.

Assemble your tacos:

  • Layer 1 or 2 tortillas. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the warm tortilla, then top with a scoop of the shredded chicken and some pickled red onion. Top with slaw, then finish with a drizzle of sauce, some fresh cilantro and jalapeño slices.

Notes

  1. Tacos: This recipe makes about 8 tacos using mini “street-size” tortillas, but it depends on how much filling you use—you might be able to make more.
  2. Lime jalapeño sauce: Make sure to taste and adjust the lime jalapeño cilantro sauce for seasoning with salt and pepper. If you like your sauce more spicy, add more jalapeño. 
  3. Toppings: It’s totally fine to eyeball the toppings! I put quantities as a guideline if needed. 
  4. Storage: The shredded chicken will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 29gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 462mgPotassium: 904mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 2011IUVitamin C: 98mgCalcium: 139mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Chicken Tacos, Easy Dinner, Lime jalapeño Sauce, Mexican Street Chicken Tacos, Pickled onion, Shredded Chicken, Street Tacos, Tacos
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