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About This Recipe
Are you ready to take your taco Tuesday to the next level? Try these high protein chicken tacos! They’re made with juicy chicken, a homemade blend of zesty spices and warm soft tortillas! These tacos are perfect for a quick and satisfying meal on busy weeknights or a fresh and flavorful lunch!
The best part of these chicken tacos? My homemade chicken taco seasoning! This homemade seasoning only takes 5 minutes to make and is seriously the perfect blend of savory spices. Of course, you can also grab your favorite seasoning packet to save time!
Enjoy these tacos on their own or serve with my cilantro lime rice or a side of chips and queso!
For more taco-inspired recipes try my breakfast tacos, crockpot chicken tacos, slow cooker taco pasta, blackened mahi mahi tacos, or healthy taco salad recipe!
Why You’ll Love These Chicken Tacos
- Quick and easy to make! Only 30 minutes or cook & prep time!
- High protein! Over 34 grams of protein per serving.
- Light enough to load up with all your favorite toppings.
- Made with my super easy homemade chicken taco seasoning!
- A great quick weeknight dinner or tasty lunch the whole family will love!!
- Chicken: you can use boneless chicken thighs or skinless chicken breasts for this recipe! Chicken thighs will have a little more fat but make the most delicious, tender tacos! However, breast work perfectly fine! Just make sure whichever you use to try to make sure they are even thickness (you may need to pound the breasts) to ensure even cooking.
- Olive oil: or your favorite cooking oil
- Lime: I highly recommend using fresh lime juice for optimal flavor. The pre-juiced kind just doesn’t taste the same!
- Tortillas: I used these street taco flour tortillas but any type of small tortilla will work. Corn tortillas, grain-free tortillas, low-carb tortillas, etc.
- Homemade taco seasoning: follow my quick and easy recipe for the BEST homemade chicken taco seasoning! You’ll need chili powder, paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and dried oregano. This homemade seasoning only takes 5 minutes to make and is super cost effective. I love making my own seasonings so I can control the amount of salt (sodium) in it and I know there aren’t any filler ingredients. However, you can easily grab your favorite store packet to save time.
- Optional toppings: feel free to get creative! Some classic taco toppings include: shredded lettuce, pickled red onions, sliced green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream (or greek yogurt), salsa, pico de gallo, etc.
- Low carb: serve this seasoned chicken in lettuce wraps with your favorite toppings for a low carb taco option
- Cheese: sprinkle a little cotija or queso on these tacos for extra cheesy goodness!
- Hard taco shells: Love a crunchy taco? Swap the soft tortillas for your favorite crunchy shells
- Taco bowls: lose the shell and make a delicious taco bowl with my cilantro lime rice or use this chicken in place of ground turkey in my high protein taco salad
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Add the spice ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
2. Add the chicken, olive oil, lime juice and spice blend to a casserole dish (or bowl). Rub the marinade all over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes (up to 24 hours).
3. Grease grill pan or grill grates (or you can use a cast iron or stainless steel skillet). Set to medium-high heat.
4. Add the chicken and grill for 5-7 minutes, flip, and grill the other side for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Once done, remove chicken from heat and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, warm tortillas over the grill or skillet about 10-15 seconds each side, until it’s charred. Dice chicken into small bite-size pieces against the grain about 1/4-1/2 inch thick or however size you wish. Squeeze lime juice over chicken.
6. Add chicken to warmed tortillas. Stuff with toppings and enjoy!
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. I recommend keeping your toppings in separate containers in the fridge and assembling as you’re ready to eat. To reheat chicken, warm over the stove or in the air fryer until warm.
How To Serve Chicken Tacos
You can enjoy these healthy chicken tacos on their own or serve with various sides!
Serve these tacos with your favorite chips and salsa, cottage cheese queso, cilantro lime rice, refried beans, seven layer bean dip, mexican street corn pasta salad, guacamole, black beans, cilantro lime cauliflower rice
What type of chicken should I use for this recipe?
You can use chicken thighs or chicken breasts for this recipe. I love using chicken thighs because they are fattier so have more flavor and don’t dry out as much on the grill, but boneless chicken breasts will also work and still be delicious.
Can I prep these tacos in advance?
Yes you can go ahead and make the taco seasoning any time. Prepare marinade mixture, season chicken and store chicken mixture in fridge for up to 24 hours in advance.
Can I use this taco seasoning for something other than chicken?
I especially love this spice combination on juicy, tender chicken (for ground beef or turkey taco meat I like a little less cumin and adding a little brown sugar for a touch of sweetness!) However this blend of spices works great as a taco seasoning for any meat and you can use it for any recipe that calls for taco seasoning– taco seasoning is taco seasoning!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
High Protein Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 lb. boneless chicken thighs or breasts
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (30g)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice (30g)
- 12 street taco flour tortillas
- 1 lime squeezed
Spices:
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Optional toppings:
- shredded lettuce
- diced red onion or sliced green onions
- shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- salsa or pico de gallo
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Instructions
- Add the spice ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- Add the chicken, olive oil, lime juice and spice blend to a casserole dish (or bowl). Rub the marinade all over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes (up to 24 hours).
- Grease grill pan or grill grates (or you can use a cast iron or stainless steel skillet). Set to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and grill for 5-7 minutes (note 1), flip, and grill the other side for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through (see note 2).
- Once done, remove chicken from heat and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm tortillas over the grill or skillet about 10-15 seconds each side, until it’s charred.
- Dice chicken into small bite-size pieces against the grain about 1/4-1/2 inch thick or however size you wish. Squeeze lime juice over chicken.
- Add chicken to warmed tortillas. Stuff with toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
