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Easy Chicken Tacos

Easy Grilled Chicken Tacos are a quick and easy dinner that is always a family favorite. Grilled chicken tenders add smoky and delicious flavor to warm tortillas or crispy shells along with your favorite toppings to this Tex-Mex meal.

Change up taco night with these tasty grilled chicken tacos, homemade salsa, Skillet Mexican Street Corn and our Black Beans Skillet that will be on the dinner table in no time at all.

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3 chicken tacos with sour cream and salsa

Grilled Chicken Tacos ~ Easy Weeknight Recipe

Grilled chicken tenders is one of our favorite recipes to batch cook for easy meals through the week and are perfect for meal prepping. Tacos are a low-stress dinner perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients Needed:

  • Chicken Tenders
  • Olive Oil
  • Green Chile Rub or Taco Seasoning
  • Flour Tortillas
  • Crispy Corn Taco Shells or fresh corn tortillas
  • Salsa
  • Sour Cream
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Diced Tomatoes
  • Shredded Lettuce
  • Diced Onion
  • Cilantro

Other Taco Toppings:

chicken tacos ingredients, lettuce, onion, cheese, salsa, chopped chicken, tortillas

How to Make Grilled Chicken Tacos:

Chicken tenders with seasonings for grilling on a sheet pan

  • Pat chicken tenders dry with paper towels and place on a baking sheet.
  • Spray or drizzle with olive oil on both sides.
  • Sprinkle dry rub or taco seasoning over both sides of chicken.

chicken tenders on the grill

  • Prepare a grill fire to about 350° with hickory or pecan for smoke flavor.
  • Place chicken tenders over indirect fire with the grill closed for 5 minutes.

grilling chicken tenders for tacos

  • Flip the chicken and continue to cook with the lid closed for another 7 – 10 minutes until internal temperature of chicken reaches about 160° using a digital meat thermometer.

plate of 4 chicken tenders

  • Remove chicken from grill and allow to rest 5 minutes.
  • Heat taco shells and flour tortillas.

black bowl of chopped grilled chicken

  • Transfer chicken to a cutting board and coarsely chop or slice.

plate of 3 chicken tacos on a blue check towel

  • Serve chicken on taco shells or tortillas with lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, sour cream and cilantro. A squeeze of lime will add a bit of fresh, zesty flavor if you have some on hand.

Stove Top Directions:

  • Use an indoor grill pan or cast iron skillet coated with oil. Cook chicken tenders over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook another 7- 10 minutes until chicken reaches 165°.

For Meal Prep:

  • After removing chicken from the grill, cool and place in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
  • Vegetables can be chopped or shredded and placed in individual airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator.
  • When you are ready to serve tacos:
  • Chop chicken and heat in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring until heated through.

This Chicken Meal Prep using whole chickens is another favorite. It’s a budget friendly method that will save a ton of time in the kitchen.

It’s simple to cook a couple of pounds of chicken tenders on the grill for meal prep and get 2- 3 meals from one batch of grilled chicken.

We cooked a couple of pounds of these chicken tenders and also made these Grilled Chicken Enchiladas. They were over the top amazing and need to be on your grilling menu soon!

This is the best chicken taco recipe. Boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs will also work for this simple recipe.

Cook the chicken on your outdoor grill or on the stove top, either way it will have great flavor and it’s sure to be one of your favorite chicken recipes for tacos, burritos, nachos or a Tex-Mex rice bowl. 

Whether you are looking for easy dinner recipes or hosting a Cinco de Mayo party complete with Margaritas, this is one delicious recipe. The great thing about it is that it a healthy recipe and one of our top make-ahead recipes for busy home cooks.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes that You Will Love:

Smothered Chicken Burritos are an all-time favorite and quick to make for busy weeknights using grilled chicken.

Fried Chicken Strips are so easy to make at home. Skip the drive thru for one of our tried and true favorites that can be ready in about 30 minutes.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas are an epic Mexican- inspired dinner to make for a crowd. Cheesy and delicious with homemade enchilada sauce.

BBQ Chicken Tacos are grilled chicken tenders slathered in barbecue sauce and served up with creamy coleslaw for an easy weeknight meal.

BBQ Chicken Salad is another flavorful chicken dinner. Grilled chicken tenders are a hearty addition to a green salad for one of the best meals you can make in a hurry.

plate of 3 chicken tacos with sour cream and salsa

Add this Easy Grilled Chicken Tacos recipe to your next taco Tuesday menu. It’s the best way for the entire family to agree on what’s for dinner with everyone’s favorite ingredients piled high onto the best chicken tacos.

IF YOU LOVE THIS  RECIPE AS MUCH AS I DO, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT AND A FIVE STAR REVIEW, AND BE SURE TO HELP ME SHARE ON PINTEREST!

3 Grilled chicken tacos with sour cream and salsa on corn shells
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5 from 4 votes

Easy Chicken Tacos

Easy Grilled Chicken Tacos are a quick and easy dinner that is always a family favorite. Grilled chicken tenders add smoky and delicious flavor to warm tortillas or crispy shells along with your favorite toppings to this Tex-Mex meal.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Chicken
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: 30 minute meal, best chicken tacos, easy chicken tacos, grilled chicken tacos, meal prep chicken tacos
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 434kcal
Author: Milisa

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces chicken tenders
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons green chile rub
  • or
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • fresh cilantro
  • flour tortillas and/or crispy corn taco shells

Instructions

  • Prepare a grill fire to about 350° with hickory or pecan for smoke flavor.
  • Pat chicken dry with a paper towel.
  • Spray or brush chicken with olive oil.
  • Coat both sides of chicken with green chile rub or taco seasoning.
  • Grill chicken over indirect fire with the grill lid closed for about 5 minutes.
  • Flip the chicken and continue cooking with the grill closed for 7 - 10 minutes or until chicken reaches 160° internal temperature with a digital thermometer.
  • Remove chicken to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes before slicing or chopping for tacos.
  • Warm tortillas or taco shells.
  • Serve grilled chicken with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream and salsa. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Notes

Stove top method:
Grease a cast iron skillet or grill pan and cook chicken over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Continue to cook chicken until it reaches 165°.
Make-Ahead:
Chicken can be cooked ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days. Chop chicken and reheat in a skillet with olive oil over medium heat, stirring until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1200mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g

2 Comments

  1. I’ve only tried cooking my chicken in a skillet for tacos, but the grilling gave it such great flavor! We will be making these all summer long!

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