Just 20 minutes to get these chicken tacos on the table! Juicy, flavorful, and absolutely mindless in the best way.

Chicken tacos on a plate drizzled with green sauce, cilantro, and red onion.

This Is My Favorite Chicken Taco, And You Can Make It With Your Eyes Closed.

We have a lot of amazing chicken taco recipes on Pinch of Yum (this one in particular is a fave!), but I often find myself wanting a good, basic chicken taco recipe for a Tuesday night that is easy enough that I don’t have to look at a recipe.

I want to fully turn my brain off, go into full autopilot mode, and get these chicken tacos on the table 20 minutes later. (And ideal if they can also be some of my favorite, most delicious tacos I’ve ever made.)

And that is how I arrived here, at what is probably our new house favorite chicken taco. This is where I live now. The chicken for these tacos is juicy, flavorful, and usually eaten right off the cutting board. Just absolutely mindless in the best possible way.

You only need to remember three things:

  1. Taco seasoning
  2. Garlic
  3. Soy sauce

These three miracle workers give us flavor, flavor, and more flavor. The chicken gets a nice burnished-like exterior, almost looking like you grilled it. And once the chicken is done, you’re home free! Add some green sauce, tuck into a tortilla, build a rice bowl or burrito, and life just got so good.

I usually finish it with cilantro and onions, but this would also be awesome with some pickled onions and/or a simple green salad on the side!

Don’t skip the green sauce, except if you’re out of time in which case this can still be delicious with a favorite store-bought salsa (think: Mateo’s or Trader Joe’s guacasalsa). Or, for an even faster homemade sauce:

House favorite. Extra lime squeezies. Life is good!

These Chicken Tacos In A Nutshell

1. Season the Chicken

 

Three primary ingredients: taco seasoning, garlic, and a shot of soy sauce! I’m showing the taco seasoning on the chicken first in this picture, but I’ve come to realize that mixing works best if you start with the wet stuff (oil and soy sauce) and then finish with a quick toss in the dry spices! Doesn’t get quite so clumpy.

 

Sprinkling seasoning on raw chicken in a bowl.

2. Cook the Chicken.

 

I like to air fry it – 400 degrees for 11 minutes. Alternate methods below if you don’t have an air fryer! And if you’re looking for one –

 

 

Adding raw chicken to an air fryer basket.

3. Make a Green Sauce.

 

Not essential, but this is the kind of sauce that makes life worth living.

 

Mixing aji verde in a bowl.

4. Cut Up The Chicken.

 

Just give it a good rough chop into little bite-sized pieces, like how it is at Chipotle. While you have the cutting board out, go ahead and chop some cilantro and onions, too!

 

 

Slicing browned chicken on a cutting board.

5. You’re Done! Yum!

 

Holy smokes. I can eat a lot of these.

 

Two chicken tacos on a plate.

Ridiculously Good Chicken Tacos with Green Sauce

Ingredients

Chicken Tacos

  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 clove garlic, grated (or 1 tsp of garlic paste, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 2–3 tablespoons taco seasoning (I use Siete brand)

Avocado Aji Verde

  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 3–ounce chunk of cotjia cheese
  • 1 big handful of cilantro stems and leaves (roughly 1/2 cup)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • juice of 1–2 limes (2 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons water (more as needed)

Extras

  • Tortillas
  • Limes, cilantro, and onion for topping

Instructions

  1. Season the Chicken: Trim the fat off the chicken thighs if you want (I do). Toss the chicken thighs with soy sauce, oil, and garlic. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and give it a quick mix.
  2. Cook the Chicken: Place the chicken in the basket of an air fryer (alternate cooking instructions in the notes). Air fry at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes – at this point it should be very crusty, golden, juicy, and delicious.
  3. Make the Sauce: While the chicken is cooking, blitz up the sauce in a small food processor or blender. If it’s too thick, add more water. If it’s too thin, add a bit more avocado or mayo.
  4. Chop the Chicken: When the chicken is done, let it stand for a few minutes and then roughly chop or pull it into bite-sized pieces. Squeeze some lime juice over it. *chef’s kiss*
  5. You’re Done! Yum! A dollop of sauce into a tortilla, a big pile of that juicy chicken, and finish with cilantro and diced onion (and probably more sauce)! It is a dream come true.

Notes

Oven Instructions: Bake at 425 degrees for 20 mins! If using chicken breasts, slice them in half if they’re thick, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cook chicken to 165 degrees.

Once you put the chicken in the air fryer (or on a sheet pan), if the surface looks like there’s not enough seasoning coverage, just sprinkle with a little bit more taco seasoning and oil to evenly coat the surface, or brush on some of the extra flavor paste from the bowl. Not necessary for flavor, but it’ll make it look nice and pretty for ya!

I usually cook mine in the air fryer for 11 minutes at 400 degrees – that seems to be the sweet spot for my air fryer, but each one will vary slightly. You want the chicken to be cooked to an internal temp of 165 degrees.

Every taco seasoning is different so you may need to experiment to find the best one for you! Many have a starchy element like cornstarch which helps create that crisped, golden exterior on the chicken. Some are sweeter, spicier, saltier, etc. I use the Siete taco seasoning (mild) almost every time, and it’s mild enough for my girls, and also delicious enough that me and my husband also really love it. It’s the goat for us!

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Air Fryer
  • Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired

Frequently Asked Questions For These Chicken Tacos

What tortillas are you using in the pictures?

These are La Tortilla Factory yellow corn-flour blend! I warm them in a dry cast iron skillet first to make them nice and soft and flexible.

Can you sub in Greek yogurt for mayo?

Yes! The sauce will be a bit more tangy – different but great! I’d use a full fat Greek yogurt if you can!

What could I sub in for cilantro?

The green parts of some green onions!

Would the sauce work without Cotija cheese? (dairy-free)

Yes! Absolutely. Have done it many times. Just add a bit of salt to make up for the missing flavor!

Can you use chicken breasts?

I haven’t tried it (yet) but it should work! You might get a slightly different exterior as the chicken won’t have as much fat to create the golden crispiness of the chicken thighs.

How can I cook the chicken without an air fryer?

For chicken thighs, bake them at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes! (Remember: goal is 165 degrees and a golden lovely exterior.) Pan-frying or grilling will also work!