Warm tortilla filled with bbq shredded chicken, topped with coleslaw, black beans, charred corn, and sour cream cilantro sauce. Perfect dinner for any night of the week!
Easy Shredded taco chicken recipe
Today I will be sharing with you my best secret on how to make shredded chicken tacos. We all know chicken breast can be dry, tough, and lack flavor, but not anymore! This chicken tacos made with boiled chicken breast is super moist and packed full of Taco seasoning and BBQ flavor. My version of Tex-Mex-British Americanised dish is always a hit with family and friends. You will love this recipe too because it is easy and quick to make, weeknight dinners just get easier as everyone can tuck in on this one. In fact, taco night is about to be every day of the weeknight because this shredded chicken is just so darn good! It can be customized to taste using any favorite toppings of choice and more importantly, it is healthy and great for meal prepping. So let’s get started!
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this delicious homemade shredded taco chicken. Believe me when I say this would be your last search for how to make this recipe at home. Boneless chicken breast, boiled and shredded BBQ sauce, this can be homemade or storebought Taco seasoning: I used my trusted and tried homemade taco seasoning but you can use shop bought if you desire. Garlic granules: substitute with garlic powder or fresh garlic Chicken stock: I used the chicken stock from the boiled chicken but you can use storebought but make sure it is low in salt. Butter: Use unsalted butter, however, if you would be using salted butter, adjust the overall salt you would be adding to the overall dish. Taco shells or soft small tortillas Salt and black pepper to taste
Taco toppings
The best taco toppings are what you have on hand and whatever your preference is. The following are what I love to top my tacos with. Coleslaw Sour cream sauce Black beans Charred corn Pickled red onions Chili Lime juice Other taco toppings variations include salsa, chopped fresh tomatoes, pico de Gallo, guacamole, mango salsa, chipotle sauce, pineapple salsa, and many more.
How to make shredded chicken tacos
Here is a quick overview of how to cook shredded chicken for tacos. First, you boil the chicken breast on the stove with seasoning and spice until tender and fully cooked. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165F/73C. Once the chicken cools slightly, shred the chicken using 2 forks or in a stand mixer. Make the shredded chicken taco on the stovetop and assemble your tacos. See super easy! Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, add shredded chicken, spread it in the skillet, and leave undisturbed for 1 minute or so. Stir and continue to cook for another minute or two. Pour chicken stock into the chicken, garlic granules, Taco seasoning, salt, and black pepper, and stir to combine. Add the bbq sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced and all the flavors meld together. Take it off the heat and serve. Warm the tortilla The best way to warm up tortillas is on the stove. Place a large skillet over medium heat and let it warm up for a minute. Add the tortilla to the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, or until warmed through. Assemble the tacos To assemble the tacos, add some of the bbq chicken taco meat to the center of each tortilla, top with coleslaw, black beans, and charred corn then top with sour cream and cilantro sauce. Squeeze fresh lime on it and enjoy!
How to store and reheat
You can store the leftover taco chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the chicken taco meat for up to 3 months in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheats on the stove or in the microwave.
What to serve with shredded chicken tacos
These tacos are so versatile, you can enjoy them as is or have them with a side of rice and beans, Mexican street corn salad, cilantro lime rice, roasted sweet potatoes, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, or a simple side salad.
Tips
Boiling is different from poaching, you can poach the chicken instead of boiling it if you prefer. To make the cooking process faster, boil the chicken in the instant pot.
If you don’t want to use butter, you can substitute it with olive oil, only use a little about 2 Tablespoons at most, you do not want the chicken to be oily.
Substitute bbq sauce for salsa, use any favorite brand, or make this quick 5 minutes blender salsa and adjust the overall seasoning accordingly.
For extra flavor, you can grill or pan-fry the chicken before shredding. Use my stovetop chicken thighs recipe for guidance, make sure to cut the chicken breast into cutlets and add an extra minute so that the chicken can fully cook before shredding.
You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breast if you prefer. The cooking time will be shorter since chicken thighs are smaller.
If you want to make a big batch of taco meat, feel free to double or even triple the recipe.
More Mexican recipes you will love
Homemade tortilla chips Pico de Gallo Air fryer chicken fajitas Instant pot Mexican rice Easy chicken fajita recipe Instant pot taco meat I hope you enjoy this bbq shredded taco chicken recipe. Please let me know how it turns out for you if you try it! Kindly rate the recipe 5 star and leave me feedback in the comment section below. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox
