Chicken Taco Recipe

This delicious Chicken Taco Recipe have a delicious avocado salsa, black beans, and a yummy spiced chicken. The recipe feels authentic, flavorful, and it’s super easy to make for Taco Tuesday. What I love about taco night is you can totally make these your own by adding whatever toppings you (or your family) love. It’s a great meal to get everyone involved in the kitchen! 🌮

❤️🌮 Why You’ll Love This Chicken Taco Recipe

• Easy: Tacos should be easy and this recipe is just that. Make this Chicken Taco Recipe in less than an hour.
• Flavorful: There are a lot of flavors going on in this recipe from the fresh cilantro and lime on top, to the spiced chicken, and yummy avocado salsa. These tacos are a flavor explosion in your mouth!
• Versatile: As I said earlier, you can really make tacos your own by adding on whatever toppings you prefer. This is a great recipe for picky eaters to get involved in the kitchen to make their tacos their own.

🍲 Ingredients

Cotija Cheese – Cotija cheese is a hard, crumbly Mexican cheese with a salty and tangy flavor. This cheese is often used to garnish dishes like tacos, salads, and soups, adding a burst of flavor and texture. However, if you can’t find it, you can totally opt for feta cheese instead.

Black Beans – Black beans are a great source of fiber which is good for your digestion, they also are a plant-based protein source and loaded with antioxidants. Use them on tacos like this recipe, in dips like this Black Bean Dip, or in plant-based meatballs like these Black Bean BBQ Meatballs.

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👩‍🍳 How to Make This Chicken Taco Recipe

1. Make the salsa: In a bowl gently toss together the chopped avocado, finely diced jalapeno, minced basil, minced chives, juice of one lime, big pinch of salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Set aside.
2. Prep the chicken: Preheat the oven to 375F. Mix together 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, ¾ tsp garlic powder, ¾ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp ground pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken with this olive oil – spice mixture, dividing between the two large chicken breasts. Once the oven is preheated, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, add the seasoned chicken breasts and turn the heat down to medium-low, cook the chicken breasts for 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and place the chicken in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, 165F. Let the chicken breasts rest on a plate until cool enough to handle
3. Make the beans: Add olive oil to a medium sized pot and heat over medium heat. When warm, add the onion and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the black beans with ¼ cup water and cook until the water is mostly gone and beans are softened. Remove from heat to a bowl, smash the beans with a fork and stir in the monterey jack cheese until you get a paste-like texture.
4. Assemble the tacos:  Press 2-3 tbsp of the bean mixture onto a tortilla, making sure it’s as thin as possible so it cooks quickly. Heat 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil in a cast iron or regular skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, swoosh it around the pan and place the tortilla bean side down. Flatten/smash it into the pan using a flat surface (i.e. bottom of a small pot or frying pan or a metal flipper). Cook until browned and crispy, about 3-4 minutes and then flip the tortilla and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining tortillas. **Add more oil to the pan if the bean mixture starts to stick to the pan**
5. To serve: Chop up the chicken breasts into small bite sized pieces and add to the tacos along with avocado salsa, cotija cheese, sour cream or greek yogurt and cilantro.

🗒 Tips and Tricks

• Feel free to omit or add your favorite taco toppings as you see fit! Tacos are a great way to get creative and use up ingredients you have on hand in your fridge.
• You can prep the salsa, beans, and chicken in advance so when you’re ready-to-eat, all you have to do is warm it up and assemble. This can be an easy meal prep recipe.
• Turn these tacos into taco bowls instead. Just make up a base like brown rice or white rice to use on the bottom and top it with the chicken, salsa, and beans.

🗒 Variations

If you’re looking for other recipes for Taco Tuesday, here are some recipes to inspire you:

• Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos
• High Protein Birria Tacos
• Greek-Inspired Smash Burger Tacos

🗒 Substitutions

• Chicken: You can opt for chicken breasts or thighs here. You can also substitute the chicken for beef/steak instead.
• Jalapeno: If you don’t like spice you can omit this from the salsa. If you want more heat, add more or opt for a spicier hot pepper to add in.
• Tortillas: Use flour or corn tortillas, make this into a bowl, or use hard taco shells. All work great!

🗒 Best served with

• Black Bean Dip
• Tortilla Soup

👝 How to Store Leftovers

You can prep the avocado salsa, beans, and chicken in advance then warm up and assemble when you’re ready to eat. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

🤔 Common Questions

Chicken Taco Recipe

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This easy Chicken Taco Recipe is the perfect recipe for the whole family. Served with black beans and an avocado salsa, these are packed with flavor and so good!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican-Inspired

Servings 10 tacos

Calories 387 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the avocado salsa

• 2 avocados, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds & ribs removed, finely diced
• 2 tbsp minced fresh basil
• 2 tbsp minced fresh chives
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp ground smoked paprika

For the black beans

• 540 ml can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 10 small soft shell tortillas

Toppings

• Mexican cotija cheese, crumbled (substitute with feta cheese if desired)
• sour cream or Greek yogurt
• cilantro for garnish

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Instructions

 

• Make the salsa: In a bowl gently toss together the chopped avocado, finely diced jalapeno, minced basil, minced chives, juice of one lime, big pinch of salt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Set aside.
• Prep the chicken: Preheat the oven to 375F. Mix together 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, ¾ tsp garlic powder, ¾ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp paprika, ½ tsp ground pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken with this olive oil – spice mixture, dividing between the two large chicken breasts. Once the oven is preheated, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, add the seasoned chicken breasts and turn the heat down to medium-low, cook the chicken breasts for 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and place the chicken in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, 165F. Let the chicken breasts rest on a plate until cool enough to handle
• Make the beans: Add olive oil to a medium sized pot and heat over medium heat. When warm, add the onion and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the black beans with ¼ cup water and cook until the water is mostly gone and beans are softened.
• Remove the beans from heat to a bowl, smash the beans with a fork and stir in the monterey jack cheese until you get a paste-like texture.
• Assemble the tacos:  Press 2-3 tbsp of the bean mixture onto a tortilla, making sure it’s as thin as possible so it cooks quickly. Heat 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil in a cast iron or regular skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, swoosh it around the pan and place the tortilla bean side down. Flatten/smash it into the pan using a flat surface (i.e. bottom of a small pot or frying pan or a metal flipper). Cook until browned and crispy, about 3-4 minutes and then flip the tortilla and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining tortillas. **Add more oil to the pan if the bean mixture starts to stick to the pan**
• To serve: Chop up the chicken breasts into small bite sized pieces and add to the tacos.
• Top with avocado salsa, cotija cheese, sour cream or greek yogurt and cilantro.

Notes

• Feel free to omit or add your favourite taco toppings as you see fit!
• If you love this recipe try our Greek-Inspired Smash Burger Tacos

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.2g | Protein: 23.2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.6g | Cholesterol: 51.5mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 0.7g

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