BEST Chicken Tacos
Chicken tacos aren’t just for Taco Tuesday! You can’t beat juicy pulled chicken marinaded in smoky, slightly spicy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Topped with a creamy yet crunchy avocado, onion and lime topping, you’ll want these tacos every day of the week!
Servings: 9 tacos (makes 9-12 small tacos)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ - 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 9 - 12 small taco-sized flour tortillas
- 2 medium just-ripe avocados
- 2 juicy limes zested and then juiced (plus more wedges for garnish)
- 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce roughly 7 ounce can
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- Small block queso fresco crumbled
- Handful of cilantro to garnish
- Jalapeño diced (optional)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Place chicken in a gallon Ziploc bag with the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Massage chicken, breaking up the chipotle peppers as you go. Let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Place marinaded chicken on a baking sheet along with smashed chipotle peppers. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 17-21 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken registers at least 165 degrees.
- While chicken is in the oven, add avocados, onion, lime zest and juice, salt and jalapeño (optional) to a medium bowl. Using the back of a fork to mash avocado to a semi-chunky consistency, mixing in with the other ingredients. Set aside.
- Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before shredding/pulling chicken.
- Assemble tacos by placing some shredded chicken on each tortilla (enough to fill but not overfill your tacos). Then add a small scoop of the avocado topping, a pinch of fresh cilantro, and a sprinkle of queso fresco. Serve with more lime wedges.
Video
Notes
- The chicken for these tacos is mildly (some may say moderately) spicy. If you prefer almost-zero heat, don’t mash up the chipotle peppers in your chicken marinade. Simply leave them intact and then remove them before baking the chicken.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce comes in a small can (roughly 7 ounces) in the Mexican foods aisle.
- This avocado topping is onion-forward to add nice crunch and tang! If you prefer less onion, use a small onion instead!
- You can also use parsley if you’re not a cilantro fan!
- You’ll be able to make 9-12 small tacos with 1.5-2 pounds of chicken and the above amounts for the topping.
- The total time above doesn’t include the 30-minute marinading time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1taco | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 579mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg