If you like crispy chicken tacos – you are going to love this easy recipe! This is going to be a new favorite recipe your whole family will love! Turn your soft chicken tacos into Fried Chicken Tacos!

My family loves to invite people over, but we are not very good at making plans far in advance. We usually text our friends on the day of important games and invite them over. I keep some staple items in my home so I know I can throw together a great meal to serve guests when we decide to invite someone to eat with us.

When we lived in Mexico, we loved to serve Tacos Dorados. They were really easy to make. You just needed cooked, shredded chicken that you put in a fresh corn tortilla. You rolled it up into a tube and fried it. Then you topped it with some cream, lettuce, and green salsa.

I have “Americanized” these tacos, by using flour tortillas – but you can still use corn tortillas if you prefer! It’s a great way to enjoy Taco Tuesday! I have an easy recipe to make your own taco seasoning. You probably have all the ingredients in your house! All you need is chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder. dried oregano, paprika, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper,

We use this taco seasoning recipe every time we have taco night!

You can customize these classic tacos with your favorite taco toppings. These crispy tacos are great by themselves but I love to add some extra toppings to them like lime juice, salsa verde, chunky guacamole, diced tomatoes and more. You could even sprinkle some green onions on them.

Tips to make this chicken taco recipe:

• These tacos are not good left over. You could put all the ingredients in an airtight container to make them again – but the fried chicken taco shells will not taste good the next day.
• You can use olive oil to cook the chicken but I would not use it to fry the tacos – it’s better to use vegetable, canola, or corn oil.
• You can use rotisserie chicken to make it faster and easier.
• Or cook your chicken in a crock pot or instant pot if you want to skip the part where you cook the taco meat. This will make meal prep easier and it would be a quick weeknight dinner.
• Place some paper towels on a baking sheet so you can add the fried tacos in a single layer to let the excess grease drain from the tacos.
• Switch out the taco filling – Try it with a different protein like ground beef, carne picada, or anything else you have available.
• I recommend using tongs to cook these tacos. It may be too difficult to use a slotted spoon.

Serve with black beans or check out this list of 35+ Recipes To Make with Tacos!

Fried Chicken Tacos Recipe

• 20 – small corn or flour tortillas
• about 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• 1 packet of taco seasoning (or my homemade mix)
• 1 – 7 oz. can diced, green chile
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (to fry the chicken + additional oil for frying the tacos – appx 1 cup.
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (your favorite for tacos)
•  Sour Cream
•  Pico de gallo
• shredded lettuce
• jalapenos
• guacamole

Instructions For Fried Chicken Tacos:

Make the chicken filling to add to the tacos – Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the taco seasoning and the diced green chilies. Stir and cook until the chicken is completely cooked.

Place the taco shells in a damp paper towel for 30-45 seconds to just heat them a little bit. This makes it easier to bend the soft tacos. Keep the warmed tortillas in the paper towel until you use them.

How to Fry the Chicken Tacos:

Heat a couple of inches of oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. The temperature of the oil should be 350 to 365 degrees before adding a tortilla. If the oil is not hot enough, the tortillas will soak up too much oil.

Add some of the chicken mixture to the middle of a tortilla and fold the tortilla in half.

With tongs, carefully place the soft tortilla shell into the oil. You will need to hold the top side down for a few seconds to form it in place. (Be careful with the hot oil.)

Turn the taco after 30 to 45 seconds, or when each side gets to a crispy golden perfection. (You can add about 3 tacos to the pan to fry at the same time.)

Once both sides are golden brown, remove the tacos from the oil, shake out any excess oil, and set them on a baking sheet or plate with paper towels to drain even more of the oil.

Repeat with the remaining chicken until all the tacos are fried.

Garnish your fried chicken taco!

I’m sure you could make air fryer tacos with this recipe. You could rub the shell in some oil and cook for a few minutes.

I love Mexican recipes! Here are some of my favorite recipes. You don’t have to wait for Cinco De Mayo to enjoy delicious food!

Pull apart the taco (without breaking the sides) and add some cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Your entire family is going to love this recipe!

My favorite Mexican Recipes:

• Looking for easy chicken tacos? Check out this recipe for Pollo Asada. It’s the best chicken taco seasoning! It has a little bit of chipotle chili powder.
• My absolute favorite taco is Tacos Al Pastor! My kids would eat 5-6 of these at once. They are much more expensive in the US – so I needed to learn how to make them!
• Chicken Tinga Tostadas – this recipe can feed a crowd!
• Carne Asada Tacos – so good with fresh corn tortillas!
• Authentic Green Salsa
• Picadillo – This is a yummy ground beef recipe served over rice
• Tres Leche Cake – This is a delicious Mexican dessert.
• Mexican Eggs Benedict – not an authentic recipe – but such a good breakfast recipe!

It’s a good thing I got to live in Mexico for 12 years! I discovered so many recipes that I love! There is no such thing as too many taco recipes!

Yield: 20

Easy Fried Chicken Tacos Recipe

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 20 - small corn or flour tortillas
• 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 - 7 oz. can diced, green chile
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (to fry the chicken + additional oil for frying the tacos - appx 1 cup.
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (your favorite for tacos)
•  Sour Cream
•  Pico de gallo
• shredded lettuce
• Your favorite taco toppings

Instructions

1. Make the chicken filling to add to the tacos - Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat to medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the taco seasoning and the diced green chilies. Stir and cook until the chicken is completely cooked.
2. Prepare the tortilla shells - Place the taco shells in a damp paper towel for 30-45 seconds to just heat them a little bit. This makes it easier to bend the soft tacos. Keep the warmed tortillas in the paper towel until you use them.
3. Fry the tacos - Heat a couple of inches of oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. The temperature of the oil should be 350 to 365 degrees before adding a tortilla. If the oil is not hot enough, the tortillas will soak up too much oil.
4. Add some of the chicken mixture to the middle of a tortilla and fold the tortilla in half.
5. With tongs, carefully place the soft tortilla shell into the oil. You will need to hold the top side down for a few seconds to form it in place. (Be careful with the hot oil.)
6. Turn the taco after 30 to 45 seconds, or when each side gets to a crispy golden perfection. (You can add about 3 tacos to the pan to fry at the same time.)
7. Once both sides are golden brown, remove the tacos from the oil, shake out any excess oil, and set them on a baking sheet or plate with paper towels to drain even more of the oil.
8. Repeat with the remaining chicken until all the tacos are fried.
9. Easily add your favorite toppings to the tacos so you don't break the shell.

Did you make this recipe?

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