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    Crispy Chicken Tacos

    September 5, 2024

    Flavorful shredded chicken tacos with crispy, lacy edges that develop when the tacos are baking in the oven. Serve these tacos with a spicy avocado sauce and plenty of shrettuce.

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    crispy chicken tacos on a plate topped with hot sauce and shredded lettuce, served with lime wedges and avocado sauce
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Homemade Crispy Chicken Tacos

    We’re submitting our petition to make Taco Tuesday every night of the week, and we’re starting now with these Crispy Chicken Tacos. We’ll also be adding our Crispy Carnitas Tacos, Lamb Tacos, Chicken Street Tacos, Chicken Tinga and Beef Birria Tacos to the rotation. To round out our dinner plans, you can find us whipping up a batch of scratch Corn Tortillas and Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice. Quick cooking shredded chicken stuffed in a corn tortilla and baked until crispy, and topped with an awesome avocado sauce make these homemade crispy tacos tastier than anything you can order at Taco Bell.

    raw chicken breast, cheese, sour cream, salsa verde, spices, corn tortillas, olive oil, avocado and lettuce in prep bowls

    Ingredients You’ll Need For A Full On Taco Night At Home

    • Corn Tortillas, either homemade from our Homemade Corn Tortilla recipe, or store-bought

    • Shredded Chicken spiced up with our favorite Taco Seasoning and Salsa Verde, and made super duper rich and creamy with sour cream stirred in

    • Avocado Crema made with tender avocado, sour cream, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice

    • Shrettuce, aka shredded lettuce, to add crunch and add freshness

    chicken, salsa and taco seasoning in an Instant pot
    chicken cooked in taco seasoning and salsa in an Instant pot
    cooked shredded chicken in a large glass mixing bowl with sour cream
    10 corn tortillas folded in half, filled with chicken, sour cream and cheese brushed with olive oil on a baking sheet

    How to Make Crispy Chicken Tacos

    Our full instructions for cooking up crispy chicken tacos can be found below in the Method section of our recipe, and here’s a short guideline of how to get dinner going in less than an hour.

    • Cook the chicken. We press fast forward on this recipe by cooking our chicken breasts in an Instant Pot on high for ten minutes with salsa and taco seasoning

    • Shred the chicken. We use the double fork method. Using the tines of the forks, pull the forks in opposite directions to pull the fibers of the chicken breasts into bite-sized shreds. Stir in the sour cream.

    • Fill the tacos. Load up the tortillas with shredded chicken and cheese, fold the tortillas over the filling, and pop into the oven for twenty minutes. You’ll be looking for crispy cooked tortillas and delightfully melted cheese.

    • Meanwhile, make the avocado crema. Blend up a creamy avocado-based sauce in a food processor or high-speed blender.

    • Top the tacos. Fill each taco with shredded lettuce, and top with avocado sauce and hot sauce (if you like it spicy!) to serve.

    sour cream, avocado, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice in a food processor
    avocado sauce made with sour cream, avocado, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice

    Tips For Serving And Storing Crispy Chicken Tacos

    • Can you freeze crispy chicken tacos? You can easily freeze the shredded chicken once it cools to room temperature. Corn tortillas also freeze well when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. We wouldn’t freeze the tacos once they are composed, but they will hold up in the fridge for a few days.

    • We think this recipe would also be pretty darn delicious with our Slow Cooker Crispy Carnitas used instead of shredded chicken.

    • Got leftover shredded chicken? Throw it into a pot of 5-Ingredient Chicken Tortilla Soup.

    • You can also serve these crispy tacos with our Perfect Guacamole instead of the avocado sauce.

    10 warm crispy chicken tacos on a baking sheet next to a bowl of shredded lettuce for topping
    4 crispy chicken tacos on a plate topped with hot sauce and shredded lettuce, served with lime wedges and avocado sauce

    More Great Taco Recipes

    Keep the good times going with our round-up of our Best Taco Recipes, or check out these highlights:

    6 crispy chicken tacos on a plate topped with hot sauce and shredded lettuce, served with lime wedges and avocado sauce

    For more recipe inspiration you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. Have you tried this recipe? We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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    Crispy Chicken Tacos

    Updated on September 5, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  20 min
    • Cook Time:  30 min
    • Calories:  485
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    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
    • 1 cup salsa verde
    • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
    • ¾ cup sour cream
    • 12 6-inch yellow corn tortillas
    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    • ¾ cup shredded medium cheddar cheese
    • 1 small avocado
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ cup cilantro, packed
    • 1 jalapeno, seeded
    • ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
    • 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
    • Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 425° F with the rack in the center position.

    2. To an Instant Pot, add the chicken, salsa, and taco seasoning. Seal the lid and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Manually release the steam.

    3. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken and transfer it to a large bowl. Stir in ¼ cup of the sour cream.

    4. Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, or until pliable. Rub a sheet pan with 1½ tablespoons of the olive oil, then arrange the tortillas on the sheet pan in a single layer. Add ¼ cup of the chicken filling and 2 tablespoons of both cheeses to one half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas over the filling and gently press to adhere. Lightly brush tortillas with remaining olive oil (see Note), then bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy and the cheese melted. For extra crispy edges, broil for 1-2 minutes on high.

    5. Meanwhile, add the remaining sour cream, avocado, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice to the base of a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

    6. Fill the tacos with the lettuce. Top each taco with the avocado sauce and hot sauce to serve.


    Note: Lightly brush the oil on using a pastry brush. Using too much oil will yield soggy tortillas.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 485
    • Protein 35 g
    • Carbohydrates 28 g
    • Total Fat 27 g
    • Dietary Fiber 4 g
    • Cholesterol 114 mg
    • sodium 695 mg
    • Total Sugars 4 g

    Crispy Chicken Tacos

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Meaghan

      Could I use flour tortillas?

      Sure!

    • Annie

      Excited to try this! If I don’t have an instant pot, how should I cook the chicken?

      You could bake it. Hope you enjoy Annie!

    • Beth

      The chicken base is perfect to have on hand all week! Its the easiest and best chicken taco base Ive made in the instant pot. I love the addition of the sour cream, and green yogurt works just as well (with some fat). We use it in the crispy tacos as written, and also burrito bowls, burritos. Would also be a good enchilada filling!

      Thanks Beth, we are so glad that you love it!

    • Maja

      This has become a favourite!
      SO delicious!
      Thanks very much!

      Thank Maja, we are so glad you love them!

    • Jack

      This was so good! We used white corn tortillas because that’s what the store had available at the time and they were terrific. Also subbed chopped mixed greens for lettuce.

      Thanks Jack, we are so happy you loved them!

    • Tia

      Incredibly flavorful & tasty! We LOVED these!

      Thanks Tia! So happy you loved it!

    • Bee

      This was really tasty but the stupid corn tortillas completely fell apart in the oven during cooking. Delicious though! The avocado cream was fantastic!

      Served with Spanish rice and refried beans. I’ll probably try this again with flour tortillas. Thanks!

      Thanks Bee, glad you enjoyed these! Sorry to hear about your tortillas we didn't experience that. Make sure to warm them in the microwave until they are pliable first.