Shredded Chicken Tacos
Get ready for your house to fill with amazingly savory aroma. This shredded chicken is just just aromatic, though, it’s also wonderfully flavorful and yields unbelievably tender chicken meat. This is our go-to recipe for shredded chicken tacos, and it’s also a perfect chicken for nachos, quesadillas, tostadas, burritos, and so much more!
Taco Tuesday, for far too many people, simply means ground beef, cheese, and simple toppings in a tortilla. While that classic taco recipe is just fine, I like to have just a little bit more fun on my taco Tuesdays! These shredded chicken tacos always hit the spot, whether I make them for a family weeknight dinner or to entertain my dinner guests.
When I think of these tacos, the first word that always comes to mind is “mouthwatering.” It’s not just the intoxicating smell of these tacos that gets your mouth watering, either. The bold flavors of the medley of ingredients is also enough to make you salivate, and the cherry on top of it all is really the tender chicken thigh meat. Trust me – you’ve never had chicken tacos this good before!
Table of Contents
Key Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Thighs – use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for juicier and more flavorful results. If you wish, you can use chicken breast meat.
- For another flavor option, try it with my Instant Pot salsa chicken.
- Chicken Broth – homemade chicken stock is a great and flavorful option but you can use a good stove-bought chicken broth or stock just use low sodium option.
- Diced Tomatoes – For the ultimate best results, use canned fire roasted diced tomatoes.
- Onion – A yellow or white onion will both get the job done.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic, not pre-minced, for the best flavor.
- Chili in Adobo Sauce – You’ll only need one of these to pack a punch. However, you can toss in another one if you like it spicy but no more or it will take over the flavors! Also, reserve some of the adobo sauce itself.
- Lime – You’ll need the zest and juice of a fresh lime.
- Sugar – a little bit of white granulated sugar is needed to balance out the acidity in many ingredients. Makes for a smoother overall taste that is well balanced.
- Seasonings – The medley of seasonings that brings this shredded chicken to life is cumin, paprika, cinnamon, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
How to Make Shredded Chicken in the Instant Pot
Combine all ingredients except for chicken in an Instant Pot and whisk it all together. Then, add in the chicken thighs, gently stirring to coat the meat. Make sure to spread the chicken evenly throughout the Instant Pot.
Close the lid of the Instant Pot and make sure it’s latched. Turn the steam valve to “seal” and set the pressure cooker to cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Remember that it will take a few minutes to build up the pressure first.
Let the pressure cooker do a natural release for about 10 minutes and then carefully do a quick release.
Take chicken out once it’s cooked and shred it using two forks. Strain the veggies from the juices and add them to the shredded chicken. Add about 1/2 cup of juice back in with the chicken.
PRO TIP: As an extra final step, but a great texture and flavor addition, you can crisp cooked shredded chicken like pork carnitas. It will give a great combination of juicy, tender, and crispy textures.
Shredded Chicken Tacos FAQs
Combine all ingredients except for chicken in the slow cooker and whisk them together to thoroughly combine.
Add in chicken thighs and gently stir to coat the meat evenly. Make sure to spread the chicken evenly throughout the pot.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
Take chicken out once it’s cooked and shred it using two forks. Strain veggies from the juices and add veggies to the shredded chicken. Add about 1/2 cup of juice back in with the chicken.
Combine all of the ingredients except chicken in a bowl and mix well.
Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat and pour in the vegetable and liquid mixture.
Let the mixture heat through and nestle in chicken until completely coated.
Lower the heat to low and close the lid. Leave a small crack for steam to escape. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, but make sure to stir every 15-20 minutes.
Take chicken out into a bowl and use 2 forks to shred it. Meanwhile, let the liquids and veggies simmer over-medium low heat until some liquids cooks out for another 10-15 minutes.
Add shredded chicken back into the pot and mix with thickened liquids and veggies.
Toppings Options for Shredded Chicken Tacos
You can do with the standard shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced red onion, diced avocados, sour cream, and squeeze of lime. But for extra pops of flavor, serve it with Cotija cheese, sliced jalapeño peppers, pickled onions, pickled jalapeños, and my amazing guacamole recipe.
Other Uses for Shredded Chicken
There are a bounty of delicious ways you can serve up this shredded chicken! Quesadillas, nachos, taquitos, tostadas, enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas, chicken wraps, sandwiches, paninis, and salads are all perfect platforms for this flavorful chicken.
Spice Up Your Taco Tuesdays with More Delicious Tacos!
- Carne Asada Tacos – delicious Carne Asada Tacos filled with steak marinated in an easy, flavorful marinade and topped with homemade pico de gallo and cilantro vinaigrette.
- Chipotle Chili Crispy Shrimp Tacos – delicious spicy tacos made with juicy, crispy shrimp, red cabbage slaw, and creamy chipotle chili sauce.
- Guacamole Shrimp Tacos – crispy taco shells are packed with tasty seared shrimp, fresh guacamole, and crunchy vegetables.
- Blackened Fish Tacos – these tacos are packed with juicy, flaky blackened fish, crunchy slaw, and sweet mango salsa.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!
Shredded Chicken Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 small onion sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 chili in adobo sauce diced
- 1 tbsp adobo sauce from the chilis
- 1 lime – zest and juice
- 1 tsp white granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- coarse salt to taste
- black pepper to tase
For Tacos:
- taco tortillas corn of flour
- red onion
- avocado
- lime wedges
- Cojita cheese
- diced tomatoes
- any other taco toppings you prefer
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- You can use a 3-quart or a 6-quart Instant Pot. Note that the 6-quart pressure cooker will take a few minutes longer to build pressure and release pressure.
- Combine all ingredients except for chicken in an Instant Pot and whisk them together.
- Add in chicken thighs and gently stir to coat the meat evenly. Make sure to spread the chicken evenly throughout the pot.
- Close the lid of Instant Pot and make sure it is latched. Turn the steam valve to “seal” and set the pressure cooker to cook at high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Let the pressure cooker do a natural release for about 10 minutes and then carefully do a quick release. (Make sure to consult your pressure cooker manual for exact buttons and instructions.)
- Take chicken out once it’s cooked and shred it using two forks. Strain veggies from the juices and add veggies to the shredded chicken. Add about 1/2 cup of juice back in with the chicken. (Add more juices if you wish.)
- Tip: you can use these juices leftover from cooking the chicken to make chicken tortilla soup or another soup with similar flavor pallet.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients except for chicken in the slow cooker and whisk them together.
- Add in chicken thighs and gently stir to coat the meat evenly. Make sure to spread the chicken evenly throughout the pot.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Take chicken out once it’s cooked and shred it using two forks. Strain veggies from the juices and add veggies to the shredded chicken. Add about 1/2 cup of juice back in with the chicken.
Stovetop Instructions:
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except chicken and mix well.
- Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat and pour in the vegetable and liquid mixture.
- Let the mixture heat through and nestle in chicken until completely coated.
- Lower the heat to low and close the lid. (Make sure to leave a small crack if needed, for steam to escape.)
- Cook for about an 45 minutes but make sure to stir every 15-20 minutes.
- Take chicken out into a bowl and use 2 forks to shred it.
- Meanwhile, let the liquids and veggies simmer over-medium low heat until some liquids cooks out. (Another 10-15 minutes.)
- Add shredded chicken back into the pot and mix with thickened liquids and veggies. Take off heat.
To Crisp The Chicken:
- Preheat the skillet (or another cooking pan) over medium-high heat. Add a little bit of oil to grease the bottom of the pan. (You can choose to brown a small portion of chicken or a large one. Whichever amount you choose, select the pan accordingly because you don’t want to overcrowd the meat.)
- Sauté for about a minute and then add some of the cooking broth into the pan, quickly stir and let the juice cook out as the bottom of the meat browns. Stir a couple of times and let a few more pieces get brown.
- Take the chicken out of the pan and serve as tacos or any other way.
Notes
- Chicken options: You can use rotisserie chicken or another easy option like salsa chicken instead of baking chicken breasts. Just shred and mix with some enchilada sauce.
- Don’t skip the sauce: Homemade enchilada sauce adds the best flavor and really makes this dish stand out.
- Keep chicken juicy: Mix some of the sauce into the shredded chicken before assembling.
- Warm tortillas: Always warm tortillas before rolling so they don’t crack.
- Don’t overfill: Use a moderate amount of filling so the enchiladas stay intact and easy to roll.
- Make ahead: You can prep the sauce and chicken ahead or assemble the dish and refrigerate before baking
Nutrition
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Categories:
Chicken Dinner Recipes, Cinco de Mayo Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Healthy Dinner Ideas, Lunch Recipe Ideas, Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes, Taco Recipes, Taco Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I love tacos and these were really good. Thanks for the recipe!
This recipe was excellent. It turned out so good. I used the crook pot, when i came home from work you could smell the chicken tacos’ through the whole house. I also added a guacamole sauce; which was perfect with it!!!