15-Minute Chicken Tacos

Tacos have never been so fast and delicious! If you’re craving Mexican-style food but don’t have much time, this recipe has your back.

Ingredients

6-inch taco-size flour or corn tortillas

Chicken:

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken (breasts or tenderloins)

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise*

*Mayo replaces any other oil or binding agents you might otherwise use in this type of dish and lends itself to juicy, succulent chicken in no time. Your chicken will NOT taste like mayonnaise, don’t worry!

2 tsp garlic paste or 2 crushed garlic cloves

½ tsp table salt or 1 tsp coarse sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp dried thyme

Optional but highly recommended:

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Topping ideas:

Red onions, diced

Thinly-sliced jalapeños

Homemade restaurant-style salsa

Monterey jack cheese

Mexican crema/table cream

Instructions

1. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel

2. Using kitchen shears, cut chicken into small bite-sized pieces

3. Place chicken in a medium bowl or a Ziploc gallon bag

4. To the chicken, add mayo and all herbs and spices

5. Stir/rub bag to combine all ingredients, ensuring each piece of chicken is fully coated

6. Preheat a pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes

7. When the pan is hot, add the chicken directly to the pan; do not add oil as the mayonnaise replaces the oil

8. Cook chicken for 4 minutes with no stirring, allowing the chicken to sear and slightly brown

9. Stir chicken pieces to flip them over and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes

10. Check the largest piece(s) of chicken with a meat thermometer

11. Once the chicken reaches 155-160 degrees F, remove pan from heat and move on to preparing taco toppings - the chicken will continue to cook while in the pan but will not overcook, ensuring juicy and tender chicken

12. Serve on warmed tortillas with all your favorite toppings

Suggested Products*

Kitchen shears - good

Kitchen shears - best

Ziploc gallon bag

Enameled cast iron pan

My favorite silicone spatula

Meat thermometer

*If you purchase any recommended products using the affiliate links above, I may earn a small percentage of income from the sale. I will only use this blog to recommend products I genuinely love and personally use. My opinions will never be bought. Click HERE to read more.