These crispy cheesy chicken tacos are dreamy! Made with seasoned chicken thighs, the tortillas are coated in melty, crispy cheese and topped with a quick pico de gallo. Easy, delicious an such a great weeknight meal.
I’m unlocking the secret to one of our favorite meals.
These chicken tacos are going to become a staple in your menu! They have so much texture, flavor and they are reqeusted over and over again in our house. Simple, crispy, satisfying and customizable.
The perfect recipe!
I’ve shared a recipe before that uses this same cheesy tortilla method: my crispy cheesy breakfast tacos. And they are INCREDIBLE. As in, just writing this out means that I need to make them tomorrow or I won’t be able to stop thinking about them.
I even like them for dinner, but we love breakfast for dinner. It’s a go-to.
Here’s the thing though. I make these crazy chicken tacos… my weeknight chicken tacos… and I have for YEARS. It’s an embarrassingly easy recipe, where you make chicken thighs and then shred them in your stand mixer with a ton of seasonings. And then, boom. Chicken tacos.
It’s an odd way to make the taco filling but it works. It works so well that you’re usually shocked and surprised at how good they are.
So months ago I started thinking… what if I combined them? What if I made the chicken taco filling but used the method for the cheese crispy taco shells?
Um, I must have had a moment of brilliance!
Because these are incredible.
They are simple. Chicken, some taco seasonings, a quick pico.
All stuffed in a tortilla that is fried in a skillet with melted cheese. It wears a crispy cheese jacket, if you will.
When I tell you that the whole family is obsessed with this for dinner, I mean it. These tacos are such a crowd pleaser.
Now they are a little high maintenance, because each tortilla has to be crisped up with some melty cheese. But!
I have a way around that. If you have an electric griddle or a large griddle pan, this is the key. That is what I use to make pancakes, so it’s in rotation often. If you use one of these, you can make four tortillas at a time for the tacos. Which makes it so much easier to serve when everyone is around the table.
The best part is that you can truly stuff anything in these cheesy flour shells. They are super versatile, so delicious and very easy to make. Warm and cozy and cheese too!
Favorite way to eat a taco, by far.
Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos
Crispy Cheesy Chicken Tacos
These crispy cheesy chicken tacos are dreamy! Made with seasoned chicken thighs, the tortillas are coated in melty, crispy cheese and topped with a quick pico de gallo. Easy, delicious an such a great weeknight meal.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the skillet and once it’s hot, add in the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Cover the skillet and place it in the oven, roasting for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder in a bowl. Set aside.
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While the chicken is cooking, make the quick pico. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
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As soon as the chicken is finished cooking, add it to the bowl of your electric mixer. Do not discard any juices in the pan you cooked it in. Turn the mixer on to low speed for a few seconds to break up the chicken. Add the spices and mix the chicken on low speed for a full minute or two to completely shred it and incorporate with the spices. Transfer the chicken back to the pan with the juices and toss it well, incorporating the juice. This is how the chicken will stay moist.
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To make the tacos, sprinkle ½ ounce of cheddar in a clean non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. It should start to melt right away. Place your tortilla directly on top of the cheese.
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Add another ½ ounce of cheese to the tortilla.
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Top with a spoonful of the chicken and the quick pico. At this point, the cheese on the bottom should be golden and crispy!
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Gently fold the tortilla in half. Transfer from the skillet to a plate. Serve with more of the pico and a squeeze of lime. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Enjoy!
This texture forever.
