Vivi’s Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos, Taco Tuesday MVP

Chicken tacos may not be the most traditional or iconic dish in Tacolandia, but they are very likely the easiest. To eat and clean up.

In a super-hot pan on the stove, they come together fast: about 15 to 20 minutes start to finish. Plus: They are memorably delicioso. They are healthy and protein-rich. Kids and grownups love them. They pair beautifully with any kind of salsa.

For these reasons and muchos más, these chicken tacos are a top candidate for the busy cook’s Taco Tuesday MVP.

Vivi Abeja, one of our favorite Mexican cooks, was happy to share her go-to chicken tacos. They’re not carne asada or flautas de papa, the classics she grew up loving at her abuela’s house in Little Village, a traditionally Mexican neighborhood in Chicago. But they have become a new  tradition in her kitchen today.

“I didn’t grow up eating chicken tacos, but they are currently a staple in my home because of how easy and quick they are to make,” says Vivi.

The Facil Factor Wins with These Chicken Tacos

The secret to these tacos is their bold dry seasoning. “I always have some sort of seasoning mixture ready for chicken, and I always have tortillas and chicken breast on hand. So, this is a weeknight go-to of mine,” explains Vivi.

“If you want minimal prep and minimal clean up, this is the recipe for you. You can even prep everything before so all you have to do is add the chicken breast to the pan — and done! You can chop the chicken breast into pieces before cooking, but I like to cook the breast first and then chop it up because it retains so much more flavor that way, especially if you let it rest.”

If you want to go a little extra, start the spices ahead of time, says Vivi. “You can get the most flavor by seasoning your chicken breast 2 hours before cooking so the chicken will have time to absorb the seasoning.”

“Once you learn how to cook a simple chicken breast, you will always have some delicious protein to add to your meals whether it be on tacos or in a pasta. These are the ’hay comida en la casa‘ meals that I love, because who doesn’t love a good chicken taco?“

Even though Vivi didn’t grow up making these tacos, they still remind her or her Abuelita Elisa, the first and foremost cooking inspiration in Vivi’s life. “Tacos of any kind remind me of my grandmother because she would eat tacos everyday whether they were filled with chicken, nopales, frijoles con queso, avocado or cecina. All you need are tortillas and whatever filling you have laying around.”

Because that’s the key to Taco Tuesday or tacos any night of the week, isn’t it? They’re a fun, fast way to feed a lot of people — or just yourself on a solo weeknight. These chicken tacos taste great and clean up fast.

Taco Tuesday success.

For lots more tacos, salsas and an easy primer in making corn tortillas, check out our Ultimate Guide to Taco Tuesday here.

Hungry for Easy & Delicioso Chicken Tacos This Taco Tuesday?

Vivi’s Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos, Taco Tuesday MVP

Recipe by Vivi Abeja

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings

2 (3 tacos each)

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken breast, thick, boneless

• 1 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil

• 6 corn tortillas

• For the Chicken Seasoning

• 1 tsp sweet paprika

• 1 tsp dried parsley

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

• Garnishes

• 1 to 2 Tbsp salsa, like Vivi’s red molcajete salsa or store-bought

• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 1/3 cup white onion, chopped

• 1 fresh lime, cut into quarters, optional

Directions

• Thinly slice each chicken breast across its center width into 2 to 3 filets of equal thickness. If your slices are uneven, you can flatten them by covering with a piece of plastic wrap and pounding each one with a mallet. (You can also use any other heavy household item like a rolling pin, says Vivi.) You want the cross-sections to be the same thickness so the chicken cooks evenly.
• Season the chicken breasts with paprika, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper until evenly coated.
• Turn stovetop burner to medium-high. Add oil to your sauté pan. Once the pan is warm, add chicken breast filets, being careful not to crowd them. When you see the edges of each filet starting to turn a lighter shade, that’s your sign to flip it over. Cook for an additional 4 minutes and flip once more.
• Set the cooked chicken breast filets aside to rest for 5 to 7 minutes. This is so the juices won’t escape the chicken when you slice it. That’s where the flavor is.
• Heat your tortillas on a hot comal or cast-iron pan, or directly over a flame, until they soften and take on color.
• After letting the chicken filets rest, chop each to your desired bite size and return for about 30 seconds to the pan to absorb the flavors left in the pan.
• Fill each warm tortilla with 2 to 3 Tbsp golden chicken pieces.
• Garnish with salsa, onion, cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.