The best Ground Chicken Tacos with juicy, flavorful taco meat and toppings cooked in one skillet, in 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Whether it’s buffalo chicken tacos, chicken street tacos or Instant Pot shredded chicken tacos, we love chicken in tacos!
Table of Contents
These ground chicken tacos are one of the easiest healthy taco recipes we have on iFoodReal!
To make the taco meat healthy, I used only 1 pound of lean ground chicken breast, loaded it with over 1 pound of veggies and made it all in one humongous size skillet.
Taco Tuesday was a real thing in only 30 minutes and now this ground chicken taco recipe is one of my favorite healthy chicken recipes to turn to on a busy weeknight!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- One pan meal: No need to prepare toppings separately, they all cook together in one skillet!
- Quick: It’s a true 30 minute meal!
- Healthier: Chicken is a lean source of protein. Bell peppers are high in vitamin C, and radishes are a great source of calcium and potassium. Also dairy-free and gluten-free.
- Balanced: A complete meal with protein, fiber, fats and complex carbohydrates.
Ingredients for Ground Chicken Tacos
You will need just a few simple ingredients to make these ground chicken tacos.
- Ground chicken: You can use store-bought ground chicken which is usually a combination of white and dark meat. Or you can grind your own chicken breasts or chicken thighs in a food processor, that’s what I did.
- Bell peppers: I like to use a combination of green and red bell peppers for flavor but you can use only sweet pepper if you are not a fan of bitter green pepper. Any other color works.
- Aromatics: Onion and garlic.
- Corn: Canned, fresh or frozen corn for more “veggie factor”, sweetness and extra crunch.
- Radishes: Strengthen the “veggie factor”, and “sauciness”, extra crunch and peppery zest to the taco meat. You can use less or let everyone add at the table.
- Tomato sauce: To make dry chicken meat more juicy.
- Spices: Homemade taco seasoning, smoked paprika and salt are all you need for this taco recipe.
- For serving: Corn tortillas, lime, cotija or feta cheese, cilantro, sour cream and any other favorite taco toppings.
How to Make Ground Chicken Tacos
Here is a quick overview how to make ground chicken tacos. You can also find full recipe card below.
- Sauté the vegetables: First pan fry the garlic and onion, then bell peppers. This allows their taste to be absorbed by other ingredients.
- Add ground chicken and spices: Sauteing spices in oil is a quick way to deepen their flavor. Ground chicken cooks really fast, just make sure to break it into pieces with spatula.
- Add tomato sauce and corn: Sauce will “marry” taco meat filling together and add the “sauciness” factor.
- Last add radishes, cilantro and salt: Radishes at the end will retain crunch and zest, cilantro adds a fresh taste and salt strengthens all other flavors.
Tips for Best Results
- Don’t overcook the veggies: Follow the recipe and cook vegetables just enough to soften them or become flavorful.
- If you would like to use other meat: Use ground turkey if you do not have ground chicken. Ground beef or ground pork could be used as well, but make sure to drain the fat after sauteing.
- Other vegetables: Skip radishes or use shredded jicama or turnips instead. Cauliflower rice is an obvious choice!
- To warm up tortillas: If you have gas stove, warm up tortilla right on the burner to char the edges. Or make a crispy tostada shell if you have air fryer!
- If you are not a fan of cilantro: Use parsley or skip altogether and add a pinch of ground coriander with other spices.
Variations
- Add some heat: Feel free to add some heat with chopped jalapeno peppers, minced chipotle in adobo sauce, cayenne pepper or any hot sauce.
- Additional seasonings: Add cumin or chili powder with other spices.
- Add beans: You can add canned or cooked black beans (I like Instant Pot black beans) with the sauce to add additional protein.
- Different sauce: I like the simple ingredients of a plain tomato sauce, some readers have used picante taco sauce instead with great results.
- Make low carb: Skip tortillas and serve over lettuce, similar to low carb enchiladas. Or transform this into ground chicken taco bowl with cilantro lime cauliflower rice.
Toppings Ideas and How to Serve
For serving tacos later, I placed taco filling in small slow cooker and turned on “keep warm”. This is a great option for both busy weeknights or game day parties!
The only fix-ins I had to prepare were limes, crumbled feta cheese and Greek yogurt. But here are a few more ideas:
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded Mexican cheese
- Pickled red onion
- Diced avocado
- Sliced black olives
- Diced white onion
- Greek yogurt guacamole
- Salsa guacamole
- Pico de gallo
How to Store and Make Ahead
Store: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Since filling is saucy and radishes are sturdy, there is not much to get soggy in this ground chicken taco meat. Reheat on a skillet with a splash of chicken broth on low heat. That’s it!
To make ahead and cook later: You can chop garlic, onion and bell pepper and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also slice radishes. That is when meal prep containers with 2 sections come in handy.
Then just cook when ready. Makes a weeknight healthy dinner a breeze.
FAQs
To cook ground chicken without making it dry, don’t overcook it. Also you don’t have to worry about dry chicken in this recipe because we add tomato sauce and plenty of juicy vegetables to make the filling moist.
I love both! Chicken is more lean than beef, however I believe in everything in moderation and if you drain fat after cooking extra lean ground beef, it becomes one of wholesome dinner options.
I recommend to use large skillet with tall walls because we cook meat and add toppings to the same skillet. You will be able to stir all ingredients comfortably.
I like to use ceramic non-stick skillet. If you have regular stainless steel skillet, you will just need to use more oil. You can also use cast iron skillet, just keep an eye on things as once it gets hot, cast iron starts to cook ingredients more quickly.
Yes. You can use previously cooked Instant Pot shredded chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken. Just stir it in with the sauce, which makes this recipe even quicker, ready in about 25 minutes.
More Taco Recipes to Try
- Fish tacos recipe
- Carne asada tacos
- Ground turkey tacos
- Shrimp tacos
- Bang bang shrimp tacos
- Ground beef tacos
- Baked tacos
More Quick Dinner Recipes
- Taco skillet
- Tex Mex chicken and zucchini
- Chicken tostadas
- Easy chicken quesadillas
- Ground chicken chili
- Ground chicken burgers
- Ground chicken stuffed peppers
Ground Chicken Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 large bell peppers finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil for frying
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning low sodium
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup tomato sauce low sodium
- 1 1/2 cups corn fresh, frozen (thawed) or 1 can (drained)
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 bunch radishes sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 10 corn tortillas or flour tortillas
- Lime, cheese and Greek yogurt for serving
Instructions
- Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add garlic and onion, sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add bell pepper and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add chicken, taco seasoning, smoked paprika and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking chicken into pieces.
- Decrease heat to low, add tomato sauce and corn, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Add cilantro, radishes and salt; stir.
- Serve hot over corn tortillas with lime, crumbled feta or shredded Monterey Jack cheese and Greek yogurt.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate filling leftovers up to 5 days in an airtight container. Since filling is saucy and radishes are sturdy, there is nothing to get soggy. Reheat on a skillet with a splash of water or chicken broth on low heat.
- Make ahead: Chop garlic, onion and bell pepper and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also slice radishes. Then just cook when ready.
- For serving cooked tacos later, I placed taco filling in small slow cooker and turned on “keep warm”.
- Warm tortillas: If you have gas stove, warm up tortilla right on the burner to char the edges or in the microwave.
- Other vegetables: Skip radishes or use shredded jicama or turnip instead. Cauliflower rice is an obvious choice!
Was very good I have two picky eaters when it comes to trying new recipes but they loved it and want it again!…added extra taco seasoning with a 1/4 of water
Thank you for your wonderful review, Kay!
I never use recipes from blogs and this week, I have used several of yours. They are so easy and healthy and my husband LOVES them! Thank you!
Made me smile. Happy to hear, guys! 🙂
So delicious and easy!! It’s a favorite in our home!
So happy to hear, Miranda!
Just wondering if we don’t have radishes on hand. What would be a alternative?
You can just skip radish.:)
Can’t believe I haven’t left a review yet. I’ve already made these tacos three times since I found this recipe recently. I guess that says how much we love this dish. Yesterday I added black beans instead of corn to it and it was delicious.
Haha. So happy to hear! Tried any of my other tacos yet?
YES! Black BEANS! No corn! More protein!
This has been my favorite recipe to try so far! I’ve been cooking for my family (parents and brother) a couple times a week to help them with eating healthy and to show them that meals can be tasty, convenient, and healthy! We are all so busy, but I like to take a little time out to make healthy eating convenient for them (not to mention cheaper than eating out). Also, I doubled this recipe and there were no leftovers haha I am turning into your biggest fan 🙂
Yay! Good for you! I think there is a stigma that healthy food is not tasty. That’s a very old wives tail from back who knows when. And other problem is people do not try new things. I think it’s just comfortable life and human nature. It blows my mind how many people just don’t care what they eat. So, good for you!!!
HI Olena, I’m on week 2 of your meal plan and used your version of this with ground turkey instead of ground chicken, It was delicious. Family wiped it out!
Yay!!! Ground chicken tacos or ground venison tacos – doesn’t matter. I use any meat and venison a lot because my mom supplies us with it.
Delicious ground chicken tacos my whole family enjoyed. Even super picky 3 year old went for seconds.
I don’t quite understand how this taco seasoning works… What is it made of? How does it taste? These tacos look great! Now I know what I am gonna do this week end! I LOVE TACOS! that is one of the 2 or 3 things stereotypically correct about Mexicans.
Taco seasoning is a mix of certain spices, you can make it at home yourself, here is the recipe. I don’t think you will be able to find it in Mexican grocery stores because I think it was invented by Americans who really love anything Mexican. You literally can add taco seasoning to any food and it becomes Mexican.:)
yeah, that is definitely not Mexican, I have never tried something like that in my tacos, but it sure sounds delicious! hahahahaha that is a nice way to just turn food into mexican style
After reading your post, I knew I was making this for dinner. What I thought was extra tomato sauce that I had tossed in the freezer to use at a later date, ended up being enchilada sauce. I just moved forward with the recipe but didn’t add the extra spices, tossed in all the fresh and frozen veggies I could find. It was DELICIOUS. I LOVE TACOS, and now I have a healthy version that I can whip up in no time. Thanks for the wonderful recipe and inspiration.
I would do the same. You are welcome!:)