Chicken tacos are even more delicious when made with homemade taco seasoning. These are tasty and a perfect family friendly meal.
As I mentioned on Monday, we love Mexican food over here. We make turkey or chicken tacos at least once a month. Since we do have to avoid certain foods, it is difficult to buy a premade seasoning mix, because a lot of them contain hidden gluten, or in some cases, even dairy. So I make my own taco seasoning, which is easy to do, and it’s cheaper, too!
You can adapt this chicken taco mix recipe to fit your spice level. Add just about anything you want, chili powder, a little sugar, onion powder, etc. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Tips for making this homemade taco seasoning:
- use a trusted brand of spices that is safe for your dietary needs
- make it in bulk – multiply the recipe and store it in a glass jar
- use fresh spices for the best flavor (not spices that are a few years old)
Chicken Tacos with Homemade Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
For the taco seasoning:
- 3 Tablespoons cumin
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
For the tacos:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
- water
- 12 taco shells
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 avocados peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cups lettuce shredded
Instructions
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Make the seasoning:
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Mix all spices together in a little glass jar. You can double the recipe if you want to, just keep it sealed so it stays fresh!
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Make the tacos: Place the chicken breasts in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and cover with water, or chicken broth if you prefer.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until cooked through…about 20 minutes. Check the temperature in the middle of the breasts, it should reach 170 degrees.
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Let the chicken cool, then drain most of the liquid out of the pan. Shred the chicken and place back in the pan. Add the tomato paste or ketchup, (if I don’t have tomato paste, I just use ketchup, it works in a pinch!). Add your seasoning…I start with about 1 ½ tablespoons and go from there, adding more as needed.
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Heat through, and add more water if the chicken seems too dry. Once it’s heated through and seasoned to your liking, spoon into shells and add your toppings.
Enjoy!
nick
how much water exactly do you need
Brenda Pasieka
what kind for taco shells are these?
Kelly Roenicke
I don’t remember for sure – I think they were blue corn shells from Whole Foods. Always read labels to see if brands are safe for you. This isn’t a brand we use anymore.
Vanessa
What do you use now?
Dorothy Berg
What is the nutrition value on these. We are watching calories – fat and cholesterol and salt. I made them once and liked them – would just like to have the nutrition values. Thank you.
Stephanie
What kind of taco shells are pictured? I’m trying to find corn free ones…
Kelly
Those are the blue corn shells from Whole Foods. I don’t know of any corn free shells. But there are corn free chips called Beanitos.