Skillet Chicken Tacos

Name: Skillet Chicken Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (about three breasts); 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3-5 cloves); 1 onion (diced); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 2.25 ounce can sliced olives (drained); 1 4 ounce can diced green chilies; 1 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn (drained); 2 teaspoons cumin; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 cup Cheddar cheese (shredded); 2 limes (cut into wedges); 1 cup (red cabbage, grated); 3/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

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Skillet Chicken Tacos, are a delicious dinner recipe that's ready to eat in under an hour. The chicken is simmered in a skillet and all you need to add are a few pantry staples. The chicken is seasoned with familiar Mexican spices along with crunchy cabbage, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. These are so good!

Small chicken tacos in a serving rack with lime, cilantro and salsa on the side. — Such great flavor abounds in these tacos! But the bright color and crispy crunch from the cabbage is an added bonus.

Ingredients to have on hand

chicken breasts
canned whole kernel corn
small call of sliced olives
small can of diced green chilies
cumin
chili powder
cheddar cheese
red cabbage
cilantro
limes

Red cabbage, limes and cilantro in small bowls on a counter. — This dinner recipe includes gorgeous bright colors and bright flavors thanks to red cabbage, cilantro and lime.

Recipe Shortcut

This recipe comes together quickly, which is why it's one of my favorites! Tacos can be a lot of work, but since most all of the ingredients - even the cheese - are stirred together in the skillet, there's less prep work involved. If you are making this on a work night, rinse and chop the cilantro and red cabbage in the morning, cover and store in the refrigerator until you get home.

Onions and garlic in a cast iron skillet on the stove. — Garlic and onions turn softened and fragrant while they cook in the skillet.

Diced chicken in a cast iron skillet with onion and garlic. — Garlic and onions turn softened and fragrant while they cook in the skillet.

Serving Options

This is a versatile and delicious filling for anything from street tacos to a topping for fresh salad greens. You can even create a unique entree-style nachos using this recipe! Scroll to the recipe below for all the details on how to serve Skillet Chicken Tacos beyond tortillas.

Olives, green chilies, corn, spices and chicken cooking in a cast iron skillet. — Everything simmers together in just one skillet on the stove.

Step by Step Instructions

Time needed: 50 minutes.

With three easy steps this chicken dinner recipe goes from the stovetop to the dinner table.

Stovetop
Add olive oil. Heat over medium high until the oil starts to shimmer. Add diced chicken, chopped garlic and diced onion. Cook until the chicken is nearly done and the onions and garlic are fragrant and begin to soften.
Add ingredients
Add olives, green chilis, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Don't cover the skillet, you'll want most of the moisture to evaporate.
Simmer
Let the mixture simmer for about 15-20 minutes with no lid, or until most of the moisture is gone. (A little moisture is OK.) Remove from heat, stir in cheddar cheese, cover and keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Chicken, olives, corns and seasonings mixed in a cast iron skillet. — The flavor and texture of each ingredient blends to create a simply wonderful dinner recipe.

Can I substitute another meat for the chicken?

Yes, ground turkey or lean ground beef are equally delicious. But avoid using a ground chuck which tends to have a higher fat content and will add a little too much fat to this recipe, in my opinion.

Taco Holder

When it comes to serving these tacos, I love to use a taco holder. Many restaurants serve tacos this way and for a good reason, a taco holder helps keep all the delicious ingredients stacked up together, instead of spilling out onto the plate. Plus, with a taco holder, everything looks great on the plate!

Whether it's tacos or any recipe that includes our favorite Mexican flavors and spices, you can't beat having a side of homemade guacamole. I think you will love this simple and delicious recipe for the Best Guacamole. For another main dish option, try Tamale Casserole. It's filling and delicious and my family thinks it tastes exactly like homemade tamales wrapped in corn husks. But Tamale Casserole is much easier to make.

Skillet Chicken Tacos

This is a delicious dinner recipe that's ready to eat in under an hour. The chicken is simmered in a skillet and all you need to add are a few pantry staples.

5 from 80 votes

Print Rate Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 450kcal

Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds chicken breasts about three breasts
1 tablespoon chopped garlic 3-5 cloves
1 onion diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 2.25 ounce can sliced olives drained
1 4 ounce can diced green chilies
1 15.25 ounce can whole kernel corn drained
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup Cheddar cheese shredded
2 limes cut into wedges
1 cup red cabbage, grated
¾ cup fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

Cook

Place a large skillet on the stove, add olive oil. Heat over medium high until the oil starts to shimmer. Add diced chicken, chopped garlic and diced onion. Cook until the chicken is nearly done and the onions and garlic are fragrant and begin to soften. Add olives, green chilis, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Don't cover the skillet. Let the mixture simmer for about 15-20 minutes with no lid, or until most of the moisture is gone. (A little moisture is OK.) Remove from heat, stir in cheddar cheese, cover and keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Serve

Use the skillet chicken taco mixture to fill street taco tortillas - or any size tortilla, or top a bed a salad greens for taco salad, or serve as nachos and top a baking sheet filled with corn tortilla chips.
Sprinkle grated red cabbage on each serving, add a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro. As an option, serve with your favorite tomato salsa on the side.

Variations

For skillet chicken street tacos: Allow for about three street tacos per person, and I like to double up the tortillas. Fill each tortilla with the skillet chicken taco mixture and top with shredded cabbage, lime juice and cilantro.
For skillet chicken taco salad: Arrange your favorite salad greens on a serving plate, top with 1 cup of skillet chicken taco mixture per serving, add shredded cabbage, a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro.
For skillet chicken nachos: Spread contents from 1, 16 ounce bag of corn tortilla chips on a large baking sheet and place in a 375° oven for 10 minutes or until the chips are warm. Top with chicken taco mixture, shredded cabbage, a squeeze of lime juice and cilantro.

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Notes

Since there are so many variations to this recipe, the nutritional information here was calculated using only the ingredients for Skillet Chicken Tacos, and does not include nutrition details for tortillas, tortilla chips or salad greens. The nutritional details are based on approximately a one cup serving of the chicken taco filling per person.

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 39gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 1181mgPotassium: 841mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 827IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 220mgIron: 2mg

Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database and are offered here only as a guideline for informational purposes.

Pin Recipe

Skillet Chicken Tacos

Ingredients to have on hand

Recipe Shortcut

Serving Options

Step by Step Instructions

Taco Holder