Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos - Life Full and Frugal

Hey friends! Today I am sharing a recipe for easy weeknight chicken tacos. With all the chaos around us in the midst of our renovation, I need simple meals I can throw together in a hurry. These chicken tacos are so yummy and so versatile, I think you’ll love adding this recipe to your repertoire as well!

easy weeknight chicken tacos served over blue corn chips with cheese, cilantro, green onions on a blue and white plate next to a platter with green and red salsa and cilantro rice

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I’ve Been Making These Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos Forever!

The first time I ever made this recipe was in high school. I was in Mrs. Pepple’s Spanish class, and we were going to have a class party. We went to the library and found this recipe in a cookbook. Everyone really enjoyed it! That victory was sadly short-lived though. I also made a really unfortunate looking flan with not so rave reviews. It was undeniably u-g-l-y. At the very least, I thought it tasted a lot better than it looked. Ha!

easy weeknight chicken tacos life full and frugal

Making a Recipe Your Own

Over the years, I have adjusted this recipe to fit our taste. Sometimes a recipe is dictated by what we actually have in the pantry! Other times, I will adjust a recipe based on my skill (or lack thereof…) as a cook. In reality, a recipe is just a guide. I’m actually really terrible at following recipes, because I cook so much by feel. But these chicken tacos are so simple, making any adjustments should be no trouble at all!

It’s also one of the rare meals I make that mostly involves dumping a can into a pan. We all need a couple of those, don’t we??

I Love Versatile Recipes!

I love taking a recipe and making it something new. Most of us have a few meals that we make over and over, and it is really easy to get stuck in a rut. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use it as a base, and riff it into a plethora of different meal options. I can use this chicken taco recipe to make burritos, quesadillas, even a soup! Most of the time, I serve it over tortilla chips like nachos. It is simply delicious over a fragrant mound of cilantro rice! Another option is to use this chicken covered in Creamy Poblano Sauce to make enchiladas. Easy weeknight chicken tacos will never get old with so many options!

A Few Notes on My Video for Easy Weeknight Chicken Tacos:

When I made the video for these chicken tacos, I doubled the recipe because I have two teenage boys. And, like my sister Starla says, “Leftovers make the best fast food!”

Also, I found a brand of frozen chicken breasts that I really like because they are individually wrapped. You can use as much or as little as you like. I recently discovered that they have pre-diced packages as well. Not gonna lie, that has been a huge blessing with my kitchen under construction. I used 1 box of pre-cut chicken breasts and 1 box of whole chicken breasts when I was cooking this recipe for my video. Here is the recipe for a single batch.

Here’s What You Will Need:

1 Bunch of Cilantro
1 Large Onion
1 Can Diced Green Chiles
6-8 Chicken Breasts (depending on the size)
1 Can Whole Kernel Corn (drained)
1 Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 Cup Sour Cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

Options:

Feel free to add any taco seasoning you like. You can add cilantro as a garnish with a squeeze of lime. I also really like to add olives when I add the corn and beans, but my boys protested, so I just serve those on the side.

Directions:

First, finely chop one large onion. Next, dice your chicken into bite sized chunks. Add 1 Tablespoon of butter to a hot pan, then add the chicken and chopped onions. You will also add the green chiles at this point. Allow the meat, onion and chiles cook over medium heat. Once the chicken is cooked through, you can add the corn, black beans and optional olives. Next, add 1 cup of sour cream and stir to incorporate. Lastly, season to taste.

You can skip the sour cream and allow all the liquid to cook off and you will have an excellent filling for fajitas as well. See? The world is your oyster with this recipe!

We hope you enjoy!