Chicken
$1.25per plate
Prep
10 min
Chicken · Shredded Chicken Tacos
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Shredded chicken tacos are what to make when you have a batch of cooked chicken and twenty minutes, and they feed four for about $1.33 a plate. The trick is to simmer the shredded chicken with taco seasoning and a little salsa so it turns saucy instead of dry, then pile it into warm corn tortillas with cheese and whatever toppings you have. It is the best use of leftover rotisserie or a batch of shredded chicken breast, and it turns a plain protein into taco night for less than the drive-thru costs one person.
$1.33per plate
Estimated recipe total
$5.31 · serves 4
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Serves
4
1 How to make it
1
Season the chicken
Add the shredded chicken to a skillet with the taco seasoning, the salsa, and a splash of water, about 1/4 cup. Stir to coat so every strand picks up the seasoning and the salsa loosens it into a sauce.
2
Simmer until saucy
Cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is hot and the liquid has cooked down into a glossy coating. Saucy, not soupy, is what keeps the tacos from being dry.
3
Warm the tortillas
While the chicken simmers, warm the corn tortillas: 20 seconds a side in a dry skillet or a few seconds over a gas flame until soft and pliable. Warm tortillas fold without cracking, which is the difference between a taco and a mess.
4
Build the tacos
Pile the saucy chicken into the warm tortillas, top with the shredded cheese, and finish with whatever you like: salsa, onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, or a spoon of sour cream. Serve right away while the tortillas are warm.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Flour tortillas or hard shells. Corn is cheapest and most traditional, but flour tortillas or crunchy hard shells both work. Warm soft tortillas so they fold; toast hard shells for a minute so they stay crisp.
- Rotisserie or canned chicken. Any cooked chicken shreds for this: a pulled rotisserie bird, a batch of shredded chicken breast, or even drained canned chicken in a pinch. The seasoning does the work.
- Add beans to stretch it further. Stir a drained can of black beans or pinto beans into the chicken to turn four servings into six for almost nothing, or to bulk out the filling if you are short on chicken.
- Load up the toppings. Shredded lettuce, diced onion, cilantro, lime, avocado, or a spoon of sour cream all pile on for pennies and make the tacos feel like more than the sum of their cheap parts.
3 Budget tips
- This is the payoff recipe for batch-cooked or leftover chicken. A pot of shredded chicken breast or a picked-over rotisserie bird becomes taco night with just seasoning, salsa, and tortillas.
- Corn tortillas are one of the cheapest carbs in the store, often under two dollars for a dozen and a half. Buy a big pack and freeze what you do not use.
- Stretch the filling with a can of beans, extra salsa, or a scoop of rice so a few cups of chicken feeds the whole table with tacos to spare.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate the seasoned chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days, tortillas and toppings kept separate. It reheats fast for taco lunches or a quick burrito bowl over rice.
Freezer
Freeze the cooked seasoned chicken (without tortillas or toppings) for up to 3 months. It thaws and reheats straight into tacos, quesadillas, or a rice bowl.
Reheating
Reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium with a splash of water or salsa to loosen it, or microwave in short bursts. Always warm the tortillas fresh so they stay soft.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
340
Protein
30g
Fat
12g
Carbs
28g
Estimates per serving of two tacos, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
What is the best chicken for shredded chicken tacos?
Any cooked chicken you can shred: leftover rotisserie, a batch of poached or slow-cooked chicken breast, or thighs. Rotisserie is the fastest, while a batch of shredded chicken breast is the cheapest. The taco seasoning and salsa make all of them taste the same in the end.
How do you keep shredded chicken tacos from being dry?
Simmer the shredded chicken with salsa and a splash of water so it turns saucy before it goes in the tortilla. Dry shredded chicken makes sad tacos; a few minutes on the stove with liquid fixes it and lets the seasoning soak in.
How do I warm corn tortillas so they do not crack?
Heat them 20 seconds a side in a dry skillet, or a few seconds directly over a gas flame, until soft and pliable. Cold corn tortillas crack when you fold them; a quick warm-up makes them bendable and brings out their flavor.
How is the price per plate figured?
About $5.31 for three cups of cooked shredded chicken, the tortillas, seasoning, salsa, and cheese, split across four servings of two tacos each, which comes to roughly $1.33 a plate. Using leftover or batch-cooked chicken is what keeps it this cheap.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
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