Crispy Chicken Tacos

by Kayla Berman on April 30, 2025 0 comments

Make your next Taco Tuesday one to remember with my recipe for easy, cheesy Crispy Chicken Tacos! All you need are 10 simple ingredients and 45 minutes to make a batch of these sumptuous, surprisingly high-protein tacos, making them the perfect choice for a busy weeknight dinner.

Here at Wellness By Kay, my diet philosophy is to eat healthfully, not restrictively. These crispy chicken tacos are the perfect example of what I mean. I’ve taken inspiration from a fast food favorite and figured out how to make a healthier version at home. And before you ask, yes, “crispy” implies that they are fried—that’s part of why they’re so dang craveworthy!

That said, we use heart-healthy olive oil for frying; let’s not forget some fat is good fat. We also ensure our macros are balanced with plenty of protein from lean chicken and melty cheese, and a decent amount of fiber from whole grain corn tacos. In other words, these aren’t Taco Bell’s crispy crispy chicken tinga tacos—they’re a better-tasting, better-for-you upgrade.

Think of these homemade crispy chicken tacos as the Mexican counterpart to my other health-ified favorites like air fried bang bang shrimp, high-protein greek yogurt alfredo sauce, or healthy cottage cheese buffalo chicken dip.

What I’m trying to say is that eating well and honoring your food cravings aren’t mutually exclusive concepts. With these high-protein chicken tacos, you can have your proverbial cake and eat it too! (Speaking of cake, my healthier carrot cake is even more proof that pretty much any food can be part of a balanced diet.) Ready to dig in? Let’s do this!

Want more Taco Tuesday menu inspiration? Check out my Big Mac Smashburger Tacos, Baja Shrimp Tacos, and Better-Than-Whataburger Fajita Chicken Tacos next!

Why You’ll Love This Crispy Taco Recipe

Rich & Flavorful – Between the speedy chipotle chicken filling, creamy cheese, and pan-fried corn tortillas, every bite feels like an indulgence.
Quick & Easy – You can whip up a dozen crispy chicken tacos—enough to feed 6—in just 45 minutes using only 10 ingredients. When it comes to weeknight recipes, this one should be near the top of your list!
Leftover Love – Got leftover air fryer chicken bites, air fryer chicken tenderloins, or a few-day-old rotisserie chicken? This easy recipe is the perfect way to breathe new life into them! And if you have a batch of my slow cooker salsa chicken, all you have to do is stuff it into tortillas with cheese and fry them—no extra prep necessary. 💪

Nutritional Deep Dive

Despite tasting like a fast-food treat, these crispy tacos are surprisingly virtuous. For two of these spicy, cheesy marvels, you’re only looking at 465 calories*—comfortably in the range of a “low calorie” dinner for a 1200-calorie diet. With a little over 42 grams of protein per serving, you’re getting more than ⅔ of the average daily recommended amount. (*Note that these amounts are calculated using a lite cheese blend.)

Each serving is also balanced with almost 27 grams of carbs (4 of which come from fiber) and a little over 23 grams of fat. Neither of these amounts should bust an average diet—that’s only about 10-20% of your daily recommended carb intake and about 33-45% of your daily fat intake. The high protein and moderate fat levels are good indicators that they’ll help with satiety, while the relatively low level of carbs leaves plenty of room for other snacks throughout the day.

That said, I always like to provide my readers with various ways to tweak any recipe to fit their dietary needs and preferences. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

For more protein, serve with a dollop of tangy greek yogurt—it tastes just like sour cream, but is way better for you!
Adding fiber is easy, too. Add a can of drained and rinsed black beans to the chicken filling, or serve with fiber-ful sides like my corn and black bean salsa, zesty quinoa black bean salad, refried beans, or Mexican rice made with brown rice.
To reduce calories and fat, turn to your trusty air fryer! Simply brush the outside of the tortillas with oil, fill them with chicken and cheese, fold them in half, and place them in a single layer in your air fryer basket. Air fry them at 400ºF for about 5-10 minutes or until they’re golden brown, flipping halfway through.

INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT:

Corn tortillas might not be top of mind when you think of healthy foods, but I’d argue they should be! These naturally gluten-free rounds are considered a good source of whole grains and have a decent amount of dietary fiber which can help with digestion, improve heart health, and regulate blood sugar. But that’s not all corn tortillas bring to the table!

Nixtamalization—the process of soaking the corn in an alkaline solution to make hominy and masa dough for tortillas—improves the bioavailability of the nutrients in the corn. Corn is an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin B3 (niacin), calcium, magnesium, and iron. And if you choose blue or yellow corn tortillas, you’ll also get a nice boost of antioxidants in the form of lutein and anthocyanins. Not too shabby, amirite?!?

Ingredients & Substitutions

Roma Tomatoes – Any meaty variety of tomatoes will work here. You can also swap in canned whole tomatoes or drained diced (preferably fire-roasted) tomatoes if you need!
White Onion & Garlic – This allium duo is a near-constant in Mexican cuisine. White onions hold their shape better during cooking and are sharper than their red or yellow counterparts, but any variety can be swapped in if you need.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce – These little pantry miracles are packed to the brim with spicy, smoky flavor. You won’t need the whole can (unless you’re a glutton for punishment!), so I recommend you freeze the leftovers into silicone ice cube trays.
Dried Mexican Oregano – Unlike Mediterranean oregano (or “true” oregano), this Mexican cooking staple is a closer relative to marjoram. It has a lighter, more floral flavor than the pungent Greek variety, adding an authentic taste regular oregano can’t mimic.
Ground Cumin – This warming spice is a classic ingredient for taco seasoning. Only have whole cumin seeds? Simply crush them up using a clean coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.
Chicken Broth – Feel free to swap in higher-protein bone broth or use veggie broth instead.
Cooked Chicken – I used a rotisserie chicken for convenience, but you can use poached chicken breasts or any leftover chicken you have.
Corn Tortillas – Store-bought are perfectly acceptable, but homemade corn tortillas will blow your mind. They’re also easier to make than you might think!
Shredded Cheese – I used a mixture of sharp cheddar and creamy monterey jack, but you can use any variety you like.
Kosher Salt & Olive Oil – Just the basics. Feel free to swap in avocado oil or canola oil for other heart-healthy alternatives.

How To Make Crispy Chicken Tacos

Step 1: Roast Veggies. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the tomatoes and halved onions on the baking sheet and broil for 10-15 minutes, turning the vegetables half way through. Ideally you will have some small charred spots on the vegetables.

Step 2: Blend Sauce. Add the roasted tomatoes and onion, along with the chipotle peppers, garlic, oregano, salt, cumin and chicken broth to a blender. Process until smooth.

Step 3: Cook Sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Heat Chicken. Add the shredded chicken into the sauce and stir well. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.

Step 5: Assemble. Spray or brush one side of the corn tortillas with olive oil spray. On the dry side add about ⅓ cup of chicken and 2-3 tablespoons of shredded cheese.

Step 6: Pan-Fry. Heat a clean large skillet over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil. You may need to add more for each batch of tacos. Place the tacos in your hot pan and cook for about 1 minute before folding into a taco shape. Continue to cook for about 2 minutes per side until they are crispy and have browned spots. Serve hot with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!

halved tomatoes and a quartered white onion on a silver rimmed baking sheet.

roasted tomatoes and white onions on a baking sheet.

Optional Variations

Craving crispy tacos, but want to make some changes? I gotchu! Try:

Swapping Your Meat. Stuff your tortillas with leftover sweet potato ground beef skillet or Mexican ground beef rice casserole for a Tex-Mex twist, or use my ground beef fajita filling instead. You can also use Mexican tuna salad as your filling for a Tex-Mex tuna melt!
Go Vegetarian. Abstaining from meat? Try using a combination of your favorite Mexican beans and an assortment of roasted veggies instead of the seasoned chicken. Alternatively, press a block of extra firm tofu and shred it on a box grater, then brown it and season it with taco seasoning like you would ground beef.
Make It Low Carb by swapping in your favorite keto-friendly tortillas.
Adjust the Spice by adding more or less chipotles in adobo.

Expert Tips

Shredding chicken is easier when the meat is still warm, not totally chilled from the fridge. If you are using poached chicken breasts, try using a hand mixer to make especially short work of it!
If you are using rotisserie chicken, cut back on food waste and reduce your grocery budget by using the carcass to make bone broth from scraps.
Corn tortillas are less prone to breaking when they’re warm. Use a dry frying pan over medium-low heat to briefly heat them before assembling and frying the crispy chicken tacos.
Shred your own cheese—it melts better, tastes better, and is cheaper by weight. Win-win-win!
Hate it when onions make you cry? Try refrigerating your onion for about an hour before prepping to reduce the emission of gasses that burn your eyes and nose. Alternatively, skip that step altogether by using frozen chopped onions.

Serving Suggestions

This yummy crispy chicken taco recipe is perfectly delightful all on its own, but I personally believe that half the fun of taco night is going nuts with all the toppings. Homemade black bean and corn salsa (or any salsa, really), pico de gallo, creamy avocado or guacamole, greek yogurt, vinegary hot sauce, and fresh cilantro are always welcome.

There’s also plenty of room for yummy sides—Mexican favorites like refried beans, charro beans, or black beans and restaurant-style red rice are a natural pair. As a bonus, beans and rice form a complete protein, adding even more muscle-building goodness to your plate. You can also opt for fresher sides like my corn avocado salad.

Add a glass of refreshing agua fresca or a homemade margarita to wash it all down and you’ve got yourself a bona fide Mexican feast!

Storage and Reheating Instructions

As with most crispy things, assembled crispy chicken tacos are best served fresh from the pan.
That said, you can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pan over medium heat, or in a toaster oven or oven set to 350ºF until warmed through—about 5-6 minutes.
Want to get a jump on prep? The chicken taco filling can easily be made ahead of time and refrigerated for 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, simply defrost overnight in the fridge and warm the mixture using a saucepan or the microwave.

FAQs

What’s the best chicken for chicken tacos?

The recipe card below uses cooked chicken tossed in a spicy tomato sauce for a speedy version of chicken tinga. I used pulled rotisserie chicken, but poached chicken breasts or leftover roasted chicken work well too!

What kind of cheese for chicken tacos?

Dealer’s choice! I like a Mexican taco blend of cheddar and jack cheese, but you can use fiery pepperjack, melty quesillo cheese, mild colby, or any other low-moisture melting cheese you like!

How to keep crispy chicken tacos crispy?

The best way is to eat them fresh—the longer they sit, the more the chicken juices will permeate the tortilla and soften the outside. Another trick is to keep them warm in a 200ºF oven rather than letting them rest on a cool plate—this helps prevent condensation from forming between the plate and the tortilla, which can render it soft.

What makes a taco crispy?

Using a fried corn tortilla adds a crisp element that soft flour tortillas don’t have.

Related Recipes

More Mexican & Tex-Mex Recipes

More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes

Connect With Me!

If you make this delicious taco recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.