Chicken Tacos with Fresh Salsa
Chicken tacos with fresh salsa, done in a skillet: chicken breasts rubbed with chili powder, cumin and garlic powder and seared until 74°C, then sliced and piled into warm corn tortillas with a salsa of diced tomatoes, red onion, cilantro and lime. Prep is 15 minutes and cooking is 15 more, with the salsa coming together in one bowl while the chicken rests. It is weeknight cooking that tastes like a taqueria order, without a blender or a long marinade.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 500 g
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- ¼ cups
Process
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Mix 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper in a small bowl until evenly combined. Mixing the rub first gives the chicken an even coat instead of patchy islands of spice, and any lumps break up in the bowl before they land on the meat.
Pat the 500 g chicken breasts dry with paper towels, rub them with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, then coat both sides evenly with the spice mixture. Oil first, spices second: the oil is the glue that keeps the rub on the meat instead of in the bowl, and a dry surface is what lets the crust form when the chicken meets the pan.
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay the chicken in a single layer, in two batches if the pan is at all crowded, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side, turning once, until the thickest part of a breast reads 74°C on an instant-read thermometer. Crowding the pan steams the chicken grey instead of searing it.
Move the chicken to a board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing it into strips, cutting across the grain. Resting lets the contracted muscle fibres relax and reabsorb the juices that would otherwise flood the board, and slicing across the grain shortens the fibres so every strip eats tender.
While the chicken rests, make the salsa: combine the 3 diced tomatoes, 0.5 finely chopped red onion, the 0.25 cup chopped cilantro and the juice of 1 lime in a medium bowl. If the tomatoes are very ripe, dice them first and let them drain in a colander for 5 minutes before mixing, and add salt only at the last moment so the salsa stays thick.
Warm the 8 corn tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, until pliable and faintly blistered in spots, and stack them in a clean kitchen towel as they come off the pan. Tortillas cool and toughen within minutes, so warm them just before serving, not before.
Take the chicken and tortillas to the table while both are still warm, pile the sliced chicken onto the tortillas, spoon the salsa over the top, and add avocado slices if using. Serve immediately: an assembled taco starts softening under the salsa the moment it is built, so let everyone build their own two.
Why this recipe works
The rub does two jobs: chili powder, cumin and garlic powder are ground spices, and the oil plus contact with the hot pan toasts them into a savoury crust instead of a raw powder coating. Cooking in one layer keeps the skillet hot enough to brown the outside while the inside stays juicy; crowd the pan and the chicken releases water and steams grey, so cook it in two batches if the pan is small. The 5-minute rest before slicing keeps the juice in the meat instead of on the board, and the salsa is built for texture: well-drained ripe tomatoes, crisp onion and lime cutting the spice, thick enough to sit on a tortilla rather than soak it.
Equipment
- Large skillet, about 28 cm, heavy-bottomed enough to hold heat
- Instant-read thermometer
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Small bowl for the spice mix
- Medium bowl for the salsa
- Colander for draining the tomatoes
- Clean kitchen towel or tortilla warmer
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- Prepare the salsa and lay out the toppings before the chicken goes into the pan; once the skillet is hot the whole dish moves fast, and everything is better if the tortillas are warmed and the table is set while the chicken rests.
- If the breasts are thick, slice them horizontally into thinner cutlets before rubbing; flat pieces take the rub evenly and reach 74°C through the middle before the outside toughens.
- A few minutes in ice water takes the raw bite out of red onion without losing its crunch; drain it well and pat it dry before it joins the tomatoes.
- Warm the tortillas in the chicken pan once the chicken comes out, wiped but not scrubbed; the seasoned film left behind gives them a hint of the spice crust.
- Taste the salsa on a piece of tortilla, not from the spoon; the salt level that seems right in the bowl is often shy once the salsa hits the seasoned chicken.
Common mistakes
- Dry, stringy chicken: it sailed past 74°C while you waited for a golden crust. Chicken breast is lean, and every extra minute after it reaches temperature is moisture lost, so pull it at 74°C and rest it for the 5 minutes before slicing.
- Grey, steamed chicken: the pan was crowded or not hot enough, so the chicken released its water and cooked in its own steam. Sear in a single layer, in two batches if you must, and wait for the oil to shimmer before anything goes in.
- Juice all over the board: the chicken was sliced straight off the heat. The 5-minute rest is not optional; it is the difference between juicy strips and a puddle, and the slices hold their shape better too.
- A watery, bland salsa: the tomatoes were salted early or were overripe to begin with, and their juice thinned everything. Drain diced tomatoes for 5 minutes, keep the seeds and pulp out if they are very soft, and season the salsa just before it goes on the tacos.
- Cold, stiff tortillas that crack when folded: they were warmed too early and left sitting. Warm them last, about 30 seconds per side in a dry pan, and keep them wrapped in a towel until the moment of assembly.
- A patchy, pale crust: the rub went on unevenly or the oil was missing underneath it. Coat every surface of the chicken and use the full 1 tbsp of oil on the meat, so the spices have something to toast in.
Serving suggestions
- Set everything out family-style: the chicken on a board, tortillas still wrapped in their towel, salsa and avocado on the table, and let everyone build their own two tacos while the tortillas are warm.
- On the side, black beans or Mexican rice extends the meal, and a bowl of charred corn with lime fits the smoky spice of the rub.
- Keep drinks cold and simple: sparkling water with a squeeze of lime, or iced tea, nothing sweet enough to swamp the salsa.
- Second-day remix: the same chicken and salsa over rice, in a salad or folded into a quesadilla, with the salsa drained first so nothing goes soggy.
Variations
- Grilled version: cook the same rubbed chicken over medium-high heat on a grill, the same 6 to 7 minutes per side, to the same 74°C, and rest it the same 5 minutes; the open flame adds a smoke note the skillet cannot.
- Taco-bowl presentation, a different way to serve the same parts: skip the tortillas and spoon the sliced chicken, salsa and avocado over rice or shredded lettuce.
- Lettuce-cup version, for a lighter plate: small lettuce leaves stand in for the tortillas, no warming needed, and the salsa supplies all the crunch.
Refrigerator
- RefrigeratorStore the sliced chicken and the salsa separately in airtight containers: chicken for up to 3 days, with USDA FSIS guidance allowing 3 to 4 days for leftovers, and the salsa best within 2 days. Drain any liquid off the salsa before serving.
- ReheatingWarm the chicken in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water until it reaches 74°C, about 5 to 7 minutes, or microwave it covered on high in 30-second bursts until steaming. Leave the salsa cold; reheating it flattens its freshness.
- FreezingThe cooled chicken freezes well: bag it for up to 2 months as the recipe suggests, with USDA FSIS guidance allowing frozen leftovers for 3 to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Do not freeze assembled tacos, and warm the tortillas fresh.
- Make aheadCook and slice the chicken up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it; make the salsa up to 1 day ahead and store it separately. Warm the tortillas and reheat the chicken just before assembling, so nothing goes soggy.
Updated:
How this recipe was developed
- USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures via FoodSafety.gov (poultry 74°C; leftovers reheated to 74°C)
- USDA FSIS leftovers guidance (refrigerate within 2 hours; 3 to 4 days in the fridge; 3 to 4 months in the freezer)
- BBC Good Food chicken tacos guidance (prep the toppings before cooking so assembly is immediate, cook the chicken in batches, keep the tortillas wrapped and warm)
Editorial references are kept internally for verification. This page makes no claim of external certification or professional testing.
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FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my chicken turn out dry and tough?
Overcooking. Chicken breast is lean and loses moisture fast past 74°C, so pull it as soon as an instant-read thermometer reads 74°C at the thickest point, rest it for 5 minutes, and slice across the grain.
Can I use canned or frozen ingredients for the salsa?
In a pinch: drained canned diced tomatoes, about 400 g, or 0.5 cup of frozen chopped onion. Cilantro and lime are worth buying fresh, since frozen cilantro turns dark and limp. Drain canned tomatoes well so the salsa does not turn watery.
How do I know when the chicken is fully cooked?
The reliable test is an instant-read thermometer at the thickest part: 74°C. Without one, cut into the centre, where the meat should be opaque all the way through with no pink and the juices running clear. If you see pink, cook it 2 minutes more and check again.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes. Cook and slice the chicken up to 2 days ahead and chill it; make the salsa up to 1 day ahead and keep it separate. Reheat the chicken and warm the tortillas just before assembling, so the tacos never sit and soften.
Why is my salsa watery?
Tomatoes throw off a lot of juice, especially when ripe or salted early. Dice them and let them drain in a colander for 5 minutes, remove the seeds and pulp if they are very soft, add salt just before serving, and drain any liquid that pools in the bowl.
How long will leftovers last in the fridge?
The chicken keeps up to 3 days and the salsa is best within 2, stored separately in airtight containers. Reheat the chicken to 74°C before eating and leave the salsa cold, straight from the fridge.
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