Name: Easy Chipotle Ground Chicken Tacos
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tsp. Avocado Oil (or Olive Oil); 8 oz. Ground Chicken; 1/3 cup finely chopped Yellow Onion; 1 tsp. Garlic Powder; 1 tsp. Chili Powder; 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt (or 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt (adjust to taste)); 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin; 1 tbsp. Tomato Paste; 1 tbsp. Chipotle Sauce; 2 tbsp. Salsa Verde; 6 hard Taco Shells; crumbled Feta Cheese; Shredded Lettuce

These are some of the easiest tacos I’ve ever made, and you know we love easy weeknight dinners. We make these with ground chicken, a homemade seasoning blend, a little tomato paste, chipotle sauce, and salsa verde. Then top them with crumbled feta cheese and shredded lettuce for a little saltiness and fresh crunch.

I develop small batch recipes that make 2-3 servings, and this one is definitely one of those. It makes about four soft tacos, or about 5-6 hard shell tacos (depending on how full you like them!) Crunchy tacos were calling my name when I photographed these, and they’re a delicious choice if you’re feeling that, too.

A plate of tacos topped with cheese and lettuce.

The base ingredients for this recipe are pretty simple, but I definitely encourage you to add more flavor, or take away anything that doesn’t fit your taste. Want it even spicier? Add more chipotle sauce or some fresh jalapeños! Have some shredded cheddar cheese that needs to be used? Use that instead of the feta! Truly, these are pretty versatile. Swap ingredients with ones you love, or ones that need to be used from your refrigerator.

Ingredients for Chipotle Ground Chicken Tacos

For the Ground Chicken:

2 tsp. Avocado Oil (or Olive Oil)
8 oz. Ground Chicken
1/3 cup finely chopped Yellow Onion (or White Onion)
Homemade Seasoning Blend:
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (or 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt, plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tps. Ground Cumin
1 tbsp. Tomato Paste
2 tbsp. Salsa Verde
1 tbsp. Chipotle Sauce (or finely chopped chipotles in adobo sauce)

For the Tacos:

6 hard Taco Shells (or soft flour tortillas or corn tortillas)
crumbled Feta Cheese (or Cotija Cheese – or whatever cheese you love!)
Shredded Lettuce

Ingredients needed to make easy chipotle chicken tacos laid out on a marbled surface and labeled.

Ingredient Notes + FAQs

Ground Chicken: Ground turkey is a great alternative to ground chicken for this recipe.

Salsa Verde: Salsa verde adds a touch of brightness and flavor to these tacos. You can use a red salsa if you prefer, or even green chiles! I love the salsa verde from Trader Joe’s, and also use it in these super popular shredded chicken enchiladas, these green chile chicken enchiladas, and these ground chicken tostadas.

Chipotle Sauce: You’ll see chipotles in adobo (which are smoked jalapeños packed into a can with sauce) at the store in the “Tex-Mex / Hispanic” aisle. However, lately I’ve been grabbing a little can of just chipotle sauce, which is like all of the adobo sauce without the actual peppers in it. It’s a little cheaper, and is easy to use because it doesn’t require a bunch of chopping. You can spoon extra chipotle sauce into an ice cube tray, freeze it, then pop the little squares into a freezer safe bag until you need to use them.

Additional (optional) garnishes: sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo, guacamole, green onions, fresh cilantro, pickled red onions, squeeze of fresh lime juice, store-bought pineapple salsa

Four hard shell chicken tacos arranged on a ceramic plate.

Instructions

Step One: Cook the Chicken, Onions, and Seasoning. Heat two teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add 8 ounces of ground chicken, 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion, and the seasoning blend (1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground cumin.) Cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking the chicken into very small pieces, until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are softened.

Ground chicken, onions, and a seasoning blend cooking in a dark nonstick skillet.

Step Two: Add Tomato Paste. Spoon one tablespoon of tomato paste into the ground chicken mixture. Stir to coat the chicken in it, then let it cook for a couple of minutes to deepen the flavor.

Cooked ground chicken and tomato paste in a nonstick skillet.

Step Three: Add Flavor and Heat. Stir 2 tbsp. salsa verde and 1 tbsp. chipotle sauce into the ground chicken mixture. Cook for about two minutes, then turn the heat off from beneath the pan.

Cooked seasoned ground chicken in a nonstick skillet with salsa verde and chipotle sauce in it.

Cooked seasoned ground chicken in a nonstick skillet.

Step Five: Serve. Divide the ground chicken mixture amongst 5-6 crispy taco shells (or whatever type of taco you want to make), then top with crumbled feta cheese and shredded lettuce (or any toppings you want to throw on there). Serve warm and enjoy!

You can add extra protein (and extend the quantity of this recipe) by adding canned black beans, too! They’re SO good with this chipotle ground chicken mixture. You could also add some vegetables (like chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, etc.) if you’re feeling it. Or amp up the heat with a little chopped jalapeño.

Always season your food to taste. Personally, I always add more salt than what is recommended, but in this recipe, I held off because the crumbled feta adds a little saltiness at the end! But use your judgement and make it taste good to you.

Tacos have kind of become a staple in our house, so I’ve been trying to get versatile with them. As a kid, I only ate tacos with ground beef and cheese. Look at us now though! 😉 If you want to check out a few more small batch taco recipes, here are some of our faves:

More Small Batch Taco Recipes:

How to Store Leftovers

For the Ground Chipotle Chicken (not in taco shells):

Store cooked ground chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in a nonstick skillet over low heat until warmed through, then pile into taco shells and enjoy.

For the Chipotle Chicken Tacos (already made):

If you really want to make these ahead of time, don’t use crunchy taco shells. Use soft taco shells, add the ground chicken mixture and the feta, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You can reheat them in the oven at 300 F for about 15 minutes, or just pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Once the tacos are reheated, add the lettuce.

Make these yours. Use this recipe as a base, then get wild with it! Share your creations on social and be sure to tag me in them so we can be *friends*. <3

xx Sara