Easy Chicken Recipe for Tacos, Quesadillas, Burritos

I've been getting loads of questions about the chicken from the $30 Grocery List post.   

I usually just eyeball it, but I can understand how a more specific recipe could be helpful so here it is!

Once you get comfortable with this technique you can whip it up in a matter of minutes and use it for some quick tacos, quesadillas, or burritos. 

How To Make Some Quick Chicken

Keep in mind that salt level is more important than the brand of chile powder, so please don't worry about hunting down the exact chile powder I'm using!

Properly salting your chicken will prevent it from tasting chickeny and this is what most people overlook when they saute chicken at home.  But not you!

There's one other reason not to sweat the chile powder too much... 

Most of your quick Mexican dishes will depend on a homemade Salsa or Pico de Gallo for the bulk of the flavor, and the seasoning on the chicken is just a bonus. 

Also, keep in mind that many generic chile powders are loaded with salt, and if you're using one of those then you probably won't need to add as much additional salt.   More info on the chile powder I use. 

For a single chicken breast we'll start with the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon chile powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked  black pepper
a glug of oil 

You'll also need 1/4 small onion, something similar to this:

And of course, a single chicken breast. 

This one is just over half a pound and that's usually enough for 2 people:

I find it easiest to slice the breast in half lengthwise like this:

And then chop it up into bite-sized pieces, cutting through both layers at the same time. 

If it's hard to cut through both layers at the same time then it's probably time to sharpen the knife!

Once the chicken is chopped you can combine it in a bowl with the salt, pepper, chile powder, and a glug of oil. 

Then we'll roughly chop the 1/4 onion and get it cooking in some olive oil.  A bit over medium heat usually does the job on my stove.  

Once the onion is sizzling you can push it aside and add the chicken, forming a single layer with it. 

Let this first side cook nearly all the way through until most of the pink color is gone.   

Here's what this batch looked like after the first side cooked for 4 minutes or so:

Then flip it over and continue cooking the other side for another 1-2 minutes or until all the pink color is gone. 

Give it a good stir and mix the onion throughout the chicken. 

And that's it!  Easy right?

You'd be surprised how satisfying this chicken is when it's properly salted. 

Here are a few other tips if you're new to cooking chicken at home:

• Please don't buy chicken that's been previously frozen!  It will come out tough, chewy, and massively disappointing.  Some grocery stores will mention this on the label, but some won't!  Usually if chicken is super cheap it's been previously frozen so it's worth asking.
• A single chicken breast is usually plenty for 2 people.  You'll get 5-7 tacos out of a single breast, depending on how much you load them up. 
• Use a dedicated knife and cutting board to chop up your chicken.  For example, you'll want to slice up the onion on a different cutting board than the chicken (or do it first).  If you only have one cutting board and knife it's always best practice to give both of them a thorough washing after using them to chop up the chicken. 
• Once opened, your raw chicken will last longer in the fridge if you store it in a good Ziploc bag as opposed to a supermarket plastic bag.  I keep the original packaging and just toss it all in a big Ziploc.  

And now that you're a pro at making chicken you can use it to make all sorts of quick meals.  Here are a few to choose from:

Easy Chicken Tacos

Chicken Burritos with Avocado Salsa Verde

15 Minute Chicken and Guac Quesadillas

Spicy Chicken and Pickled Jalapeno Pizza

But don't forget that you can improvise with what you have available!  Feel free to whip up some Chicken Tacos with the fixings that sound best to you. 

Okay, I'll put a recipe box for this chicken down below.  It's a great no-thinking-involved option for those nights when you need a quick, satisfying meal.   I hope you get some use out of it!

Buen Provecho. 

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Want to see the latest post?  It's this list of all-time favorite recipes on Mexican Please: