Juicy pieces of chicken coated in a homemade seasoning before being sauteed sticky in your favorite barbeque sauce. This chicken taco skillet hits the dinner table in just 30 minutes and makes for a delicious, simple weeknight meal.
Switch up your normal taco night and rock this chicken taco skillet instead!
Made with chicken thighs, seasoning, sauce, and chopped bacon this skillet dinner can be served inside warm corn tortillas or hard shells.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I make this in one skillet and then have everyone top each taco with their favorite sour cream, salsa, or avocados.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to make: this chicken taco skillet uses up a bunch of spices you have in your pantry along with a few staples from the fridge.
Quick: it’ll hit the dinner table in under thirty minutes making it great for busy nights. No prep and no fuss.
Versatile: serve your chicken tacos on warm tortillas, and hard shells, or even stretch the meal over rice or whole30 cauliflower rice. It works with everything making it a unique meal every time you whip it up.
Ingredients You Need
Boneless skinless, chicken thighs: cut them into bite-sized pieces so that they cook quickly and all the way through.
Olive oil: avocado oil works here too so use what you have on hand.
Seasoning: you need basic spices like chili powder, onion powder, garlic, paprika, cayenne, and salt and pepper. These are also the same seasonings to make homemade taco seasoning for sheet pan fajitas.
Fresh vegetables: keep it simple, all you need is onion, tomato, and garlic. Chop them finely so that they mix well with the bites of chicken.
Chicken broth: homemade broth is great here and this is a wonderful way to sneak it in. more often than not though I use bone broth powder because it’s effortless to make.
Reap the benefits of homemade bone broth but skip the time in the kitche. Bone broth powder gives you the best of both worlds and makes healing, homemade broth in just 2 minutes.
BBQ sauce: grab a mild sauce in any flavor or brand you love.
Bacon pices: store-bought bacon bits wll work here though I always think fresh bacon tastes best!
Dairy-free shredded cheese: totally optional and you can use regular if you don’t need dairy-free. Follow Your Heart Cheese brand actually melts well and adds a super cozy feel to the chicken skillet.
Variations
The best part about this chicken taco skillet is that there are so many ways to switch up the flavor or accommodate preferences. Below are a few common swaps.
Make it keto: you can easily make this skillet dinner keto by using a sugar-free BBQ sauce and either real cheese or skipping it.
Burrito: serve the chicken mixture over black beans and cooked rice (even better if it's cilantro lime rice) with some extra BBQ sauce to make burrito bowls. Use cauliflower rice if you want to keep it light.
Make it spicy: if you like heat, add in some extra cayenne, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes to amp up the fire.
How to Make It
Step 1: Season the chicken with the spices.
Step 2: Saute the chicken in oil over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from heat.
Step 3: Add the onion to the skillet until soft.
Step 4: Saute the tomatoes and garlic.
Step 5: Mix the broth and BBQ sauce together in a bowl.
Step 6: Add the chicken and broth mixture back to the skillet and stir until coated. Top with bacon bits and cheese before serving.
Expert Tips
You can easily use chicken breasts for a gluten-free skillet dinner. Make sure to chop them small so that they cook evenly. They may not give off as much juice as thighs will.
If you need to use leftover chicken, no problem! Add leftover shredded chicken from a Dutch oven chicken in with the tomatoes and garlic. Also, add the seasoning at the same time.
Serve the chicken taco skillet with avocados, cheese, salsa, fresh lime juice, and sour cream on the side, and have everyone build their own taco. I like these corn-hard shell tacos or gluten-free corn tortillas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the leftover chicken taco skillet mixture in an airtight container once cooled. Place it in the fridge and enjoy it for up to three days.
The chicken taco skillet can be served in a taco shell, over rice, or even mixed into gluten-free noodles with some extra oil.
You could sub out the chicken thighs for ground chicken. cook it like you would ground beef, until it's no longer pink before adding the homemade taco seasoning to it.
Other Gluten-Free Chicken Dinners
- Chicken teriyaki broccoli skillet
- Slow cooker honey mustard chicken
- Baked teriyaki chicken
- Slow cooker chicken teriyaki
Dinner doesn’t have to be chaotic—this eBook gives you 20+ protein-packed meals ready in 30 minutes or less (even when the day’s already gone sideways)
Easy Chicken Skillet Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ Onion chopped
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 teaspoon Minced garlic
- ¼ cup Chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup Bacon pieces
- 1 cup Dairy-free cheese shredded
- 1 Avocado diced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Season the chicken with the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the chicken to the heated skillet, and saute until cooked through completely. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and stir in the onions. Saute until the onions have softened.
- Mix in the garlic and cherry tomatoes. Saute until the tomatoes begin to soften.
- In a bowl, whisk together the broth and BBQ sauce.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet, and return the chicken to the skillet. Toss to coat in the sauce.
- Turn the heat off, and sprinkle on the bacon and cheese. Allow the cheese to melt.
- Add in the avocado just before serving.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Sylvia says
I have switched to chicken thighs from chicken breasts, and they have so much more flavor. This skillet taco meal was a hit with the family. I served it over rice, and I loved how easy it was to make.
fitasamamabear says
They're so much jucier! My kids love them.
Marie says
This has the perfect combination of flavors. It's cheesy and savory, and the chicken was so juicy. My family really loved it!
fitasamamabear says
Yay!
Meghan says
Made this for dinner last night and it was a BIG winner, especially for game night with our friends! Can't wait to make it again!
fitasamamabear says
Happy everyone enjoyed it!
Amari says
The chicken was so tender and coated in a sticky barbecue sauce that was absolutely delicious. Topped mine with sour cream and it was a unique twist on our taco night. So good!
fitasamamabear says
It definitely makes for a fun swap!
Shane says
I followed your tip about using chicken breasts and chopped them small and they were cooked evenly. I loved the barbeque sauce as it added just the right amount of sweetness. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
fitasamamabear says
Happy you enjoyed it!
Bobbi says
So good!
fitasamamabear says
Glad you liked it!
Mera says
Feeling like I'm having a burrito without having to wrap it in a tortilla! Wonderful recipe indeed. Topped it with Avocados! Yum!
fitasamamabear says
Avocados make life better lol
Elaine says
This was wonderful and my girls loved it. So easy but BIG on taste. Will keep on repeat here!
Gwen says
Made this chicken taco skillet with chopped spinach as suggested, and it added a nice pop of color and flavor! The bacon pieces added a nice crunch and smoky flavor, it was really really good!
fitasamamabear says
Glad you enjoyed it!
chhavi says
Loved this high protein recipe! I have added it to my weekly rotation!
Paula says
This really was as easy as the recipe said it would be. It was packed full of flavour and absolutely delicious. Thanks so much!
fitasamamabear says
Happy you liked it!