Easy Rotisserie Chicken Tacos with simple taco-seasoned meat, crispy corn tortilla shells, and all your favorite taco toppings!

Using rotisserie chicken makes these tacos come together in a flash– in about 30 minutes or less! Pair these tacos with this Italian Salad or this easy Cucumber Salad.

Warm and savory rotisserie chicken tacos with various toppings, ready to be eaten.

Rotisserie Chicken Tacos

It’s no secret how much we love tacos — Chicken Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, and Beef Ttacos rank among our favorites. But as easy as tacos can be, they can also be time consuming to make.

And that’s why I’m sharing lifesaving Rotisserie Chicken Tacos. The meat portion takes mere minutes to whip together, thanks to already cooked and deliciously seasoned chicken. We add a few spices and ingredients to jazz up the chicken a bit more, so it truly comes together quickly.

Can you buy-pre shredded chicken?

Speaking of a quick prep time, did you know you can buy rotisserie chicken meat that has already been pulled from the bones and shredded? I’ve seen it at Costco, Smith’s (Kroger), Trader Joe’s, and Walmart. It’s a little bit more spendy, but if you’re in a real hurry, this saves even more time!

Preparing chicken tacos with rotisserie chicken: combining seasonings, stirring in tomato paste and chicken broth, shredding chicken, and mixing it into the seasoning blend.

The deliciously seasoned meat prepared for the recipe.

Finished Rotisserie Chicken Taco, each taco perfectly topped and ready for enjoying this easy and delicious meal.

More Easy Chicken Dinners

4.97 from 61 votes

Rotisserie Chicken Tacos

Easy Rotisserie Chicken Tacos with simple taco-seasoned meat, crispy corn tortilla shells, and all your favorite taco toppings!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12 tacos

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon EACH: onion powder and garlic powder
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder Note 1
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar, optional
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 12 stand-up crispy corn tortillas
  • Freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese (~ 2 cups)
  • Toppings: shredded lettuce (iceburg or romaine), pico de gallo or chopped cherry tomatoes, cilantro, fresh lime, avocado, sour cream, etc. (whatever you love on your chicken tacos!)

Instructions 

  • SEASONINGS: Place all the seasonings in a small bowl and stir together: the ground cumin, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt ( I start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more at the end if needed) and pepper ((I add 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Stir in the chicken bouillon powder and set aside.
  • CHICKEN TACO MEAT: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add in all of the seasonings and stir for 1 minute. Reduce the heat as needed, to avoid burning as the spices get fragrant. Mix in the tomato paste and 1 cup hot water. Stir until combined and smooth. Reduce the heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook for 2-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the shredded chicken and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings to preference, adding additional salt (up to 1/2 teaspoon more)or sugar as needed. Season with lime juice to desired preference (we add 2 tablespoons). Remove from the heat.
  • ASSEMBLE: If you like melted cheese, add a few tablespoons of cheese to the shells and broil for 1-2 minutes to melt. Add the chicken right on top and another tablespoon of cheese on top of that (it will melt slightly because the chicken is hot).
    Add favorite taco toppings (we like lettuce, chopped cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime) over everything. Enjoy immediately!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1:ย  I use Knorrยฎ Seasoning Granulated Chicken Bouillon. You can use chicken stock or broth (low sodium) in place of the water and bouillon granules.

Nutrition

Serving: 12servings | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.8g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 37.1mg | Sodium: 114.3mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 0.7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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4.97 from 61 votes (33 ratings without comment)

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73 Comments

  1. Kyle Deckman says:

    5 stars
    This worked great. I added black beans and sprinkles bacon on top. Delicious

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Sounds great!

  2. lindsey says:

    5 stars
    Sorry I missed the stars ๐Ÿ˜ฌ definitely five from me!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Awe thank you!!

  3. lindsey says:

    Made this tonight and LOVED IT!! Big flavor, I desperately needed this break away from the ground beef tacos that Iโ€™m sick to death of. ๐Ÿ˜… My new favorite and the kids ate thirds, too.

  4. Jola says:

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe! I used leftover roasted chicken and soft flour tortillas, otherwise followed it completely. So bright and refreshing! Thank you so much!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Yum! I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks Jola! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Mary Beth says:

    5 stars
    Great flavor and so easy! Will make again.

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      I am so happy to hear! Thanks Mary Beth! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Laura says:

    Loved this recipe! Used tajin instead of lime. Itโ€™s a keeper! Thank you ????

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the comment Laura ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Ariel says:

    5 stars
    A great use for leftover chicken and a good starter recipe. I highly recommend adding a medium onion and red or green bell pepper to the garlic to simmer before adding the spice to make it more interesting. I also thought the sauce was missing a kick, so I added cayenne, Cholula, and a dash of ancho chili powder to satisfy my heat preference.

    My favorite thing about those recipe is it didnโ€™t leave my kitchen in shambles. Super easy clean up!

  8. MaryKay says:

    5 stars
    OMG….these are great, so easy and will definitely go into our menu rotation. They are a wonderful way to use up that last bit of rotisserie chicken!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      YAYY!! I am seriously soo happy to hear this! Thanks! ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Lori says:

    5 stars
    I love this! It’s easy & bursting with flavor. Everybody should try it.

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Thanks Lori!!

  10. Beks says:

    5 stars
    These are so easy and need to go into the regular rotation. A great use for left over chicken.

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      So happy to hear it! ๐Ÿ™‚