Rotisserie Chicken Tacos with taco-seasoned chicken, crispy shells, and your favorite toppings—ready in just 30 minutes!
Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
I love tacos—Chicken, Shrimp, and Beef are my top picks. But sometimes, making tacos can take longer than I want.
That’s why I created these Rotisserie Chicken Tacos. With pre-cooked, seasoned chicken, the filling is ready in minutes. Just add a few spices, scoop the meat into crispy shells, top with cheese, and dinner’s ready!
Quick Tip
To save even more time, grab pre-shredded chicken. Mainstream grocery stores often have it ready to go. It’s a bit more expensive but perfect when you’re in a hurry!
Rotisserie Chicken Taco Ingredients
- Chicken: Use a fresh, warm chicken. Remove bones and shred or slice thinly.
- Spices: Cumin, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and chicken bouillon bring the flavor! Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Tomato Paste: Adds rich, deep flavor.
Rotisserie Chicken Taco Toppings to Pick From
- Cheese: Grate fresh cheese for better melting. Sharp cheddar is my favorite.
- Lettuce: Shred finely for a crisp, light topping. Romaine or Iceberg works great.
- Avocado: Pick ripe, soft avocados. Slice, dice, or use guacamole as a tasty topping.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Chop up small.
- Sour Cream: Use full-fat or light, or swap with plain Greek yogurt.
- Cilantro-Lime Sauce: The best taco sauce!
How Much Chicken You Need for Tacos
For these Rotisserie Chicken Tacos, you’ll need 3 cups of shredded chicken. A standard rotisserie chicken typically yields about 4 cups of meat. Use the extra chicken in this Chicken Pot Pie recipe!
What to Serve On The Side
- Rice: Serve cilantro-lime rice or baked Mexican rice.
- Beans: Refried beans, black beans, or pinto beans are great sides.
- Salad: A simple Mexican salad or corn salad adds freshness.
- Chips and Dip: Serve with guac, salsa, or queso.
Storage
- Chicken: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days.
- Toppings: Store lettuce, avocado, and sour cream separately to keep them fresh.
- Taco Shells: Leave in their original packaging to stay crisp.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Chicken Stir Fry ready in 30 minutes or less
- Crispy Chicken Salad with a five-ingredient honey BBQ dressing
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini with sun-dried tomatoes
- Greek Chicken with a simple sauce
- Chicken Chow Mein in 30 minutes or less!
Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
Whip up these Rotisserie Chicken Tacos for a quick, flavorful dinner! Tender chicken, crispy tortillas, and all your favorite toppings.
Equipment
- Large pan
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder see note 1
- 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup hot water
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 lime
- 12 stand-up crispy corn tortillas
- 2 cups freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese divided
- Toppings as desired see note 2
Instructions
- Combine cumin, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and chicken bouillon powder in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste (I start with 1/2 teaspoon of each). Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and hot water, stirring until smooth. Simmer over medium heat for 2–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the shredded chicken to the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Adjust seasoning to taste with more salt, pepper, or a pinch of sugar if needed. Squeeze in fresh lime juice (I add 1-2 tablespoons). Remove from heat.
- If desired, divide 1 cup of cheese among the bottoms of the taco shells and broil for 1–2 minutes until melted (watch closely to avoid burning!). Fill the shells with chicken and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top—it will melt from the warm chicken. Add your favorite toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream. Serve immediately!
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I use Knorr® Seasoning Granulated Chicken Bouillon. You can use chicken broth in place of the water and bouillon.
Note 2: Toppings: shredded lettuce (iceberg or romaine), pico de gallo or chopped cherry tomatoes, cilantro, fresh lime, avocado, sour cream, etc. (whatever you love on your chicken tacos!)
Storage: Store leftover Rotisserie Chicken Tacos by keeping each part separate. Refrigerate chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | 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.
Easy and quick to make, great flavor too. A new favorite, many thanks!
So happy to hear this! Thanks Suzy! 🙂
I made this last night and it was spot on! I’ve
been trying to find a recipe for my leftover
Chicken Rotisserie from Costco. It was very
juicy and flavorful!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Shirley! 🙂
Not sure what I did wrong but this was way too spicy!!! Making for a family birthday get together with kids attending. Threw it out. 😖
What chili powder did you use?
I used McCormick Dark Chili Powder. Could that be the problem?
It could if you find that pretty spicy. I typically haven’t found McCormick chili powder to be overly spicy. I haven’t tried their dark chili powder though
Well, the flavor was amazing. Maybe I messed up. Will definitely make again and just cut back on the amount of spice. Thank you!!!
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks Donna! 🙂
In my experience, the McCormick dark chili powder is definitely spicier than their regular.
This was delicious and definitely a keeper. I had leftover broiled chicken thighs that I cut into small cubes. One thing I found is that’s it’s VERY spicy—far more than my usual homemade taco sauce. It must be the paprika, or maybe I have a super spicy paprika on hand. Anyway my hubby loved it! I put sour cream and avocado on mine, added a little beans and rice, and it was to die for.
So happy you enjoyed! You can definitely do less paprika!
So, do you fill the taco shells with filling & heat the taco shells up in oven to warm them? I’ve never used them before, only the soft tortillas. Thank you!
Hey Janet! The directions are in step 3: “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).” Hope that helps!
Wondering if this recipe can be frozen and if it taste as good. My mom lives alone I would love to cook in advance and have her be able to pull out and eat. She’s older and only one since my dad passed. Just want to see if anyone has tried freezing the chicken taco recipe.
My family loved it!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Denise! 🙂
Enjoyed this recipe very much. Didn’t have cumin or paprika. Added some onions in with the olive oil, after onions are translucent added the garlic. Followed the
Other instructions and didn’t really miss the other
Ingredients. Will make again for sure. Delicious.
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks Myra! 🙂
Looks amazing! Can this recipe be made a day ahead? If so, how would you suggest reheating? Thanks!
I am always looking for recipes that use Rotisserie Chicken. Loved this recipe. So much flavor and not a lot of heat, which we prefer. I wouldn’t change a thing. The prep time was about 20 minutes. We left out the optional sugar. We cut this recipe in half since there are only two of us.
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks! 🙂