Serving crispy chicken tacos at a gathering instantly adds fun to the menu, letting guests build their own creations with a variety of fresh toppings. With their irresistible crunch, bold flavors, and colorful ingredients, these tacos are perfect for parties—easy to assemble, easy to customize, and sure to disappear from the table.
Crispy Chicken Tacos: A Fresh Take on a Classic Favorite
Tacos are a fun meal for a weeknight dinner or a gathering. These tacos have an irresistible crunch and pair traditional Tex-Mex flavors with fresh veggies and a zesty cilantro sauce. Let’s look at how you can create these standout crispy chicken tacos at home.
Gather Your Ingredients
To start, assemble everything you’ll need. For the chicken, use boneless, skinless breasts, buttermilk, flour, and a blend of spices. The veggie mix calls for fresh corn, red onion, jalapeños, and garlic. Don’t forget the corn tortillas and cherry tomatoes for topping. Most importantly, prepare the creamy cilantro sauce, which brings everything together.
Whip Up the Cilantro Sauce
First, make the sauce so its flavors can develop while you prep the other ingredients. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or an electric mini chopper. Use mild pickled jalapeños for this recipe unless you prefer a spicier sauce. Do not substitute fresh jalapeños, as they will alter the sauce’s flavor. Blend until smooth with flecks of green, then chill. This sauce ties all of the flavors together.
Crispy Chicken Tacos: Sauté the Veggies
Next, sauté the vegetables. If possible, use fresh corn, although frozen corn can substitute. Clean the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños before mincing to reduce their spiciness. Sauté the veggies on low heat so you can start the chicken.
Pan-Fry the Crispy Chicken
While the veggies cook, prepare your chicken. Dredge strips in buttermilk, then coat them in a flour-spice mixture. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry the chicken until golden brown and crispy and reaching an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Once cooked through, set the chicken aside on a clean plate.
Crisp the Tortillas
Use paper towels to wipe out the skillet you cooked the chicken in and lightly spray it with cooking spray. Warm a few tortillas at a time until they’re hot and slightly crispy. This simple step provides the perfect base for all your toppings.
Crispy Chicken Tacos: Assemble and Enjoy
When everything is ready, it’s time to build your tacos. Place a crispy chicken strip on each tortilla, add a scoop of sautéed veggies, and drizzle with the chilled cilantro sauce. Finish with fresh cilantro leaves and chopped cherry tomatoes for a pop of color and flavor. Place your tacos in stands for easy handling.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Make your own taco seasoning for a delicious custom blend. Find the recipe in the Notes section. Store in an airtight container for other recipes or for the next time you make these tacos.
Crispy Chicken Tacos: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the chicken ahead of time?
Yes, you can fry the chicken in advance. To keep them crispy, store the strips in a single layer or in separate layers, separated by waxed paper, in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them in an air fryer for the best results, or in a hot oven, before assembling the tacos.
What can I use instead of buttermilk for the chicken?
If you don’t have buttermilk, mix regular milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes before using it in the recipe. Or dip the chicken in milk.
Are there gluten-free options for this recipe?
Absolutely! Use a gluten-free flour blend, such as Cup4Cup, to bread the chicken, and double-check that your tortillas are gluten-free.
How spicy are these tacos?
The heat level is mild to moderate, thanks to jalapeños and taco seasoning. You can adjust the spice by adding cayenne pepper or leaving the seeds and membranes in the minced jalapeños.
Can I bake the chicken or use grilled instead of pan-frying?
Yes, you can bake the breaded chicken strips at 425°F (220°C) by spritzing them with cooking oil, placing them on a wire rack, and baking until golden and cooked through. They won’t be quite as crispy as fried, but they’ll still be delicious. You can also use grilled chicken for these tacos. Grill the breasts to 165°F (74°C) and then slice them into strips.
What toppings go well with crispy chicken tacos?
In addition to the fresh cilantro, chopped cherry tomatoes, and veggie mixture, add shredded lettuce or purple cabbage, sliced radishes, and a squeeze of lime. Feel free to get creative with your favorite taco toppings!
Other Taco Recipes You Might Like
Rib Tacos with Plums
Crispy Chicken Tacos
Equipment
- food processor or electric mini chopper
- food thermometer (optional)
- 2 large skillets
Ingredients
Cilantro Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons salsa verde (Herdez mild salsa verde used)
- 2 ½ tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix (Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning used)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (packed)
- ¼ cup pickled jalapeno peppers (Mezzetta tamed jalapeno peppers used)
Veggies
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 large corn on the cob
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced
- 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon taco seasoning
Chicken
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 16 strips
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
Tortillas and Toppings
- (16) 6-inch corn tortillas
- cooking spray
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
Instructions
Cilantro Sauce
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend on high speed until finely chopped. The dip should be smooth with specks of green. Chill the sauce to let the flavors develop while you prepare the other ingredients.
Veggies
- Add the oil to a large skillet and heat on low while you prepare the corn.
- Cut the kernels off the corn cobs. Add to the skillet.
- Add the onion, jalapenos, garlic, and taco seasoning. Cook on low until the onion wilts, stirring occasionally.
Chicken
- Place the buttermilk in a large flat bowl.
- Add the flour to another bowl. Add the salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir to mix.
- Dredge the chicken in buttermilk, then flour. Place on a plate. Repeat until all the chicken is coated with flour.
- Add the oil to a large skillet and heat on medium-high until hot. Add the chicken, being careful not to crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Move to a clean platter while you cook the tortillas.
Tortillas and Toppings
- Wipe out the skillet used to cook the chicken. Spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray.
- Heat the pan and add 2-3 tortillas. Heat until crispy and hot. Repeat until all tortillas are heated.
- Assemble the tacos by placing a chicken strip on each. Divide the veggies between them. Add cilantro sauce, fresh cilantro, and chopped tomatoes.
Notes
Gluten-Free
Make these tacos gluten-free by using gluten-free corn tortillas and a gluten-free flour such as Cup4Cup.Taco Seasoning
Make taco seasoning with this recipe. It is naturally gluten-free.- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano