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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Easy Leftover Chicken Tacos Recipe

    Published: May 16, 2024 · Modified: Oct 7, 2024 by Beth Sachs · 9 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe
    Chicken tacos pin image.

    Make the best leftover chicken tacos with this quick, customisable recipe.

    Perfect for using up roast chicken, these tacos are packed with flavour. Add your favourite toppings like sour cream, chilli sauce, avocado, and more for a nutritious and tasty meal.

    Leftover roast chicken tacos in a baking dish.

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    We'll email you this post for easy access later! You'll also join the Effortless Foodie mailing list and receive my popular 'No Bake Bars and Slices' eBook for free!

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    I always have leftover roast chicken in my fridge, and these chicken tacos are my go-to recipe!

    Customise with your favourite toppings like sour cream, chilli sauce, red onion, black beans, avocado, coriander, pico de gallo, lime juice, and grated cheese.

    The kids love mixing and matching their favourite add-ons!

    👩‍🍳 Love your leftovers and make leftover chicken curry or leftover creamy turkey curry next!

    Jump to:
    • ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
    • 🛒 Ingredient notes
    • 🔪 How to make leftover roast chicken tacos
    • Top Tips
    • 🍴 What to serve with chicken tacos
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🥡 Storage
    • ❓ Frequently asked questions
    • 😋 More delicious chicken recipes
    • Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    ✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!

    1. These chicken tacos are a perfect way to use up leftover roast chicken.
    2. You can tailor the toppings to suit everyone's preferences.
    3. Packed with fresh ingredients these tacos offer a healthy meal that the whole family will enjoy.

    Absolutely yummy. The only complaint I have is that I had to go and stay at my Mums two days and only one night and my husband ate the lot. I at least did get to taste it before I left. 🙂

    - Leanne

    🛒 Ingredient notes

    Ingredients for leftover chicken tacos

    Cooked Chicken - leftover roast chicken or supermarket rotisserie chicken, chopped into pieces or shredded.

    Olive Oil - for cooking the garlic.

    Garlic - 1 garlic clove, chopped finely to add flavour to the cooked chicken. You could use garlic powder instead.

    Tomato Paste (Tomato Puree) - provides the base of the taco seasoning.

    Taco Seasoning - I make my own homemade taco seasoning using cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper, but feel free to use a store-bought taco seasoning packet.

    Corn Taco Shells - or use soft flour torillas instead.

    Favourite Taco Toppings - shredded lettuce, sliced, red onion, avocado, coriander (cilantro), lime juice, tomatoes, and grated cheese (I like to use cheddar for extra flavour).

    🔪 How to make leftover roast chicken tacos

    The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post

    One: Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the garlic for two minutes.

    Two: Add the tomato paste and taco spices. Stir to combine then pour in 60 ml of boiling water (you could also use chicken broth/ chicken stock) and mix in with a wooden spoon.

    Three: Add the cooked chicken and cook on a medium high heat for two or three minutes.

    Making taco chicken in frying pan.

    Four: Place the taco shells in a baking dish then spoon the chicken into the taco shells, top with the grated cheese, and oven bake (or grill) for five minutes until the cheese has melted.

    Five: Add toppings of choice and serve.

    Leftover roast chicken tacos in a baking dish.

    Top Tips

    • Hard corn tortilla shells can be quite brittle so be careful when taking them out of the packet. Use soft flour tortillas instead if you like.
    • Prep all of the topping ingredients the night before (apart from the avocado), to save time on the day and makes this a truly speedy meal.

    🍴 What to serve with chicken tacos

    Delicious topping ideas;

    1. Shredded lettuce
    2. Grated cheese
    3. Avocado
    4. Red onion
    5. Coriander
    6. Tomatoes
    7. Chili sauce
    8. Lime
    9. Sour cream
    10. Salsa
    11. Red peppers
    12. Guacamole
    13. Refried beans
    14. Mexican cheese

    To turn the meal into a proper taco night feast, I like to serve the tacos with spicy rice or turmeric rice, salad, slow cooker corn on the cob, and garlic bread.

    📖 Variations

    • Instead of using leftover chicken, you could also use leftover roast beef, pulled pork, or roast turkey.
    • Make fresh meat tacos with ground beef or turkey mince.
    • Like your food spicy? Add a chopped red chilli with the garlic.
    • Make fresh chicken tacos with either 2 large chicken breasts or 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs. Cut into small pieces and cook with the garlic.
    Chicken tacos in corn tortilla shells.

    🥡 Storage

    Store - Leftover chicken tacos are best eaten fresh. Cooked chicken cannot be reheated more than once.

    Freeze - The assembled tacos are not suitable for home freezing but cooked chicken can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before starting the recipe.

    ❓ Frequently asked questions

    Is Taco Seasoning good on chicken?

    Yes, it adds a lovely spicy smoky flavour to chicken.

    What's the difference between chicken fajitas and chicken tacos?

    The chicken in fajitas is usually mixed with grilled peppers and onions, which are cut into strips. In tacos, the vegetables are chopped or sliced and kept raw as a topping.

    Leftover chicken tacos.

    😋 More delicious chicken recipes

    • Creamy Paprika Chicken Pasta
    • Chicken Bolognese
    • Creme Fraiche Chicken
    • Garlic Butter Chicken

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    Recipe

    Chicken tacos.
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    5 from 16 votes

    Easy Leftover Chicken Tacos

    Make the best leftover chicken tacos with this quick, customisable recipe. Perfect for using up roast chicken, these tacos are packed with flavour. Add your favourite toppings like sour cream, chilli sauce, avocado, and more for a nutritious and tasty meal.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican
    Prep Time 8 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time 18 minutes minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 578kcal
    Author Beth Sachs
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    Equipment

    • Chopping Board
    • Knife
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Frying Pan
    • Wooden Spoon
    • Oven Proof Baking Dish

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary
    • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1 Garlic Clove peeled and chopped
    • 2 tablespoon Tomato Puree
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin
    • 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
    • 1 teaspoon Oregano
    • ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Pepper
    • 60 ml Boiling Water you can also use chicken stock)
    • 400 g Cooked Chicken diced or shredded
    • 8 Hard Corn Taco Shells or soft flour tortillas
    • 150 g Cheddar Cheese grated

    Topping Ideas

    • 1 Red Onion thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoon Coriander chopped
    • 1 Avocado halved, stone removed and chopped
    • 12 Cherry Tomatoes halved
    • 1 Lime quartered

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 fan/ Gas Mark 4/ 350F).
    • Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the garlic for two minutes.
      1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Garlic Clove
    • Add the tomato paste and taco spices. Stir to combine then pour in 60 ml of boiling water (you could also use chicken broth / chicken stock) and mix in with a wooden spoon.
      2 tablespoon Tomato Puree, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 1 teaspoon Oregano, ½ teaspoon Chili Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Pepper, 60 ml Boiling Water
    • Add the cooked chicken and cook on a medium high heat for two or three minutes.
      400 g Cooked Chicken
    • Place the taco shells in a baking dish then spoon the chicken into the taco shells, top with the grated cheese, and oven bake (or grill) for five minutes or until the cheese has melted.
      8 Hard Corn Taco Shells, 150 g Cheddar Cheese
    • Add toppings of choice and serve.
      1 Red Onion, 2 tablespoon Coriander, 1 Avocado, 12 Cherry Tomatoes, 1 Lime

    Video

    Notes

    Expert Tips:
    • Hard corn tortilla shells can be quite brittle so be careful when taking them out of the packet. Use soft flour tortillas instead if you like.
    • Prep all of the topping ingredients the night before (apart from the avocado), to save time on the day and makes this a truly speedy meal
     
    Variations:
    • Instead of using leftover chicken, you could also use leftover roast beef, pulled pork, or roast turkey.
    • Make fresh meat tacos with ground beef or turkey mince.
    • Fish tacos are also really tasty!
    • Like your food spicy? Add a chopped red chili with the garlic.
    • Make fresh chicken tacos with either 2 large chicken breasts or 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs. Cut into small pieces and cook with the garlic
     
    Nutrition:
    The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Leftover Chicken Tacos
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    578
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    35
    g
    54
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    13
    g
    81
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    15
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    114
    mg
    38
    %
    Sodium
     
    675
    mg
    29
    %
    Potassium
     
    806
    mg
    23
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    29
    g
    10
    %
    Fiber
     
    7
    g
    29
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    38
    g
    76
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1143
    IU
    23
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    25
    mg
    30
    %
    Calcium
     
    347
    mg
    35
    %
    Iron
     
    4
    mg
    22
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @effortlessf00d on Instagram or Twitter

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      Creamy Spinach and Blue Cheese Pasta
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      Easy Chicken Bolognese Recipe
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      Easy Leftover Roast Beef Stroganoff Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Natalie

      March 07, 2022 at 3:29 pm

      5 stars
      I love this idea. Looks amazing. My boys would love this I'm sure. I'm adding your recipe on my list to try. Thanks.

      Reply
    2. Toni

      March 07, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      5 stars
      This is so good! My family really loved it! Our new favorite for taco nights!

      Reply
    3. saif

      March 07, 2022 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      I didn't expect we can make a delicious taco using a leftover roasted chicken. Thanks for sharing this recipe

      Reply
    4. Kechi

      March 07, 2022 at 4:25 pm

      5 stars
      What a beautiful way to use leftover roast chicken. These tacos look so fresh and delicious!

      Reply
    5. Rachel

      March 07, 2022 at 4:49 pm

      5 stars
      This is brilliant, I never know what to do with the leftovers and I love tacos! Yum!

      Reply
    6. Stacey Crawford

      March 07, 2022 at 5:41 pm

      5 stars
      My family gets super excited when tacos are on the menu and this recipe is perfect for turning leftover chicken into a tasty taco fiesta.

      Reply
    7. Leanne

      January 11, 2024 at 4:38 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely yummy. The only complaint I have is that I had to go and stay at my Mums two days and only one night and my husband ate the lot. I at least did get to taste it before I left. 🙂

      Reply
    8. Elizabeth N Sailer Agnew

      November 14, 2024 at 11:58 pm

      5 stars
      These turned out great! I was able to fill 11 shells and between my husband and me we ate 10 of them!

      Reply
    9. Michael

      December 08, 2024 at 11:09 pm

      5 stars
      Was suspect of the cumin but this recipe was the bomb! Turned out awesome and wanted more but just didn't have the room.

      Reply
    5 from 16 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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    Hi, I'm Beth!

    Mum of three (and two crazy dogs), living in Cornwall, UK. I love creating easy, delicious and fuss-free recipes, perfect for busy families, just like my own.

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