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Chicken tacos.
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5 from 14 votes

Easy Leftover Chicken Tacos

Quick and easy leftover chicken tacos made with leftover roast chicken! Perfect for a quick Monday night dinner using your Sunday roast leftovers
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 578kcal
Author Beth Sachs

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.
  • 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.
  • Add the cooked chicken and cook on a medium high heat for two or three minutes.
  • 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.
  • Add toppings of choice and serve.

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