I saw the little street taco shells at the grocery store and immediately put them in my cart.
Did I have a plan for them? Not really.
I just knew I wanted to make something with them, and chicken seemed like a good place to start. A little garlic and onion seasoning, some melted queso and cheddar, black olives, and guacamole turned those little shells into a pretty good dinner.
These Garlic Chicken Street Tacos are simple, filling, and easy enough for a weeknight when you don’t want to spend forever figuring out dinner.
Why These Street Tacos Work
I like these because there isn’t much to figure out.
The chicken gets seasoned with a handful of pantry staples, then sliced up and tucked into the taco shells with queso, cheddar, black olives, and guacamole. That’s really it.
That’s exactly what I want from dinner.
The smaller street taco shells also make these feel a different from regular taco night without requiring a completely different grocery list.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Street taco shells
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Butter
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Seasoning salt
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Queso
- Sliced black olives
- Guacamole
The recipe uses 2–3 chicken breasts for 12 tacos, so the amount of chicken you need will depend a little on the size of the breasts.
Recipe Tips
Slice the chicken thinly
Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest for a few minutes and then slice it into thin pieces. The smaller pieces work better in the little street taco shells and make them easier to eat.
Don’t skip the queso
The queso goes directly into the shells before the chicken, which gives you that creamy layer underneath everything else.
Add the toppings at the end
Once the chicken and cheese are in the shells, finish them with black olives and guacamole. You can add as much or as little as you like.
And if you’re feeding people who all want something slightly different on their tacos, this is an easy one to put together at the table.
Garlic Chicken Street Tacos
Ingredients
- 12 street taco shells
- 2 -3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 Tablespoons guacamole
- 1 small can sliced black olives
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup queso
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken breasts to the skillet. Sprinkle with half of the garlic powder, seasoning salt, and onion powder.
- Sauté for 10–15 minutes on one side. Turn the chicken over and season with the remaining garlic powder, onion powder, and seasoning salt.
- Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and let it rest for a few minutes. Slice it thinly.
- Spread approximately 2–3 tablespoons of queso into each street taco shell.
- Add 3–4 slices of chicken to each shell.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and sliced black olives.
- Top each taco with guacamole and serve.
How to Serve Them
These are pretty much a meal on their own, but you could easily add a few simple sides if you want to stretch taco night a little further.
A simple salad, some rice, or beans would all work well alongside them.
Or just put everything on the table and let everyone build their own tacos.
Sometimes taco night doesn’t need a whole production.
