Pulled Chicken Tacos
These Pulled Chicken Tacos are seasoned with a delicious blend of spices, then cooked on the stove top in under 20 minutes. The tender chicken is pulled apart then added to a mixture of peppers, onions and crushed tomatoes. A handful of Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese plus the mixture is stuffed inside sauce coated tortillas. The tortillas are pan fried until golden and crispy and the cheese is melted.

Taco night is always a fun night in my household. There’s just something about handheld food that is more fun. Perhaps it’s because it allows us to be more messy and carefree.
If you asked what my favorite chicken taco recipe was. It would be this. These Pulled Chicken Tacos are a taco that my family wants to eat again and again. They’re loaded with flavor from the blend of spices that coats the chicken as well as the peppers, onions and crushed tomatoes. The crushed tomatoes along with the water that the chicken cooks in creates a flavorful sauce that makes these moist and just flat out GOOD. Let’s get cooking this chicken tacos recipe, shall we?
Here’s what you need to know…
Whether you call them shredded chicken tacos or pulled chicken tacos, doesn’t matter. The chicken in these is tender, moist and flavorful. The chicken is first pan seared to achieve more flavor. Once it achieves a golden brown crust, water is added to the pan, then the pan is covered. This keeps most of the steam from the water from escaping from the pan, resulting in a more moist chicken. Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F, the chicken is done.
Shredding the chicken
The shredded chicken tacos can be achieved from either shredding the chicken in the pan or on a cutting board. I removed my pan from the burner and shredded the chicken in the pan, but you can do whichever you prefer. Once done, remove the chicken from the pan, along with the liquid and set aside in a bowl.
Cooking the peppers and onions
The pepper and onions are cooked directly in the same skillet. Heat up some olive oil, then add the peppers and onions. Make sure you stir frequently. After roughly 5 minutes, the peppers and onions should be tender. Now it’s time to add the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken and crushed tomatoes to the mixture and stir to combine.
Assembling
Place one side of the tortilla on top of the chicken/pepper mixture. Gently press down to coat in sauce. This adds flavor to the tortilla. Next, you can assemble on a cutting board or plate, or directly in the skillet. The sauce side of the tortilla will face down. Then you’ll add to one half of the tortilla the chicken/pepper mixture, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese, then fold the tortilla half with no filling on top of the filling.
Cook until crispy and golden
Now it’s time to cook the tacos. You can either add the tacos to a nonstick skillet without oil or with oil. Adding oil helps them get crispier, but it is certainly not necessary. If you add oil, heat the oil over medium heat, then add the tacos to the skillet. Cook until golden on each side. Serve with sour cream and enjoy!

If you make this Chicken Taco recipe, let me know what you thought in the ratings and comments below. I love hearing your feedback! Also, make sure you find me on youtube and instagram where you can see the full cooking video for these as well as some fun behind the scenes.
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Pulled Chicken Tacos
Description
These Pulled Chicken Tacos are seasoned with a delicious blend of spices, then cooked on the stove top in under 20 minutes. The tender chicken is pulled apart then added to a mixture of peppers, onions and crushed tomatoes. A handful of Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese plus the mixture is stuffed inside sauce coated tortillas. The tortillas are pan fried until golden and crispy and the cheese is melted.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups water
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
- 8 small flour tortillas
Instructions
1. In a large bowl or large ziptop bag, add chicken, oregano, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Turn/shake chicken to evenly coat spices and oil over chicken.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sear on each side to achieve a golden brown crust. Cook for roughly 5 minutes on first side, then flip and cook 1 minute on additional side. Add water to skillet. Cover with lid and simmer chicken for 8-10 minutes, until internal temperature is 165F. Shred the chicken with two forks. You can remove the chicken from the skillet and shred on a cutting board. Set the chicken aside in a bowl with the leftover liquid from the pan.
3. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add crushed tomato and chicken to skillet and stir to combine.
4. Place a flour tortilla on top of the mixture and gently press down to get some of the sauce on the tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
5. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil (if you want them crispier. You can skip the oil if you don’t want them as crispy).
6. You can assemble the tacos before placing in skillet, or assemble in the skillet.
7. Add tortilla, sauce side down to skillet. Add chicken and pepper mixture, then add cheese. Using tongs, or a spatula, fold tortilla in half. Add another tortilla on the other side of the skillet, if there is room, sauce side down. Add chicken and pepper mixture, then cheese. Fold tortilla in half. Cook until tortilla is golden and crispy on one side, then flip and cook on remaining side. Remove tacos from skillet and set aside on a plate. You can cover with a kitchen towel to keep them warm. Repeat with remaining tortillas and mixture.
8. Serve with sour cream and enjoy!