This Mexican Chicken Thighs recipe is our ultimate go-to for tacos, salads, wraps, nachos, or chicken burrito bowls! Made with bold Mexican spices, this easy, healthy, and flavorful spicy chicken turns out incredibly juicy and packed with flavor.
5 Star Reviews
Sarah writes "This is our favorite taco seasoning for chicken! The kids love it and so do the adults! Thank you!" 
Elise writes "Had to come back to leave a review. After our grocery store stopped carrying McCormick Chicken taco seasoning I panicked as it was a staple. I looked up online how to make CHICKEN taco seasoning and came across this. It was so good and so much better than McCormick!"
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This is the only chicken recipe you’ll ever need for all your Mexican-inspired meals. It’s absolutely delicious served on its own as a main dish with some instant pot cilantro lime rice and a drizzle of our addictive cilantro lime sauce—or turn it into easy homemade burrito bowls, tacos, or salads.
Inspired by Chipotle’s grilled chicken, this recipe was born out of my kids constantly asking for more—and it costs just a fraction of takeout. What really makes this skillet-cooked chicken thighs recipe shine is the bold, balanced, Mexican-inspired seasoning blend.
While store-bought taco seasoning works in a pinch, I highly recommend using my homemade spice blend—it’s been a reader favorite for years. It adds the perfect balance of smokiness, warmth, and spice without overpowering the chicken. Plus, it's free from fillers and preservatives, giving your chicken a clean, bold flavor that tastes truly restaurant-quality.
I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they stay juicy and shred beautifully, plus they’re budget-friendly. But if you prefer, chicken breasts work just as well!
❤️ Reasons to Love This Mexican Chicken
Ultra-versatile: This is your go-to all-purpose chicken—perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, wraps, nachos, and more!
Quick & easy: On the table in just 20 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights.
One-skillet recipe: These flavorful thighs are pan-fried on the stovetop, so no oven or fancy equipment needed.
Juicy & tender: Using boneless chicken thighs ensures the meat stays incredibly moist and flavorful, especially when cooked in a cast-iron skillet.
Bold flavor: Every bite is packed with warm Mexican chicken spices—a balanced blend that’s savory, smoky, and just the right amount of spicy.
How to make Mexican-spiced chicken
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
👩🍳 Marinade for more flavor: After combining the chicken with the seasoning and oil, refrigerate for about two hours, or overnight for best results.
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What if I don't have cast-iron skillet?
My go-to pan for cooking juicy chicken thighs is a cast-iron skillet. It retains heat exceptionally well, creating a deep golden sear and a crispy crust while sealing in moisture for tender, flavorful meat. You might love this bottom round roast recipe made in a skillet.
That said, a good heavy-bottomed stainless steel or non-stick skillet will also work well—just be sure it can handle high heat for the best results.
Can I use breasts instead of thighs?
Absolutely! Season the chicken breasts as directed and cook them in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2–3 minutes, until golden. Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to low, add ⅓ cup of water, and cover with a lid. Let it cook for 10–15 minutes, or until fully cooked. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro, then raise the heat and cook until the liquid evaporates and the chicken is nicely coated.
How to serve Mexican chicken thighs?
These thighs are one of my go-to chicken recipes, and for good reason—they’re incredibly versatile! I make them repeatedly because they can be used in so many delicious ways. Here are a few ideas:
- Main course: Delicious as a main course for a weeknight dinner, paired with cilantro lime rice or the instant pot black beans and rice, a fresh salad, or roasted veggies and avocado.
- Chicken quesadillas: Chop the Mexican chicken thighs and combine it with chopped jalapeños, tomatoes, shredded Mexican cheese, and a bit of ranch dressing. Stuff the mixture into flour tortillas, then cook in a skillet until golden and crispy on both sides. Serve with a side of creamy guacamole for the perfect bite!
- Make chicken tacos: Chop and use it for tasty chicken tacos. For step-by-step instructions, check out our air fryer chicken tacos recipe!
- Chicken burrito bowl: For the ultimate homemade bowl that’s even better than Chipotle but at a fraction of the cost, check out the linked recipe for full instructions!
- Chicken nachos: Chop the Mexican chicken thighs into small pieces and use a nacho topping.
- Mexican chicken salad: Use this instead of shrimp in the Mexican shrimp pasta salad recipe.
Mexican Chicken Thighs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (700 gms) about 5
- 2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning click the linked recipe or refer notes for other options
- 2 tablepsoons vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup water or broth
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
Instructions
- Toss chicken thighs with taco seasoning and vegetable oil, until evenly combined.
- Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs, smooth side down, in a single layer, and cook for 6 minutes.
- Using tongs, flip the chicken and continue cooking for 4 more minutes or until no longer pink. Pour the water, lemon juice and cilantro. gently move around the chicken
- Add water or broth, lemon juice, and chopped cilantro. Stir to evenly distribute the liquid, then increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a plate.
- 👉 For tacos, nachos, burrito bowls, and more, I like to dice the cooked chicken and return it to the cold skillet. I toss it around to soak up all the flavorful pan drippings before adding it to my favorite dish.
Notes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Frequestly asked questions
Season the chicken tenders as instructed and cook them in a skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Flip the tenders, cover with a lid, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until fully cooked. Stir in ¼ cup of water, lemon juice, and cilantro, then increase the heat and cook until the liquid evaporates and the chicken is perfectly coated.
I usually double this pan fried chicken recipe, chop it up, and freeze it in a zipper bag for those busy weeknights. It’s such a lifesaver! I simply thaw what I need on the counter for about 30 minutes and whip up a quick quesadilla for the kids or tacos for a family dinner.
More easy chicken recipes
If you’re always looking for flavorful, reliable recipes with chicken thighs, you’re in for a treat. These easy chicken dishes are quick to make, packed with bold flavor, and perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep.
- Make instant pot chicken shawarma at home using the best marinade made with pantry spices. The chicken thighs cook up juicy, tender, and packed with flavor.
- These blackened chicken breasts guarantee juicy and incredibly flavorful chicken with minimal prep!
- This grilled chicken thighs recipe guarantees juicy and super flavorful chicken every time!
- Easy Peruvian chicken thighs are made with simple supermarket ingredients, yet deliver bold, irresistible flavor.
Katherine | Love In My Oven
What a great staple item - I need to make a batch of this and keep it for weekday lunches!!
Maria Doss
Thank you Kathy. I'm sure your boys will love it too:)
Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
I love chicken and spice!! I totally need to try this in my cast iron pan. You make this chicken look drool worthy Maria! 🙂
Maria Doss
Thank you so much Kelly for the sweet words:)
Christina
I’m a huge fan of Mexican anything, too!!! In fact, the husband and I eat tacos for dinner 2x a week. Sometimes more depending on the week. By the look of the recipe and photos, my husband and I would go bonkers over this. It looks amazing!
Maria Doss
Aww....you are very sweet. Thank you Christina, your family will love this 🙂
Bridget
Really good! I sliced boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Marinated for about an hour, and cooked them in my cast iron skillet.
Maria Doss
So glad that you liked it 🙂
Iris
This was delicious! I had some chicken breasts and no plan so I spiced them up with this recipe and cooked them (not cast iron) and they are so good! We put them in salad and next to mac & cheese.
Joan
So, perhaps I’m not looking well enough, but, what are the measurements for the spices. I see you list the ingredients but not the amounts for each.
Maria Doss
Hi Joan, I apologize if it wasn't clear. If you click on the taco seasoning (in the ingredients), it will show you the detailed recipe for homemade chicken taco seasoning. Hope it helps:)
Tye Baker
I'm excited to try this recipe tomorrow night. I am going to use it for chicken nachos, but shred the meat. No doubt it's going to be amazing. Will keep you posted on the feedback from my guests.
Maria Doss
Hi Tye, Sounds great, happy holidays:)