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cooked brown chicken thighs placed in a round plate.
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Mexican Spiced Chicken Thighs

This Mexican Spiced Chicken Thighs recipe is your ultimate go-to for tacos, salads, wraps, nachos, or chicken burrito bowls! With bold spices, this chicken comes out incredibly juicy and packed with flavor, all in under 20 minutes!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Mexican chicken recipe, Mexican chicken seasoning, Mexican chicken thighs, Mexican spiced chicken, Mexican style chicken, spicy Mexican chicken
Prep Time 6 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 210kcal
Author Maria Doss

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs 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

Marinade for more flavor: After combining the chicken with the seasoning and oil, refrigerate for about two hours, or overnight for best results.
 Seasoning - Use 2 tablespoons of store-bought taco seasoning instead of our homemade recipe or use the following instead:
  • 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

Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg