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These Chicken Smash Tacos 3 Ways might be one of the coolest and easiest ways I’ve made tacos. Ground chicken is smashed directly onto tortillas and cooked meat-side down in a hot skillet so it forms a crispy, flavorful base for your favorite toppings. I make them with Caesar, cheeseburger, and buffalo chicken toppings, and each one hits a different craving. My family honestly can’t get enough of them.
Once I started testing smash tacos with ground chicken, I knew they were going to become a regular dinner in my kitchen. The technique is simple. I spread seasoned ground chicken right onto flour tortillas, cook them meat-side down in a hot skillet, and let the chicken crisp up while the tortilla gets golden. After that, it’s all about the toppings. I rotate between cheeseburger toppings with American cheese and pickles, a buffalo chicken version with ranch slaw and green onions, and a Caesar taco loaded with romaine, croutons, and Parmesan. It’s the same easy method every time, just three totally different flavor combinations.
Tips for Beginners
- Spread the chicken into a very thin, even layer across the tortilla. Thin meat cooks quickly and allows the chicken to crisp instead of steaming.
- Avoid thick layers of meat. If the chicken is too thick, the outside will brown before the inside fully cooks.
- Always cook the tacos meat-side down first. This allows the chicken to make direct contact with the hot skillet so it browns and develops a crispy edge.
- Use medium-high heat for the skillet. Lower heat won’t create that golden, crispy chicken, and the tortillas can turn soft instead.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Cook 2 to 3 tacos at a time so the pan stays hot and each taco browns properly.
Chicken Smash Tacos 3 Ways
Ingredients
For the Ground Chicken
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 8 small six-inch flour tortillas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Cheeseburger Tacos
- 6 slices American cheese
- 24 pickle chips
- 2 roma tomatoes chopped
- 1½ cups chopped iceberg lettuce
- ½ cup burger sauce
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
- 2 cups coleslaw mix
- ⅓ cup ranch dressing
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
- 2 green onions chopped
Chicken Caesar Tacos
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- ½ cup Caesar dressing
- 1 cup roughly chopped croutons
- 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the ground chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.1 lb ground chicken, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp paprika
- Spread an equal amount of the meat mixture onto each tortilla.8 small
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Place 1-3 (depending on skillet or griddle size) tortillas, meat-side down, onto the skillet.1 tbsp olive oil
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until the meat is browned. Then, flip the tortillas and cook for another minute.
Cheeseburger Tacos
- While the taco is still in the skillet, top with 1 slice of American cheese. Remove from pan once melted. Top each taco with 3 pickle chips, a sprinkle of chopped tomatoes, and lettuce. Spoon burger sauce over the top.6 slices American cheese, 24 pickle chips, 2 roma tomatoes, 1½ cups chopped iceberg lettuce, ½ cup burger sauce
Buffalo Chicken Tacos
- Combine the coleslaw mix and ranch dressing in a bowl. Top each taco with a drizzle of buffalo sauce, about 1/3 cup of coleslaw mix, and a sprinkle of green onion.2 cups coleslaw mix, ⅓ cup ranch dressing, ½ cup buffalo sauce, 2 green onions
Chicken Caesar Tacos
- Combine the romaine lettuce and caesar dressing in a bowl. Top each taco with an equal amount of caesar salad. Sprinkle with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese.2 cups shredded romaine lettuce, ½ cup Caesar dressing, 1 cup roughly chopped croutons, 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Becky’s Tips
- Ground turkey and ground beef can also be used.
- Add avocado slices to the Caesar version.
- Swap ranch for blue cheese dressing in the buffalo tacos.
- Use corn tortillas for a gluten-free option.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Chicken Smash Tacos 3 Ways Step by Step
Gather all the ingredients together. (Cheeseburger chicken smash tacos ingredients pictured.)
Season the chicken: In a large bowl, combine 1 lb ground chicken, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, and ¼ tsp paprika. Mix until the seasonings are evenly distributed.
Spread chicken on tortillas: Divide the seasoned chicken mixture evenly between 8 small (6-inch) flour tortillas. Spread the chicken into a thin, even layer across each tortilla, pressing it gently to cover the surface.
Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Working in batches, place 1-3 tortillas meat-side down in the hot skillet, depending on the size of your pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is browned and cooked through.
Crisp the tortillas: Flip the tortillas and cook for about 1 more minute, until the tortillas are lightly golden and crisp.
Add the toppings.
Cheeseburger Tacos: While the taco is still in the skillet, place 1 slice American cheese on top of the cooked chicken and let it melt. Remove the taco from the skillet. Top each taco with 3 pickle chips, a spoonful of the chopped 2 Roma tomatoes, and a sprinkle of the 1½ cups chopped iceberg lettuce. Drizzle with burger sauce from the ½ cup prepared.
Buffalo Chicken Tacos: In a small bowl, combine 2 cups coleslaw mix and ⅓ cup ranch dressing until the slaw is evenly coated. Top each taco with a drizzle of the ½ cup buffalo sauce, about ⅓ cup of the ranch slaw mixture, and a sprinkle of the 2 chopped green onions.
Caesar Tacos: In a bowl, toss 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce with ½ cup Caesar dressing until coated. Divide the Caesar salad between the tacos, then sprinkle each with roughly chopped croutons from the 1 cup prepared and grated Parmesan from the 3 tablespoons.
Fold and serve: Fold the tacos in half and serve immediately while warm and crispy. Enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover cooked chicken smash tacos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best texture, keep the toppings separate and add them fresh when serving. To reheat, warm the tacos in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the tortilla crisps up again and the chicken is heated through. Avoid reheating in the microwave, as the tortillas tend to become soft instead of crispy.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken smash tacos are one of my favorite quick dinners when I want something fun but easy. I like serving them right out of the skillet while the tortillas are still crispy. If I’m making them for a casual dinner or game night, I set out all three topping options so everyone can build their own tacos. The cheeseburger version always disappears first, but the buffalo and Caesar ones add great variety. I love serving them with air fryer sweet potato fries. Air fryer onion rings are another great option. For a lighter dinner, I sometimes serve them with a crunchy slaw or a simple avocado salad.
More Fun Ways to Enjoy Tacos
- Taco Stuffed Shells: These taco stuffed shells are a fun mashup of two comfort foods. Jumbo pasta shells are filled with taco-seasoned meat, topped with plenty of melted cheese, and baked until bubbly for a hearty dinner.
- Taco Skillet: This easy taco skillet is a one-pan dinner loaded with seasoned ground beef, black beans, salsa, and melty cheese. It’s perfect for nights when you want taco flavor without assembling individual tacos.
- Taco Ring: This taco ring wraps seasoned taco meat and cheese in crescent roll dough, then bakes into a golden, pull-apart dinner that’s perfect for parties, game day, or taco night.
- Taco Salad: This taco salad has all the bold flavor of classic tacos in a hearty, loaded salad bowl. Crisp lettuce is piled high with seasoned ground beef, beans, cheese, and fresh veggies for an easy, satisfying meal that comes together in about 35 minutes.
