20 minute ground chicken tacos with poblanos
by Katie Webster
November 3, 2020 (updated 2/3/21) Jump To Recipe
These 20 minute ground chicken tacos with poblano peppers come together so fast for an easy healthy dinner recipe.
I originally shared this recipe on July 13th, 2017. I have added more useful tips to share it with you again today.
Ingredients For This Recipe
Full measurements and instructions can be found below in the recipe card. Here are some helpful tips about the ingredients, purchasing tips and substitutions.
Corn tortillas
We like soft corn tortillas, but if you prefer the crunch of a cripsy corn tortilla, go ahead and use them instead. Follow the heating instructions on the package.
Cooking oil
Choose whichever neutral flavored cooking oil you prefer. I like avocado oil or organic canola oil.
Poblano chili pepper or green bell pepper
Poblano peppers are relatively mild chili peppers and add great mild spice for this recipe. If you do not like spicy food or you can’t find poblano, simply sub in a green pepper.
Chopped onion
You’ll need one cup of diced onion. Read more here about how to dice onion. You can use any color onion. If you have a lot of scallions or leeks and want to sub them, that is fine. Measure out 1 cup chopped.
Minced garlic
For great flavor use freshly chopped garlic. I prefer to use fresh over jarred because the jarred chopped garlic often contains preservatives and the flavor is not as clean.
Ground chicken
I adore cooking with ground chicken and really love the tender texture. If you cannot find it you can use ground turkey instead.
Spices
I use a blend of spices: Cumin, chili powder, salt and chipotle. If you don’t like heat, skip the chipotle. If you prefer to take a shortcut, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of Taco or Mexican seasoning plus salt to taste.
Tomato paste and Water
This helps to create the sauce for the taco filling. You can freeze any leftover tomato paste in 1 tablespoon portions in an ice cube tray.
Optional Garnishes: limes, salsa, lettuce, cabbage and avocado
I skip the high calorie cheese and sour cream and use the above healthy garnishes, but if you like to add in dairy, go for it!
How To Make 20 Minute Ground Chicken Tacos
Full instructions and printable recipe is available below in the recipe card.
- Heat your tortillas by wrapping them in foil and baking them or by wrapping them in moist paper towels and microwaving them.
- Start by cooking the onion, garlic and diced pepper in the skillet.
- Add in the ground chicken and break it up into pieces as it browns.
- Sprinkle on the spices and cook them to bloom them.
- Add in the tomato paste and water to make the sauce. Keep stirring until it forms a sauce.
To Serve
- Once the chicken mixture is cooked you’re ready to assemble your tacos!
- Fill each tortilla or taco shell with some of the chicken mixture.
- Top with cabbage, salsa, lettuce and avocado. You can also enjoy with lime wedges, pico de gallo and Guacamole!
Steps To Make This Recipe
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- 1. Cook poblano, onion and garlic in a large skillet with the oil for 5 to 8 minutes.
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- 2. Add the ground chicken to the skillet.
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- 3. Break up the chicken into small pieces as it becomes opaque. Cook until the chicken is completely cooked, 4 to 6 minutes.
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- 4. Add the chili, powder, cumin, salt and chipotle and stir to coat. Cook for about a minute until fragrant.
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- 5. Add tomato paste and water and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the water and it forms a sauce.
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- 6. Spoon the filling into tortillas and top with lettuce and salsa and any additional toppings you desire.
What To Serve With Ground Chicken Tacos
- These Tacos would be delicious with my Mexican Coleslaw and this Mexican Quinoa Salad.
- Or you could make this Mexican Bean Salad or this Mexican Corn Salad.
- For a full on Taco Party you could offer this chicken filling and Beef Barbacoa and let folks build their own taco platters.
- If you love Mexican food, make sure to check out my these Easy Chicken Enchiladas and my Steak Fajitas. They’re both great fast weeknight dinners you’ll love!
More Taco Recipes
- My new vegan Veggie Tacos with Black Beans are hearty and filling and nobody will miss the meat!
- These Cod Fish Tacos are amazingly delicious and super speedy too. The avocado crema is the best!
- These Maple Chipotle Flank Steak tacos are a little sweet and spicy and will rock your world.
- This meal prep Beef Barbacoa Taco recipe is made in the slow cooker and has a delicious corn salsa that goes with it.
- This Picadillo Taco recipe can be made with beef, venison or bison.
If you make these Ground Chicken Tacos, please come back and let me know by leaving a star rating and review!
Happy Cooking!
~Katie
Print
20 minute ground chicken tacos with poblanos
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: entree
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
20 minute ground chicken tacos with poblanos are the perfect super simple kid friendly Summer entree!
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or organic canola oil
- 1 poblano chili pepper or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
- limes, salsa, lettuce, cabbage and avocado for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in foil stacked in two packages of four. Place tortillas in hot oven to warm.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add poblano, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add chicken, and cook, breaking up into small pieces as it becomes opaque, until the chicken is completely cooked, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt and chipotle, and stir to coat until fragrant, 30 to 90 seconds. Add tomato paste and water and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the water and it forms a sauce to coat the chicken mixture.
- Serve the chicken in the warm tortillas and top with desired toppings.
Notes
To Meal Prep This Recipe
This filling can be meal prepped ahead up to four days. To reheat, heat until steaming hot in the microwave. Alternatively, rewarm with a couple tablespoons of water in a medium skillet over medium high heat, stirring often until steaming hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos each
- Calories: 333
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 487 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg
These made taco night a huge success! My family gobbled them up, they were gone in a flash!
★★★★★
That’s so great!
These are the best! I love poblanos!
★★★★★
What is the green salsa on top? Did you make it?
Hi Jasmine. It is Frontera brand. I like their tomatillo salsa a lot.
Mexican food is my go-to for weeknight meals! I can’t wait to add this to the rotation!
I have to agree with you. I keep a couple different Mexican spice blends on hand, and often find myself grabbing them when I am throwing together a weeknight meal in a hurry.
Oh, what fun memories! that’s great that she used to bring tortillas from Texas in her suitcase! I mean, in those days you probably couldn’t find a decent tortilla in Vermont! Your tacos look so fantastic! You learned well!
I think they came from a local tortilla factory in her city. It just recently shut down in the last couple years. They were out of this world!
What a colorful and gorgeous dish! Who needs to go out for Mexican when you can make these at home. And avocado just makes everything better!
Avocado really does make the world go round!
Tacos make an awesome meal option no matter what. Love how colorful your spread is.
We totally agree Anvita! They are year-round favorites here.
Love the color combinations of the ingredients in this recipe! Definitely looks delicious and awesome photos too!
With all the color, nobody will miss the cheese and sour cream!
I had to laugh because my Mama had an avocado green electric skillet too! The tacos sounds amazing and perfect timing since we’ve got poblanos coming in like crazy right now.
Those electric skillets need to make a comeback!
“Bill, there’s not a breath of air in this kitchen”
-Grandma Ginger
Your recipe and photos look great. Might have to break with tradition and have “Taco Thursday” tonight!
Ha! That sounds exactly like her! Good one Taylor. How is it almost Labor day and we haven’t had a taco party? Hope you are safe (and dry) down in Texas right now. xxoo
Tacos are one of my favourite things in the whole world. Your recipe looks really tasty
Wow, that’s awesome! Thanks so much for saying so. Have a great day Bintu.
Haha – yes, yes, I admit to having travelled with food in my suitcase – but never for feast as epic as the taco parties your Aunt Ginger prepped for! She sounds like such a delightful person! And – gosh, it sure would be a delight to indulge in tacos as flavor packed as these! Forget Thirsty Thursday – I say lets spread the taco love around from Tuesday and make it Taco Thursday too! 🙂
Glad to hear my family is not the only one who does that. She was and I miss her. I totally agree about Tacos on days other than Tuesday- they’re too good to limit them to one day of the week.
I love that you have made tacos so quick and easy. They sound delicious, and I love the pop of purple there too.
Thanks Danielle. I hope you try them!
Katie, these tacos must taste delicious! My mouth is watering here. I love your taco party tradition 🙂
Thanks so much Julia. Taco parties are the best!
Fab story – your Gran sounds pretty amazing and resilient. These tacos are lovely too – and slightly more manageable than several days worth of cooking.
Ha ha, slightly! Thanks so much for stopping by Jane.