Air Fryer Chicken Street Tacos

Air fryer chicken street tacos are so easy to make, you will want to pretend it's Taco Tuesday every night. This delicious chicken is so full of flavor, and the best part, is you only need a few ingredients to make this meal.

Once we found street tacos at a food truck event, they became a favorite in our household. We now add them to our weeknight dinners because they are so easy to make!

You can also add fun flavors and additions to the chicken, such as sun-dried tomatoes or even salsa.

Jump to:

• WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
• INGREDIENTS
• DIRECTIONS
• VARIATIONS
• EXPERT TIPS
• STORING AND REHEATING
• FAQ's
• MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Because the tacos can be served with SO many different vegetables as toppings, this meal never gets boring. You can change it each time you make it, and the chicken is so full of flavor, it will be a delicious meal each time.

These soft tacos are are so delicious and simple, making them perfect for busy nights. You can just top them with shredded cheese and salsa and serve for a fast dinner!

If you love easy air fryer recipes, try our air fryer chicken thighs, air fryer tortilla chips, or air fryer teriyaki chicken.

INGREDIENTS

• flour tortillas-four to six inches. You can also use corn tortillas if you prefer.
• olive oil
• skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless thighs-cut into strips
• chili powder
• salt
• black pepper

OPTIONAL: TOPPINGS

DIRECTIONS

STEP 1
If the chicken breast is not already sliced, cut the pieces of chicken into strips, then place the pieces of chicken into a medium bowl.

STEP 2
In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir them until the seasonings have coated each piece.

STEP 3
Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray, or line with air fryer parchment paper. Then place the seasoned chicken in air fryer basket, in a single layer, without overlapping.

STEP 4
Air fry at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes. Flip chicken over and then continue air frying for an additional five minutes. Chicken should be golden brown and have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F if using a digital cooking thermometer.

STEP 5
Top tortillas or taco shells with chicken and then your favorite taco toppings.

Looking for more easy recipes? Check out this great list of over 100 Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners.

VARIATIONS

Because of their bite-size pieces of chicken, these tacos are fun to serve at parties or you can serve them with their sides as a taco bar. 

Besides the ingredients to actually make the tacos, you only need whatever additional toppings you are going to put on them after they are done. Because there are so many options, we usually start with cheese, like this Tillamook cheese. But you can have as few or as many toppings, as you like.

Our favorite toppings include:

• shredded cheddar cheese-Monterrey Jack, Mexican cheese blend, or cotija cheese are also great choices! We like lots of cheese on our tacos!
• chopped onions
• sliced avocados
• sliced jalapenos
• chopped tomatoes
• guacamole
• salsa or hot sauce
• pico de gallo
• refried beans (or black beans)
• cilantro

You can also season the chicken with your own homemade taco seasoning and a squeeze of lime juice. Changing the spices can change the flavors very easily!

One the chicken is cooked, you can chop or shred it for your tacos! Shredded chicken is so easy to use for this recipe. Just grab two forks and pull the chicken in separate directions until it's shredded.

Save your leftover chicken and use it to make chicken nachos the next day, or air fryer chicken fajitas. 

If you want to use ground beef, you can follow this air fryer ground beef recipe.

EXPERT TIPS

When you need and even faster prep time, you can grab stir fry chicken because they are already cut into strips. This makes it easier for the seasonings to coat each piece and saves time!

If you want warm tortillas, you can place the tortillas in microwave and heat them for about 30 seconds. For crispy tacos, use shells or microwave the tortillas for 60 seconds or air fry them for 1-3 minutes until they crisp up. 

I use a Cosori air fryer to cook the chicken. Because air fryers can cook a little differently depending on your air fryer model and wattages, cook times may need to be adjusted by a few minutes.

When you add the chicken to the air fryer basket, try not to overcrowd or have the strips overlap. This will ensure all parts of the chicken cook evenly.

You might like our Air Fryer Mini Tacos or this list of Mexican Air Fryer Recipes. Looking for more? Check out this article where we share our favorite top 50 air fryer chicken recipes.

STORING AND REHEATING

Store leftover cooked chicken in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

To reheat the chicken, return chicken to the air fryer and air fry at 350°F cooking time until chicken is heated through.

FAQ's

MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES

I hope you love making these air fryer chicken street tacos as much as we do! Change them to you liking and top them with your favorite toppings and sauces!

📖 Recipe