Adobo Chicken Tacos

Name: Adobo Chicken Tacos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs; 6 tablespoons adobo Seasoning; street-style tortillas (corn or flour); cotija or feta cheese; hot sauce (optional); 8 ounces shredded Coleslaw mix (I used half of a 16-ounce bag of pre-shredded Coleslaw mix); 2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh-squeezed ); ¼ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon cumin; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

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These Adobo Chicken Tacos can be dinner-ready quickly - even if you have to make your own Adobo seasoning (this recipe is super easy!). No chicken marinating time is required as the dry adobo seasoning brings a lot of bold flavors to these tacos.

Adobo seasoning has quickly become one of my go-to seasonings because it's 1) easy to make and 2) endlessly customizable. Well-seasoned chicken can be whipped up quickly without hours of marinading, which is perfect for weekday meals.

And what else is perfect for weekday meals? TACOS!

Boneless skinless chicken thighs are my cut of choice for this Adobo Chicken Taco recipe (thick thighs save lives!), but you could also use chicken breasts. You can use any cooking preparation you'd like for your chicken - baked, pan-fried, grilled, air-fried, etc. - but plan on around 16-20 minutes of chicken cooking time.

If you'd prefer to air fry your chicken, I happen to have Air Fryer Adobo Chicken instructions right here :). The chicken thighs take 18-20 minutes to air fry and cooks to perfection without using any cooking oil or butter.

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Reasons to Love These Adobo Chicken Tacos
What is Adobo Seasoning?
Ingredients
How to Make Adobo Chicken Tacos - Directions
Top Tips for the BEST Adobo Chicken Tacos
Recipe FAQs
More Tacos
Adobo Chicken Tacos

Reasons to Love These Adobo Chicken Tacos

Bold flavor - This adobo recipe has garlic powder, onion powder, Mexican oregano, cumin, chili powder, and more, making it a bold addition to chicken for tacos.
It's versatile - Adobo's flavors are versatile, meaning you can pair it with most any kind of accompaniment you like! I provide a recipe for a simple coleslaw below, but I've also paired it with refried beans by adding a swipe to the tortilla ahead of the chicken. You could also top it with some homemade pico de gallo with jalapeno.

What is Adobo Seasoning?

Adobo seasoning is an all-purpose seasoning like seasoned salt. It typically contains salt, garlic powder, oregano, turmeric, black pepper, and other Latin spices. It’s great for quickly flavoring everything from meat proteins to seafood to vegetables. You’ve likely seen premade versions from brands like GOYA in the spice aisle at the grocery store, but you can easily make your own at home. And tweak it in fun and interesting ways, as I did in this recipe to make it spicy by adding chili powder, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of sugar.

Homemade Adobo Chicken Seasoning in a glass jar.

Ingredients

Adobo seasoning is one of those all-purpose seasonings that you can easily make from seasoning staples like garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. Mine strays from traditional adobo seasonings because I wanted to bring the heat with cayenne pepper and chili powder. One of the best things about homemade adobo seasoning is that it can be used in many applications, even if your meal doesn't slant Latin American.

This recipe is one of those guideline recipes, but it aims to serve approximately 4 people (estimating 2 chicken thighs per person).

Boneless skinless chicken thighs - Chicken thigh meat is super juicy, and I love it against the bold flavors of adobo. They make for moist, juicy chicken tacos.
Adobo Seasoning - Opt for a store-purchased adobo seasoning or try making my homemade dry adobo seasoning. It makes 6 tablespoons which is enough to generously coat 8 chicken thighs.
Coleslaw - See the recipe below for a pretty simple 'slaw.
Street-style tortillas (corn or flour) - Use whichever you prefer. I used charred corn tortillas as pictured which I achieve by cooking them for a few seconds over a gas oven stove burner.
Crumbly cheese (optional) - Cotija, feta, either are great here.
Hot sauce (optional) - Add some Cholula, Tapatio, or Tabasco for a bit of heat.

Accompanying Coleslaw

Shredded coleslaw mix - Pick up a pre-shredded package to save time.
Lime juice - Fresh squeezed for best results.
Cumin - Brings earthiness.
Cayenne pepper - Optional, but brings some heat.

*A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!

Adobo Chicken Tacos with a simple coleslaw and cotija cheese served on a serving board.

How to Make Adobo Chicken Tacos - Directions

Here's how you bring all the components together. The following directions are more like guidelines - I would recommend preparing 2 chicken thighs per person, which makes 3-4 tacos (depending on the size of your tortillas). Make the coleslaw first.

Step 1. Add all coleslaw dressing ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined. Pour dressing over sliced cabbage and mix until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 2. Aggressively season each nook and cranny of your chicken thighs with adobo seasoning. You can of course go lighter on the seasoning if you aren't a salt-lover like I am; you will likely have some leftover seasoning if you opt for a lighter application.
Step 3. Cook your chicken using your cooking method of choice (plan on 16-20 minutes of chicken cook time). Check for doneness using a food thermometer. Check out these instructions for the perfect Air Fryer Adobo Chicken.
Step 4. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting or serving.
Step 5. Cut chicken into slices.
Step 6. Put a tortilla on a plate. Add a few slices of chicken, then top with coleslaw. Sprinkle on some crumbly cheese and add a few dashes of hot sauce (optional). Repeat, then dig in!

Adobo Chicken Taco Meat resting on a wooden cutting board.

Top Tips for the BEST Adobo Chicken Tacos

Make your own seasoning. Try making homemade adobo seasoning! You likely already have the spices at home and you can customize it to suit your tastes.

Use chicken thighs. That dark meat stays nice and juicy and is more forgiving if overcooked than breast meat is.

Let that chicken rest! Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after cooking so the juices have time to redistribute throughout the meat.

Char those tortillas. Heat tortillas in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When heating up, flip frequently to ensure the tortilla doesn’t burn. I like to cook them until I start seeing some browning in areas. Alternatively, if you have a gas stove you can char tortillas over an open flame, using a tongs to hold the tortilla above the fire.

Sliced Adobo Chicken Thighs sitting on a wooden cutting board.

Recipe FAQs

What does Adobo Chicken taste like?

Adobo seasoned chicken tastes like an earthy blend of classic savory flavors; it's salty with hints of heat and umami. If you're using the recipe I provided for homemade Adobo Seasoning, you'll detect more heat than more traditional recipes. You'll probably also pick up on garlic and onion flavors, as well as earthy cumin. Chicken is the perfect vehicle for adobo seasoning because the mild-flavored protein lets the flavors really shine.

What should I serve with Adobo Chicken Tacos?

Definitely one of these sides pairs well with these tacos.
Easy Seasoned Refried Beans - Canned beans speed up the process, and seasoning brings mad flavor.
Restaurant Style Refried Beans from a Can - Doctor up canned refried beans with these tasty tips.
Spicy Watermelon Feta Salad - Zesty, sweet, and salty, this fresh salad has complex, fresh flavors.
Zesty Baked Potato Soup - Super cozy, creamy, and a lovely accompanying side.
Tex-Mex Pasta Salad - Perfect if you're grilling your chicken, this pasta salad is a cool side dish with a Tex-Mex flair.

What can you use homemade adobo seasoning for besides chicken?

Pork, beef, shrimp, fish, potatoes, corn, well you get the idea. Adobo seasoning is fantastic on pretty much everything protein or vegetable. It’s a good all-purpose seasoning that you can simply sprinkle on, use as a rub, or as a base for a marinade. When using keep in mind that it is salt-forward.

Adobo seasoning vs. taco seasoning. What's the difference?

There's a lot of overlap in ingredients in adobo vs. taco seasoning so it should come as no surprise that they also share similar flavor profiles. So what's the defining difference between the two? I would say that adobo seasoning leans earthy and smokey with strong salty undertones - since it is used as an all-purpose seasoning. Taco seasoning is more savory and less salty - it's also earthy, but less so than adobo because it doesn't contain as much oregano. If you want to know more about the differences between adobo seasoning vs. taco seasoning, this will tell you everything you need to know.

More Tacos

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