Weeknight Rotisserie Chicken Tacos

Aren’t tacos amazing? While eating Taco Bell as a teenager, little did I know that a few hundred miles directly south, people were churning out authentic Mexican homemade taco shells, filled with fresh meat, exotic spices and rolling them up into pure bliss. And had been doing so for centuries. Tacos are so versatile, so easy and you can turn just about anything into a taco filling.

Why These Rotisserie Chicken Tacos Make Taco Tuesday Easy

These Rotisserie Chicken Tacos aren’t your regular taco seasoned meat tacos. Unique with flavor and quick to the table, you’ve got chicken tacos that you’ll think about long after the meal is done. Let’s take a look:

• These are chicken tacos with potatoes. You’ll learn a super quick method to cook potatoes in the microwave in just 4 minutes!
• The chicken and the potatoes are drizzled with a tingling chipotle vinaigrette.
• There’s so much flavor, we’ll keep the toppings simple with sliced avocado and sliced jalapeno pepper.
• This is a Rick Bayless recipe, which he calls Chicken Salad Tacos. Rick specializes in authentic Mexican food, but has no issues taking modern liberties with his creations. This is a great example of thinking outside the taco shell box.

When you need dinner fast, these rotisserie chicken tacos are the ticket. A recipe that is so very easy and so packed with flavor.

• Romaine Lettuce: Flavoring lettuce makes these somewhat of a chicken salad tacos.
• Corn Tortillas: Note: I have made my own corn tortillas using blue and red masa. Purchase soft corn tortillas from the Mexican food aisle at the store. Either yellow or white corn tortillas will work.
• Potatoes
• Rotisserie Chicken
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
• Avocado
• Onions
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Mexican Oregano: Mexican oregano has lemon and citrus flavors which always pair well with spicy Mexican recipes.
• Olive Oil

Ingredient Substitutions

• Lettuce: Romaine lettuce is a very crispy lettuce. Avoid substituting softer lettuces such as red leaf, rather choose Iceberg Lettuce for that crispy texture.
• Potatoes: I like those small red skinned potatoes for this recipe because you don’t have to peel them. A very good substitute would be small Yukon Gold Potatoes. Creamy in texture and no peeling required.
• Chicken: The beauty of these tacos is that using a rotisserie chicken makes this an easy fix. You can also cook and shred either boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts.
• Oregano: If you can’t find Mexican oregano, please don’t substitute the more commonly found Mediterranean oregano. The flavor profiles are not similar. A better substitute is Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.

Making rotisserie chicken tacos are a breeze. Let’s get started.

1. Step 1: Prepare the potatoes. Slice the potatoes and place in a microwave safe bowl. Drizzle them with ¼ cup water, or better yet, chicken broth. Add about a teaspoon of kosher salt, cover with plastic wrap and using a fork, poke a few holes in the top of the plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Reserve potato water.
2. Step 2: Using a fork, rough chop the potatoes. Set aside.

3. Step 3: Make the vinaigrette seasoning. Add vinegar, oregano, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, and onion to the bowl with the potato cooking water to make a dressing.
4. Step 4: Using a whisk, mix well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

5. Step 5: Scoop the potatoes into a large bowl. Add the shredded rotisserie chicken and drizzle on the dressing and toss everything together. Refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes to blend flavors.
6. Step 6: Just before serving, add the lettuce and avocado to the bowl. Drizzle with the oil and toss to combine. 

TIP: Serve with warmed corn tortillas and enjoy. Serve with a wedge of lime. A squeeze of lime juice will brighten flavors even more.

Variations, Favorite Taco Toppings

From crunchy and fresh to creamy and cool, here are some great ideas for additional toppings.

• Instead of sliced avocado, once the tacos are assembled, add a dollop of Molcajete Guacamole on top.
• Radishes are a common topping for Mexican tacos. Add some thin slices on top.
• Trying to save on carbs? Use cooked small cauliflower florets instead.
• Sprinkle on some Mexican crumbling cheese such as Cotija cheese. Feta cheese is a good substitution if you don’t have Cotija.
• Want to make this a vegetarian taco? Substitute white beans for the chicken.
• Use street taco size flour tortillas.
• I personally don’t think a taco should be served without slices of fresh jalapeno pepper and chopped cilantro. And always squeezed lime juice.
• A dollop of sour cream or Mexican Crema would be nice here.

Equipment Needed

• Microwave Safe Bowls: I don’t know how I ever lived without my nesting microwave safe bowls. They’re easy to store because they stack inside each other. And there are nine sizes, convenient for about anything you’re cooking up.

Storage

Unfortunately once these tacos are mixed together, storing leftovers won’t work. The vinegar in the dressing will wilt the lettuce once it sits for awhile.

Recipe For Rotisserie Chicken Tacos

Chicken tacos with rotisserie chicken makes these chicken salad tacos a breeze to make. A great recipe to have in your back pocket for an easy weeknight meal. I hope you give them a try.

And if you’re taco crazy like us, don’t miss my taco category. You’ll find lots of great taco recipes, including the most popular on my site for Pork Tenderloin Tacos.