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Two air fryer chicken tacos on a plate with sour cream on top.
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Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tacos

Shredded chicken tacos in the air fryer are flavorful and a breeze to make. These delicious air fryer chicken tacos make for a quick weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword air fryer chicken tacos, air fryer tacos, shredded chicken for tacos
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 552kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • 2 Shredding claws or two forks to shred the chicken

Ingredients

Seasoning for Chicken

  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper if desired

Shredded Chicken

  • 1 pound chicken thighs boneless, skinless and trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Pico de gallo

  • 1 tomato cored and chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Jalapeño diced, optional
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice from fresh lime

Taco ingredients

  • 6 large flour or corn tortillas
  • 1 cup iceberg lettuce shredded
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Pull out and measure all of the ingredients.
    Ingredients to make shredded chicken tacos in the air fryer.
  • In a bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cayenne.
    Chicken is seasoned on a plate and ready to go into the air fryer.
  • Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub chicken with oil, and sprinkle spice mixture evenly. Put chicken in air-fryer basket and place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees.
    Chicken is in the air fryer ready to cook.
  • Cook until chicken temperature reaches 175 degrees; 12 to 16 minutes, flipping and rotating chicken halfway through cooking.
    Cooked chicken thighs in the air fryer basket.
  • Meanwhile, combine tomato, onion, jalapeño, and lime juice in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside until ready to serve.
    Making the salsa using tomato, onion, jalapeño, and lime juice in a bowl.
  • Transfer chicken to cutting board and let cool slightly. Using 2 shredding claws or 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
    Shredded chicken for tacos in a bowl on the table.
  • Serve chicken on warm tortillas, topped with salsa, lettuce, and cheddar.

Notes

Choose thigh meat. While you can swap it out for chicken breast, the thigh meat actually stays moister when cooked in the air fryer.
Make ahead. This recipe is the best way to make shredded chicken for tacos. It stores easily in the freezer and reheats well.
Flip the chicken. Don't forget to flip them over halfway through cooking so they cook evenly on both sides.
Nutritional information is calculated based on using chicken thighs and toppings listed.  If you are using chicken breasts or different toppings your nutritional information will be different. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 740mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1100IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 287mg | Iron: 4mg