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Cheesy Crispy Chicken Tacos

Cheesy crispy chicken tacos with fried, golden chicken and stretchy melted cheese stuffed into warm corn tortillas. The quick skillet re-warm melts the cheese so every bite stays hot and melty.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 1040
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 cup vegetable oil for frying
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.5 tsp pepper to taste
Taco assembly
  • 8 small corn tortillas
  • 1.5 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
  • 0.25 cup diced onion
  • 0.25 cup cilantro
  • 1 lime wedges

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and bread the chicken
  1. Cut the boneless chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Keep pieces roughly the same size so they fry evenly.
  2. Combine the all-purpose flour, garlic powder, and chili powder in a shallow dish. Stir until the spice mix looks evenly distributed.
  3. Dip the seasoned chicken pieces into the beaten large eggs, then dredge in the seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour for better crisping.
Fry until golden
  1. Heat the vegetable oil for frying to 350°F in a skillet or frying pot. Maintain 350°F throughout frying for crisp texture.
  2. Fry the chicken in batches until golden and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes total. Turn or stir once during frying so both sides brown evenly.
  3. Drain the fried chicken on paper towels. Let it rest briefly so the coating stays crisp.
Melt cheese and assemble tacos
  1. Warm the small corn tortillas and place a small portion of shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese in the center of each. Use enough cheese to create a melty layer without overflowing.
  2. Top each tortilla with fried chicken, then add more shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese. Add the second cheese layer right before folding.
  3. Fold the tortillas in half. Press lightly so the cheese makes contact and stays inside.
  4. Heat a hot cast iron skillet and briefly warm the filled tortillas, about 1-2 minutes per side, to melt the cheese. Look for the cheese to ooze and steam while the tortillas develop light toast spots.
  5. Top the tacos with shredded lettuce, diced onion, and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Notes

For the crispiest coating, keep the oil steady at 350°F and avoid overcrowding the frying batches. Store leftover fried chicken and taco toppings separately in the fridge up to 3 days; re-crisp chicken in a hot oven if needed and assemble fresh. Freezing is not recommended for the fried coating, but you can freeze cooked chicken separately for up to 2 months and reheat until hot. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the dredge and keep the rest the same.