Plays Well With Butter · Jess Larson
Once-A-Week Ground Chicken Tacos (15 Minutes)
Ready in 15 minutes or less, these Ground Chicken Tacos are a once-a-week staple here at the PWWB House! Simmer lean ground chicken with onion, tomato paste, and a homemade taco spice blend, creating juicy taco meat with a bold punch of flavor. Serve it in tortillas with your favorite toppings for a fast, feel-good, and fuss-free weeknight dinner that always hits the spot!
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- 3
- Sourced
- 10 Aug 2026
- Items
- 17
17
Things to buy
Cooking for
Adding it again later updates the quantities instead of doubling up.
Fork this recipeIngredients
What you need
Australian names and measures
- 45593% lean ground chicken1 lb = 454 g
- 55olive oil3 tbsp = 60 ml = 54.6 g (AU tablespoon is 20 ml)
- 75yellow onion0.5 brown onion = 75 g (typical size here)
- —kosher salt and ground black pepperto season
- 22tomato paste1 tbsp = 20 ml = 22 g (AU tablespoon is 20 ml)
- —homemade taco seasoningbelow, see Recipe Notes
- 125water0.5 cup = 125 ml (AU cup is 250 ml)
- —for serving, as desired: flour tortillas, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream or avocado crema, salsa of choice, guacamole or mashed avocado, cilantro, etc.as desired: flour tortillas, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream or avocado crema, salsa of choice, guacamole or mashed avocado, cilantro, etc.
- 1heaping tablespoon chili powder
- 2heaping teaspoons ground cumin
- 1heaping teaspoon garlic powder
- 1heaping teaspoon onion powder
- 1heaping teaspoon dried oregano
- 1heaping teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1heaping teaspoon kosher salt
- 1heaping teaspoon brown sugar
- —: up to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Recipe by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter. Method rewritten for this cookbook — read the original.
This recipe's shopping list
Scaled for 3 serves
Other
Already in your pantry
Method
How it goes together
- 01
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes longer, until darkened in colour.
Cooking the tomato paste in the hot oil drives off its raw tinned edge and concentrates it into a deep, savoury base that carries the spice blend through lean chicken.
- 02
Step 2
Push the onion mixture to the side of the skillet. Add the ground chicken and press it into a thin, flat layer. Cook 2 minutes until slightly browned, then flip and cook 1-2 minutes longer. Once nearly cooked through, break the chicken into fine crumbles and mix with the onions.
Pressing the mince into one flat sheet and leaving it alone lets it brown, which is the only real savoury depth lean chicken will give you. Breaking it up early just steams it grey.
- 03
Step 3
Stir the taco seasoning through the chicken mixture until evenly coated. Pour in the water and simmer until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
The water loosens the spices and the browned paste so they coat every crumble, then reduces to a glossy sauce that clings instead of pooling in the tortilla.
- 04
Step 4
Serve the chicken taco meat as you like, in warm flour tortillas with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce and sour cream, or on nachos, taco salads, burrito bowls or tostadas.
How the pros do it
Chef variations
Reviews
What cooks said
0.0
0 ratings
- 5★0
- 4★0
- 3★0
- 2★0
- 1★0
Loading reviews