Red Chile Chicken Street Tacos are made with tender chicken thighs braised in a homemade sauce of dried guajillo and ancho chiles, then piled into warm corn tortillas with cilantro, onion, cotija, and lime. The chicken turns rich, smoky, and just messy enough that you’ll need the second tortilla whether you planned on it or not.
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Living in South Texas, tacos are practically their own food group, and we never really run out of excuses to make them. From cola-marinated beef fajita tacos to carne asada street tacos, tacos show up on our table constantly. These homemade red chile chicken tacos are one of our favorites.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
The complete ingredient list and measurements are listed in the printable recipe below.
There are so many taco recipes, but the red chile sauce made with Guajillo chiles is key to this recipe!
- Guajillo Chiles: These dried peppers, along with Ancho and Arbol, are part of the Holy Trinity of Chiles. They deliver a tangy, bright, fruity flavor perfect for salsa, moles, marinades, and stews. Toasting brings out their deep flavor, but watch carefully as they can turn bitter if scorched. You can substitute with additional Ancho chiles if Guajillo chiles aren’t available at your local grocery store.
- Ancho Chiles: These dried peppers provide a mild to medium heat level with a light, smoky, fruity flavor. Their spiciness can vary between peppers.
- Chicken Thighs: Boneless skinless chicken thighs provide a richer, more intense flavor in this dish. You can substitute with chicken breasts if preferred.
- Chicken Stock: This adds depth to the sauce. You can substitute vegetable stock if needed.
- Toppings: Fresh chopped cilantro, crumbled Cotija cheese, and diced avocado complement these tacos perfectly. Adjust toppings to your preference.
How to Make Red Chile Chicken Street Tacos
Here are the quick, step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions, including the exact ingredients, in the recipe card below.
Pro-tip: This chicken with chile sauce is great for leftovers, so make a little extra for a spicy weeknight lunch.
Warm the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. While the stock is heating up, prepare the chiles by carefully opening the dried chiles and removing the seeds. Preheat a cast-iron skillet, then roast the chiles for 1-2 minutes, until they turn brown and develop a fruity aroma. Place the roasted dried chiles in the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour chicken stock, chiles, Mexican oregano, garlic powder, and ground cumin into a blender and blend until smooth.
Place the roasted dried chiles in the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour chicken stock, chiles, Mexican oregano, garlic powder, and ground cumin into a blender and blend until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish and cover with chile sauce. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until chicken can be shredded with a fork. Cooked chicken can either be shredded with a fork or roughly chopped.
Over an open gas stovetop with the flame on medium-low heat, cook the corn tortillas until lightly charred on the edges (approximately 10 seconds per side). Stack together two tortillas and place 1-2 tablespoons of chicken in each taco. Top with fresh cilantro, red onion, and a sprinkling of cojita cheese. Serve with a few lime wedges and a side of avocado or grilled guacamole. Note: Tortillas can also be heated in a medium-sized skillet or on a griddle until golden brown in some spots (approximately 30 seconds per side).
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: Toast and blend the chile sauce up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. The chicken can be cooked and shredded 1 day ahead – store it in its sauce. Prepare toppings like diced onion and chopped cilantro up to 24 hours in advance.
How to Store: Keep cooked chicken and sauce in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store prepped toppings separately in their own containers. Tortillas should stay in their package at room temperature.
How to Reheat: Warm the chicken and sauce in a pan over medium heat until heated through, about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of chicken stock if the sauce becomes too thick. Char tortillas fresh just before serving for the best texture.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Toast the chiles carefully. The dried chiles should smell fragrant and slightly fruity after toasting. If they darken too much or start smoking heavily, the sauce can turn bitter.
- Let the chicken rest in the sauce. After shredding, let the chicken sit in the warm chile sauce for 5 to 10 minutes before assembling the tacos. The chicken absorbs more flavor, and the sauce thickens slightly as it cools.
- Double up the tortillas. Street-size corn tortillas hold together better when stacked in pairs, especially once the juicy red chile chicken goes in.
- Heat tortillas directly over flame. A few seconds over a gas burner or hot cast-iron skillet gives the tortillas light charred edges and keeps them flexible instead of dry or crumbly.
- Use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut. Toss the shredded cooked chicken with the red chile sauce, then warm it in the oven until heated through for an easier weeknight version.
More Taco Recipes to Try
Looking for more taco recipes for your next Taco Tuesday dinner? Try these other favorites:
- Mexican Coca-Cola Marinated Beef Fajita Tacos – Move over Taco Tuesday – Fajita Friday is the best night of the week. These beef fajitas are tender, juicy, and delicious. Load them with your favorite fajita toppings, such as grilled onions, peppers, cheese, guacamole, or fresh pico de gallo.
- Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa – This recipe is a quick and easy dinner option. Warm tortillas filled with shrimp and topped with mango salsa and a creamy cilantro-and-avocado dressing are guaranteed to be crowd-pleasers.
- Carne Asada Street Tacos – These authentic street tacos feature tender, marinated steak, fresh cilantro, and diced onions on warm corn tortillas. They’re perfect for weeknight dinners or casual entertaining.
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Red Chile Chicken Street Tacos
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Equipment
- Small Cast Iron Pan
- Baking or Casserole Dish
- Blender
Ingredients
Chicken with Chile Sauce
- 20 oz chicken thighs (approx 4 larger boneless thighs)
- 3 dried guajillo chiles
- 3 dried ancho chiles
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For Serving
- 32 street taco corn tortillas
- crumbled cotija
- diced red onion
- chopped fresh cilantro
- sliced avocado or guacamole
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Cut open dried chiles and remove seeds.
- Roast dried chiles on a pre-heated cast-iron skillet for approximately 20-30 seconds per side. Chiles will begin to have a fruity smell and darken, resembling leather. Be careful not to over-toast. Tear or cut the toasted chiles into pieces.
- In a medium saucepan, simmer the chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, and roasted dried chiles for 10 minutes.
- Pour the chicken stock, chiles, Mexican oregano, garlic powder, kosher salt, and ground cumin into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish and cover with the chile sauce.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until chicken can be shredded with a fork.
- Shred the chicken with a fork or rough-chop it, then let it sit in the chile sauce for 5-10 minutes prior to preparing tacos.
- Over an open gas stovetop flame on medium/low heat corn tortillas until lightly charred on the edges (approximately 10 seconds per side). Stack together 2 tortillas and place 1-2 tablespoons of chicken in each taco. Top with chopped cilantro, red onion, and a sprinkling of cotija cheese. Serve with a few lime wedges and a side of avocado or guacamole.
I will most definitely try the red chili chicken tacos
I made this last night and it came out great. Not complicated with wonderful flavor.
So glad you loved it!