This post contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
The best Fried Chicken Tacos – delicious, easy fried chicken tacos with a cooling tomatillo avocado salsa! These tacos are easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner, great for a dinner party, and make easy and delicious meal prep for a busy week’s worth of lunches!
You can also swap out this fried chicken for a keto-approved pan fried chicken breast without breading like we feature in our Easy Chicken Salad Sandwiches Recipe and use almond flour tortillas if you’d like to make these easy tacos keto-approved!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
How to Make Panko Fried Chicken Tacos
Fried chicken tacos – chicken breaded in panko breadcrumbs and pan fried to golden perfection, topped with avocado tomatillo salsa, cabbage, jalapeños, and lime!
Fried Chicken Taco Ingredients
To make these tacos, you won’t need to gather the following ingredients:
- Chicken breast tenders (4 or 2 chicken breasts) – Tender chicken provides juicy, meaty bites that fry up beautifully for hearty tacos.
- Buttermilk (2 cups) – Buttermilk tenderizes the chicken and infuses it with moisture and tang before frying.
- Salt (1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoon) -Salt seasons the chicken throughout and enhances every flavor in the marinade and coating.
- Sugar (2 teaspoons, omit for keto recipe) – A touch of sugar helps balance spice and promotes subtle browning in the crust.
- Soy sauce (¼ cup, keto recipe: use 1/4 cup coconut aminos) – Soy sauce adds savory umami depth and helps the marinade penetrate the meat.
- Dried parsley (1 teaspoon) – Dried parsley gives a hint of herbal freshness that complements the spice blend.
- Ground black pepper (½ teaspoon) – Black pepper adds mild heat and warmth to round out the seasoning.
- Cayenne pepper powder (2 teaspoon, or to taste) – Cayenne brings fiery spice that makes the fried chicken pop with flavor.
- Onion powder (1 teaspoon) – Onion powder adds savory depth without adding moisture to the dredge.
- Garlic powder (1 teaspoon) – Garlic powder gives rich, aromatic flavor that stands up well to frying.
- Cumin powder (1 teaspoon) – Cumin adds warm, earthy notes that give the tacos a deeper, smoky taste.
- Cornstarch (1 tablespoon omit for keto recipe) – Cornstarch helps create a lighter, crispier coating on the fried chicken.
- Flour (½ cup, omit for keto recipe) – Flour forms the base of the crunchy breading that sticks to the chicken.
- Panko breadcrumbs (1 cup keto recipe: swap for 4 oz crushed pork rinds) -Panko adds airy crunch and texture for a shatteringly crisp finish.
- Eggs (2) – Eggs act as a binder to help the coating cling tightly to the chicken.
- Avocado oil or vegetable oil (keto: use avocado oil 48 ounce) – Hot oil is essential for frying and avocado oil provides a cleaner, high-heat keto-friendly option.
- White corn tortillas (12-15) – Soft, warm tortillas hold everything together and provide classic taco flavor.
- Purple cabbage (¾ cup shredded) – Purple cabbage gives crunch and a vibrant pop of color on top of the tacos.
- Green cabbage (¾ cup shredded) – Green cabbage adds additional crunch and freshness with a milder bite.
- Lime (1) – A squeeze of fresh lime adds acidity that brightens and balances the richness of fried chicken.
Steps to Cook Breaded Chicken Tacos
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following process:
Season Chicken
Start by washing, drying and cutting the chicken into bite size pieces. Mix 1 tablespoon of the salt, sugar, soy sauce, dried parsley, black pepper and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder together in a small bowl.
Marinate
Then, mix the spice mix into the buttermilk. Add in the chicken pieces and stir to coat all of the pieces. Add the chicken and buttermilk mixture to a Ziploc bag or an airtight container and put it into the fridge for at least half an hour to marinade or up to 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the fridge and add ½ cup of the buttermilk marinade to a small bowl.
Bread
Whisk in the eggs until smooth and set aside. Add the flour to a separate bowl and mix in 1 teaspoon of the salt, the remaining spices and cornstarch until combined. Set aside. Add the breadcrumbs to another bowl and set aside. Heat oil and fry chicken.
Cook Chicken and Enjoy
Using a fork, drain the buttermilk mixture off of a chicken piece and dip it into the flour mixture, coat it completely, tap off the excess and add it to the egg mixture. Drain the excess egg and coat the chicken piece in the breadcrumbs. Shake off any excess breadcrumbs and add it to the oil. Assemble the slaw and assemble, enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for Fried Chicken Tacos
Dredge. Pan frying can seem a little intimidating, but it is really easy to dredge chicken (dredging means dipping an ingredient in a series of liquids and solids for baking or frying) and pan fry.
Store Well. To store fried chicken bites, refrigerate in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to four days.
Freeze. Fried chicken can be frozen for up to four months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and bake to hot – or bake from frozen until piping hot.
Slice chicken AFTER frying for juicier bites. it stays crisp longer and juices don’t leak out while cooking.
Drizzle. don’t drown sauces so the chicken stays crisp longer.
Don’t skip the lime wedge. citrus right at the end brings everything to life.
Batch Bake. If making for a crowd, bake on a rack at 250°F to keep pieces crisp until time to serve.
FAQs
Let the fried chicken rest on a wire rack instead of paper towels so steam doesn’t soften the crust, and add sauce only after assembling — drizzle on top instead of tossing chicken in it.
Both work, but thighs stay juicier and more forgiving when frying, while breasts give bigger, uniform slices — choose based on your texture preference.
Fry first, then slice — cutting raw chicken into strips exposes more moisture, which can make the coating slide off and cook unevenly.
Char or warm the tortillas so they have structure, then layer cabbage or slaw at the bottom before adding chicken — it acts as a moisture barrier.
Yes — fry, then re-crisp in a 400°F oven on a wire rack for 8–10 minutes before serving.
Yep — spray dredged chicken lightly with oil and air-fry at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway, though texture won’t be quite as crunchy as deep-fried.
You can — crisp it in the oven or air fryer and slice, though it won’t have the same juiciness and made-from-scratch flavor.
Try These Other Tex Mex Recipes
For a sweeter fried chicken taco with a spicy fruit kick, try my pineapple mango salsa! It is bright, colorful, and the fruit flavors pair perfectly with chicken. These fried chicken tacos pair perfectly with my Avocado Tomatillo Salsa – it is tangy, bright, cooling, and full of roasted tomatillo and onion flavor.
I am rounding up some of my favorite dishes to serve with these delicious fried chicken tacos – and if you’re making the keto version of these tacos, be sure to check out my keto cauliflower rice and keto tortilla chips recipes!
If your family loves this dinner, be sure to check out our Easy Green Chile Sauce Recipe, Easy Fried Tortilla Chips and Cheesy Green Chile and Pepper Dip, and our Cheesy Chicken Taquito and Bean Casserole Recipes!
If you love this easy recipe please click the stars below to give it a five star rating and leave a comment! Please also help me share on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Share on Facebook
SharePin this now to find it later
Pin ItFollow on Instagram
Only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table? Sign up for my 30 minute dinner plans direct to your inbox!
Find and shop my favorite products in my Amazon storefront here!
Fried Chicken Tacos Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast tenders or 2 chicken breasts
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon salt, + 1 ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar, omit for keto recipe
- ¼ cup soy sauce, keto recipe: use 1/4 cup coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, omit for keto recipe
- ½ cup flour, omit for keto recipe
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, keto recipe: swap for 4 oz crushed pork rinds
- 2 eggs
- 48 ounce avocado oil or vegetable oil, keto: use avocado oil
- 12-15 white corn tortillas
- ¾ cup purple cabbage, shredded
- ¾ cup green cabbage, shredded
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Start by washing, drying and cutting the chicken into bite size pieces.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of the salt, sugar, soy sauce, dried parsley, black pepper and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder together in a small bowl.
- Then, mix the spice mix into the buttermilk. Add in the chicken pieces and stir to coat all of the pieces.
- Add the chicken and buttermilk mixture to a Ziploc bag or an airtight container and put it into the fridge for at least half an hour to marinade or up to 2 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge and add ½ cup of the buttermilk marinade to a small bowl.
- Whisk in the eggs until smooth and set aside.
- Add the flour to a separate bowl and mix in 1 teaspoon of the salt, the remaining cayenne pepper powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin powder and cornstarch until combined. Set aside.
- Add the breadcrumbs to another bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large frying pan over low medium heat and the oil. Check to see if it is ready after 5 minutes by dipping the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil. If it bubbles after a second or two, it’s ready, if not, give it a few minutes before checking again.
- Using a fork, drain the buttermilk mixture off of a chicken piece and dip it into the flour mixture, coat it completely, tap off the excess and add it to the egg mixture. Drain the excess egg and coat the chicken piece in the breadcrumbs. Shake off any excess breadcrumbs and add it to the oil.
- Continue the process until there are about 5-6 pieces of chicken in the pan at one time.
- Flip the pieces once the bottom turns a golden-brown color and remove after another minute or so. Place the chicken on a plate with a paper towel to drain off any excess oil.
- Repeat the process in batches of 5-6 pieces with the remaining chicken.
- Air Fryer Method: If using an Air Fryer spray dredged chicken lightly with oil and air-fry at 375°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway, though texture won’t be quite as crunchy as deep-fried.
- Heat the tortillas by placing in a foil pouch in a 250 degree oven, microwaving for a few seconds, or quickly heating individually in a pan.
- Mix the purple and green cabbage, lime juice and remaining salt together and let sit for a few minutes before serving.
- To assemble the tacos, add a spoonful of the cabbage mix to the tortilla then add 3-4 pieces of the chicken and finally, a few spoonfuls of salsa.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
