Mexican Shredded Chicken

Get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes with this Mexican shredded chicken recipe. The options are endless for salads, tacos, burritos and much more!

Mexican shredded chicken recipe

This recipe is a family favorite and perfect for many different meal ideas. I love to make a big batch of this and we can enjoy it for simple dinners or even lunches during the week. The chicken is so tender and packed with flavor.

Check out this quick how to video! 

Plus, the entire recipe comes together in under 30 minutes. I doubt you can get take out that fast!

Save time and money and make this chicken at home. It is so tender you can shred it with a fork.

What to make with Mexican shredded chicken?

This chicken is perfect for so many different dinner ideas. I love how versatile it is.

It is delicious in Taco Salads and we have an easy recipe for homemade taco bowls.  This is so quick and easy for busy weeknights.

My kids love when we make chicken quesadillas. Yum!

Another favorite around here is nacho night! This chicken and a little of The Best Mexican White Cheese Dip Recipe make amazing nachos! It’s also great for parties.

Mexican shredded chicken is yummy served with Spanish Rice. Did you know you can also freeze rice? I love making a double batch and putting some in the freezer. It’s so nice to be able to just take this out of the freezer.

Low carb? Top a big salad with shredded chicken. Quick and easy!

What you need for the best Mexican shredded chicken?

• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 cup Salsa
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning or ½ a Packet. (Or make Homemade taco Seasoning)
• 1 Lime, Juiced

How to make Mexican shredded chicken in 20 minutes:

First, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Next, add the chicken breast and season with the Taco Seasoning.

Brown each side of the chicken breasts but cooking it for approximately 3-5 minutes on each side.

Reduce the heat to low, stir the chicken broth and salsa together, add it into the pan, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Shred with 2 forks, top with lime juice and stir to thoroughly combine.

Serve over rice, salad, burrito bowls or in tortillas!  Enjoy!

It is that easy to make 3 ingredient Mexican shredded chicken!

Other ideas to try:

You can substitute chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. ground turkey. This meal is so easy and delicious for a great dinner idea. You can even mix both together.

If you need to stretch your meat budget, try adding black beans or rice to the chicken mixture. It will still taste amazing. You can add salsa for even more flavor to the chicken mixture.

You are going to love having this on your regular menu plan rotation. Save money by using what you already have in your freezer or can get on sale at the grocery store.

It’s also great if you are trying to save money on groceries which is a must at our house! This is definitely a recipe that is budget friendly, doesn’t take a lot of time to make and everyone enjoys.

In fact, we saved 50% off just by menu planning! The savings really add up and you will love these great meals.

This recipe is so much better than fast food and you save money too!

One pan Mexican shredded chicken freezes great. 

Freeze leftovers for an easy meal later. Sometimes we even make double just to have enough to freeze. I like to freeze it in gallon freezer bags to save space in the freezer.

The bags lay flat and you can stack the bags on top of each other.

We do a lot of freezer cooking and love to use hands free bag holders. While they are optional they are so handy.  They keep your bags open so you can just dump your ingredients inside.

You can snag them very inexpensively on Amazon and even though they are not required, I highly recommend them. It is like having another set of hands!

Make sure you have a good skillet to make this delicious recipe.

We use a cast iron skillet and it’s perfect for this recipe. I have the Lodge cast iron skillet but you can see all the different brands here.

Cast iron is amazing! You can make so many different recipes and they are great for skillet recipes.

If you are not already cooking with one, you should! They are amazing and the food cooks so evenly.

Don’t be hesitant to use cast iron because it really is simple to use and maintain. It cooks the food so evenly and recipes turn out great.

Print this Mexican shredded chicken recipe below:

If you are looking for a new stew recipe, this delicious Crock Pot Mexican Beef Stew is the one to try.

Try some of these easy Mexican recipes:

• Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas Recipe
• The best Sour Cream Enchiladas Recipe
• Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole 
• Easy Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
• Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
• Quick Skillet Chicken Fajitas Recipe
• Easy Baked Enchilada Chicken Recipe

Plus check out 100 of the Best Mexican Recipes.

More Taco night Recipes

• The Best Flour Tortilla Recipe
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas Recipe
• Easy Taco Crescent Ring Recipe
• find more Taco Night Ideas

Try these other easy skillet chicken ideas:

• Tex Mex Skillet Chicken Recipe
• Easy Salsa Chicken Skillet Recipe
• Skillet Chicken and Rice Burritos
• Quick Skillet Chicken Fajitas Recipe