Can You Use Taco Seasoning On Chicken?

Taco seasoning is a classic spice blend. It is versatile, delicious, and you can use it on just about anything, be it fries, a gravy dish, or quesadillas.

It is a perfect seasoning to give that oomph to your dish! Although Mexican in origin, taco seasoning has many applications outside of Mexican dishes. Use it in any dish in which you want a hit of chili, cumin, and paprika. 

So, can you use taco seasoning on chicken? Yes, you can use taco seasoning on chicken, and it’ll add a delicious spicy, smokey flavor. Chicken can be made in a variety of ways, whether it be roasting, grilling, baking, or frying. Similarly, you can use taco seasoning in all these methods, giving a different flavor to the chicken dish. 

So let’s dive into the article to see how you can use taco seasoning on chicken in different ways! 

Does Taco Seasoning On Chicken Taste Good? 

Taco seasoning is a dry seasoning that consists of cumin, chili, cayenne pepper, oregano, paprika, cumin, onion, and garlic powder. 

These spices are used in various dishes, be it separately or with an amalgamation of different spices.

Taco seasoning is generally used with beef, but you can also use it with chicken. It tastes fantastic, so you don’t have to worry about any flavor issues. You can use taco seasoning in just about any dish. 

There are a variety of ways you can use this seasoning on chicken as well. Chicken usually needs a bit of extra flavoring in any case as it has a fairly bland flavor on its own.

You can use it either as a marinade or as a dry rub on chicken, or even mix it with something to give a different flavor profile.  

How To Use Taco Seasoning On Chicken 

There are various methods for using taco seasoning on chicken.

Taco seasoning provides a spicy taste to chicken, so the methods listed below will give you an idea of how you can use this spice blend in different dishes. 

Method 1: Mix It With Chicken 

You can mix the taco seasoning with the chicken to make sandwiches or even tacos. Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. Prepare the taco seasoning at home or buy one from the market. 
2. If you want to make the taco seasoning at home, mix cayenne pepper powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin powder, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander powder, oregano, and black pepper powder. 
3. Mix the seasoning properly and then pour it over the chicken. 
4. After mixing the seasoning with cooked chicken, you can add guacamole and salsa dressing to make the taco filling. 

Method 2: Marinade 

The best marinade to make for chicken is with oil. You only need 3 ingredients to make this marinade:

1. Taco Seasoning
2. Oil
3. Lime Juice 

To make the marinade: 

1. Mix taco seasoning with ¼ cup of oil. 
2. Add the juice of 1-2 limes and mix it. 
3. Keep the marinade at rest for 2-3 minutes to enrich the oil with the flavors. 
4. Pour this mixture onto your chicken and rub it on correctly so that no area is left. 
5. You can leave the chicken with marinade for 2-3 hours and then fry it off in the skillet. 

Method 3: Mix It With Mayonnaise 

Mayonnaise makes for a perfect accompaniment with taco seasoning. Even with the creamy texture of mayonnaise, you can enhance the taco seasoning flavor. This perfect blend tastes fantastic in a sandwich. 

Here is how you can make a mayonnaise taco seasoning sandwich:

1. First, mix a good quantity of taco seasoning with mayonnaise. 
2. You can add some veggies as well to it, depending on your flavor profile. 
3. Then, mix the entire mixture with shredded chicken and place it on the sandwich.
4. You can either grill the sandwich or just have it as it is. It’ll taste amazing both ways. 

Method 4: Mix It With Sour Cream

Sour cream makes for a delicious dressing over chicken. If you have grilled or taco chicken, you can put this dressing on to enhance the dish’s flavor. 

To make sour cream taco seasoning:

1. Mix sour cream with taco seasoning till no lumps are remaining. Sour cream has a very mild tart flavor, so taco seasoning will work the best to elevate the flavor. 
2. Use it in a sandwich, or chicken taco, or chicken burger. 

Method 5: Mix it With Yogurt

Taco seasoning and yogurt is another marinade that you can make for chicken. 

Here is how you can make yogurt and taco seasoning:

1. Mix yogurt, taco seasoning, and lime juice to make the marinade. 
2. Rub the marinade over the chicken and let it sit for 2-3 hours. This allows the chicken to soak in the marinade. 
3. Fry the chicken over a grill or skillet. 

The chicken will have a sweet and bright flavor to it. 

Method 6: Dry Rub

Using a dry rub is a process in which you rub the seasoning over the chicken without mixing anything into it.

Here is how to use a dry rub over chicken: 

1. Rub the taco seasoning all over the chicken properly and leave it for a few minutes. 
2. After the dry rub, heat some canola oil on a skillet and place the chicken over it. 
3. Cook the chicken for a couple of minutes till it is done or till the temperature of the chicken is 165℉. 

Method 7: Mix it with Cornstarch 

You can use this technique to fry chicken. 

Here’s what you need to do:

1. First, heat oil in a pan till it reaches 350-400°F. 
2. Next, mix cornstarch with taco seasoning and keep eggs in a separate bowl. 
3. Coat chicken with eggs first and then with the cornstarch mixture and then put it in the oil to fry. 
4. You can double coat the mixture for extra crispiness as well. 

Method 8: Mix It With Tomatoes 

Store-bought taco seasoning has dehydrated tomato powder as an ingredient.

But if you are making it at home, then procuring tomato powder becomes a bit more difficult. You can mix tomatoes with taco seasoning to give the same effect or even elevate it.  

1. You will need onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, fennel seeds, and taco seasoning to make the gravy. 
2. Make a tomato paste by blanching the tomatoes and blending them. On a pan, saute the veggies till done, then add the tomato paste and taco seasoning. 
3. Add the chicken and cook till it’s done. 

Taco Seasoning On Chicken Vs Beef

People mostly use taco seasoning with beef, but it tastes incredible with chicken as well. 

Beef has a very buttery and savory taste, so when you add taco seasoning, which has a punch of chili in it, it tastes sweet, buttery, and spicy at the same time. 

Chicken has a salty, bitter taste, but the flavor balances out after mixing it with taco seasoning. Each meat has its own flavor, and the seasoning just enhances the flavor with its spices and condiments. 

Do All Tacos Seasonings Work With Chicken?

There are not as such any varieties of taco seasoning. The seasoning differs according to the maker. 

If you buy a store taco seasoning, it will definitely taste different since the spices aren’t going to be as fresh. A homemade taco seasoning will have a richer and enhanced flavor because no additional product is added. 

It is entirely up to you what kind of taco seasoning you want. Both of these taste amazing with chicken. 

Related Questions

Now that we’ve gone over how taco seasoning can be used on chicken, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!

Can you substitute fajita seasoning with taco seasoning? 

You can substitute fajita seasoning with taco seasoning. Both have very similar flavors, and while the ingredients used in each seasoning are in different proportions, both recipes generally use the same spices.

Is beef taco seasoning the same as chicken taco seasoning?

Yes, beef taco seasoning is the same as chicken taco seasoning. Taco seasoning remains the same. It is a versatile seasoning, so you can use it with both beef and chicken. 

Is taco seasoning the same as fajita seasoning?

No, both the seasonings have different flavors. Although they both have Mexican origins and are predominantly used in Mexican dishes, their flavors are different. 

What is the difference between chili seasoning, taco seasoning, and fajita seasoning?

Chili seasoning has almost the same ingredients as taco seasoning, but as the name suggests, it is high in chili and cayenne pepper. It is extremely spicy, so you should use it in moderation. 

Taco seasoning has more oregano in it, but the basic ingredients are similar. Fajita seasoning is like taco seasoning but has a bit more cumin in it. 

Final Thoughts

All in all, you can definitely use taco seasoning on chicken for some additional flavor and taste. You can use some of the best methods described above to help you get an idea about how to use it!

So, we hope this article helps you make absolutely mouth-watering chicken!

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