There’s something oddly satisfying about cracking the code on a fast food favorite. Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about Taco Bell’s cantina chicken. So of course I had to try making this copycat Taco Bell chicken recipe at home, with better ingredients and zero mystery additives. I even made a homemade caliente sauce that hits all the same spicy, creamy notes. I love using this cantina chicken recipe to make tacos, but it’s good for burritos, bowls, and quesadillas too.
Top Reader Review
The sauce for this recipe is fantastic, hit the right flavors for me. My family doesn’t like spice as much, so we used about a third of the hot sauce, and anyone that wanted more heat easily was able to do that in their own plate.
To make it easier, I used precooked rotisserie chicken, and heated it in the sauce until it was all warm – came out perfectly.
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Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Tacos
I love fast food, but I don’t love how it makes me feel. Over the years, I’ve worked on developing homemade recipes for some of my absolute favorite fast food meals (looking at you, Chipotle chicken!) My latest obsession is Taco Bell’s cantina chicken tacos. When I looked into the ingredients, I was not impressed (what the heck is disodium inosinate??), so I set out to recreate this favorite at home with more wholesome ingredients.
Instead of the long list of additives you’ll find in the original cantina chicken recipe, I use simple ingredients like real chicken, fresh pico, and spices you’d recognize from your own pantry. I season tender shredded chicken with my homemade caliente sauce–made from hot sauce, pico de gallo, mayonnaise, and lime, plus a little salt and sugar. It truly tastes just like the one from Taco Bell, but I feel good knowing the ingredients are better for my family. This spicy shredded chicken is citrusy, ridiculously creamy, and packed with flavor. Paired with crunchy lettuce, cabbage, and avocado salsa verde, it’s a meal I can’t get enough of.
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Using Rotisserie Chicken
When I’m short on time, I grab a rotisserie chicken from the store and smother it in homemade caliente sauce for a quick and easy version of these cantina chicken tacos. It saves me an extra hour, turning this into a 10-minute dinner recipe. Talk about fast food!
Copycat Cantina Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- High-Powered Blender
- 7×11 or 9×9-inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
For the Cantina Chicken:
- ¼ cup red hot sauce (*)
- ½ cup pico de gallo
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 lime (juiced and zested)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 pinch granulated sugar (optional)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the Cantina Chicken Tacos:
- 8 flour or corn tortillas (warmed)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or mexican blend)
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- ½ cup shredded purple cabbage
- ½ cup pico de gallo
- ½ cup avocado salsa verde (also called guacamole salsa)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a blender or food processor, add the hot sauce, pico de gallo, mayo, lime zest and juice, and salt. Blend until smooth. If the sauce is very acidic, add another pinch of salt and sugar to balance it out. Set half aside in a bowl, cover it, and place it in the fridge for serving.¼ cup red hot sauce, ½ cup pico de gallo, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 lime, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 pinch granulated sugar
- Place the chicken breasts in a 7×11 or 9×9-inch baking dish. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Pour the caliente sauce over the top and turn to coat. Cover and bake for about 45-60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Let rest for 10 minutes before shredding and tossing with the juices in the pan.
- Top warm tortillas evenly with chicken, cheese, lettuce, cabbage, pico de gallo, and avocado salsa verde. Serve with more caliente sauce on the side.8 flour or corn tortillas, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup shredded lettuce, ½ cup shredded purple cabbage, ½ cup pico de gallo, ½ cup avocado salsa verde
Notes
- Be sure to cover the pan while the chicken bakes.
- The cantina chicken is so juicy, spicy, and flavorful. Besides tacos, I also love to use it to make cantina chicken bowls, burritos, and even quesadillas!
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Make Cantina Chicken Tacos Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for cantina chicken, and preheat your oven to 325°F. While the oven is preheating, juice and zest the lime, and shred the lettuce and cabbage for tacos.
Make the Caliente Sauce: In a blender or food processor, add ¼ cup of red hot sauce, ½ cup of pico de gallo, ½ cup of mayonnaise, the juice and zest of 1 lime, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt. Blend until smooth. If the sauce is very acidic, add another pinch of salt and sugar to balance it out. Set half aside in a bowl, cover it, and place it in the fridge for serving.
Bake the Chicken: Place 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a 7×11 or 9×9-inch baking dish. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon of each). Pour the caliente sauce over the top and turn to coat. Cover and bake chicken for about 45-60 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Shred the Chicken: Let rest for 10 minutes before shredding and tossing with the juices in the pan.
Assemble the Tacos: If making tacos; top 8 warmed flour tortillas evenly with the cantina chicken, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup of shredded lettuce, ½ cup of shredded purple cabbage, ½ cup of pico de gallo, and ½ cup of avocado salsa verde. Serve with more caliente sauce on the side.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover shredded cantina chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through. Warm fresh tortillas and assemble as described in the recipe above.
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