These Easy Fried Spicy Panko Chicken Tacos are the perfect combination of crispy, crunchy goodness and just enough spice to add the most amazing flavours. An irresistibly crispy texture when fried to perfection and will turn your Taco Tuesday’s on it’s head!.
The star of this dish is undoubtedly the chicken which is coated in a layer of tantalizing spices topped off with panko breadcrumbs.
We love using chicken breast for a multitude of recipes like our Honey Orange chicken and Ham Kebabs. Skinless chicken breasts are so versatile and we always have some stored in the freezer especially for these easy chicken recipes.
Why You’ll Love Easy Fried Spicy Panko Chicken Tacos 💚
Ultimate Panko crunch – Crispiness is the key especially with these breadcrumbs creating the ultimate crispy panko crust.
Super Easy – You can meal prep and cut the chicken into strips before hand saving time making it an awesome weeknight dinner option.
Spices – Turn up the volume or tone it down. The spices can be tuned to make this a children’s friendly fave.
Fun Meal – Getting everyone on board with the same meal can be tricky so a taco night dinner is a winner.
Spicy Panko Chicken Taco Ingredients
“You’ll need the following ingredients to make this amazing chicken taco recipe.
For the spice mix:
Garlic powder – It’s only a teaspoon but feel free to adjust to your liking.
Onion powder or flakes – personally I love the onion flakes over the onion powder as it give a little more texture.
Chili powder and Cayenne – wow this is where you can make it extra spicy. I’ve chosen to be rather modest in the “hotness” section. Go full throttle if you’re game and up it a little.
Brown sugar – only a little but but It just rounds everything off nicely.
White & black pepper – just enough
Salt – be cautious when adding the salt. Some onion flakes come with a salty flavour so maybe reduce if using those instead of onion powder.
Corn flour – this brings everything together and helps stick the spice to the chicken.
Chicken breast – Cut into chicken fingers (or what Greg says is to cut them to the shape of your finger. Well there’s a lot of variation there honey! You could cut them into chicken tenderloins too.
Soft tacos or tortillas – Use either wheat or go for the gluten free option of a corn tortillas.
Slaw – to make this an even quicker midweek meal opt for a packet of fine cut slaw from the supermarket. Just add the creamy mayonnaise or spicy dressing.
Toppings – salsa, sour cream, sweet chili sauce or guacamole.(more suggestions below).
Ingredient Notes
So What are Panko Breadcrumbs?
Panko breadcrumbs are a Japanese variety made from coarse flakes of crust less white bread.
These chunkier type of breadcrumbs are the secret to achieving a tantalizingly crispy texture especially on your favorite fried dishes. Use panko breadcrumbs for frying or baking chicken, fish, or veggies. Try our Air Fryer Tempura Broccolini and Sweet Potato recipe using these crunchy breadcrumbs.
How to make Easy Fried Spicy Panko Chicken Tacos: Step by Step
Get ready for a step-by-step visual feast! Don’t forget to check out the mouthwatering recipe card below, filled with precise measurements and all the necessary ingredients!
Step 1. Cut your chicken into strips the size of your finger or into chicken tenders if you prefer.
Step 2. Mix up the spices and set up your coating station. (hint pop the panko breadcrumbs into a large bowl).
Step 3. Coat your chicken strips in the spice mix then into the panko crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside on a tray and pop into the fridge for 30 minutes..
Step 4. Fry in olive oil on medium-high heat. (if using vegetable oil you may want to reduce the heat a little). After cooking pop onto some paper towels.
Recipe Tips
Be sure not to overcrowd your pan when frying. Fry in a single layer or batches to ensure a nice temperature and get the ultimate crispy taco strips.
Cooking time will vary according to how big you’ve cut the chicken breasts. In strips or the size of chicken tenders.
Storing and Reheating your Spicy Chicken Strips
If you have any spicy chicken strips leftover then store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
To re-heat your chicken pop them into the microwave for a minute or until nice and hot. They may loose a little of the original crunch but the flavour is still on point.
Additions and Substitutions
Taco toppings for your crispy chicken tacos.
Lime wedges – drizzle with loads of lime juice, spicy mayo, diced tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, wedges of avocado
Salsa – mango, tomato, avocado….well the list goes on.
Pickled Vegetables – red onion and cucumbers
Condiments – sweet chili or chipotle sauce
Coriander/Cilantro – You’ve got to have this on your spicy chicken tacos.
Burrito Bowls – any leftovers? These Crispy Chicken strips will be great in a bowl with rice, sliced avocado, tomatoes or whatever tickles your fancy.
Lettuce Wraps – not keen on tortillas? Turn these babies into an even heathier option by using lettuce leaves instead of wraps.
FAQ’s Your Questions Answered
How do I know if my crispy chicken taco strips are cooked?
The internal cooking temp of chicken should be a minimum of 165°F or 74°C to ensure the donenessand safety.
Can I use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko for the chicken?
Yes, you can substitute regular breadcrumbs if you don’t have panko crumbs on hand, but I find Panko crumbs to give an extra crunchy finish.
Are these tacos very spicy?
The level of spiciness can be adjusted to suit your taste by adjusting the amount of the hot spices used in the recipe.
What kind of toppings go well with these tacos?
Popular toppings include shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, and a drizzle of sour cream, guacamole or hot sauce.
Want to try our easy to make Salads with only 7 Ingredients?
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I hope you love this Easy Fried Spicy Panko Chicken Tacos recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave a rating so I know how you liked it!
Recipe Card
- 2 skinless chicken breast fillets cut into strips the size of your finger
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup olive oil for frying
- 6 tortillas
- 2 tsp onion powder or onion flakes
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbs corn flour
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Cut your chicken breast into thin strips the size of your finger.
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Mix all the spices and corn flour together in a bowl and pop your panko breadcrumbs into a larger bowl and set aside.
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Set up a sheet pan and sprinkle it with a little of the panko crumbs.
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In small batches add the chicken strips into the spice mix and them pop into the panko crumbs. (around 6 strips at a time). Press the panko crumbs firmly to the chicken and then place onto the prepared sheet pan. Keep going until all the chicken has been crumbed.
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Pop into the fridge for 30 minutes to help the crumbs stick to the chicken.
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In a large shallow frypan heat the oil to medium to high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer at a time and cook till golden brown. *(see recipe note) Set aside onto paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
Keep going with the remaining chicken until all cooked.
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Grab a tortilla and pop in some slaw. Add your chicken strips and top with your favourite taco toppings. (guacamole, sour cream and sweet chili sauce, chipotle sauce or whatever you fancy). Serve ASAP.
To get that golden crunchy brown finish on your crispy chicken strips try not to overload your frypan by cooking too many strips at the one time.
To save time purchase your slaw from the supermarket already pre-cut. Just add dressing and voila your ready to go!
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