Crispy Poblano Chicken Tacos with Avocado-Jalapeño Salsa (2025)

The BEST crispy poblano chicken tacos! Corn tortillas are stuffed with cheese & a smoky shredded chicken & poblano mixture then baked until golden. They’re crunchy on the outside, cheesy & absolutely delicious inside! Serve them with creamy avocado-jalapeño salsa for a delicious & easy meal!

Crispy tacos are my jam! (As I’m sure you can tell by the vast amount of crispy taco recipes I have on the blog.😉 Definitely try my crispy shrimp tacos – they’re so good!) These poblano chicken tacos are next in the line up!

They’re made with a shredded chicken mixture that’s loaded with smoky poblano peppers, onion, garlic and fresh cilantro all stuffed inside corn tortillas with a hefty amount of melty cheese! They’re then paired with my absolute favorite part of the dish – avocado-jalapeño salsa! Trust me, you’re going to want to put this salsa on everything! It’s fresh, flavorful and full of vibrant zesty flavors!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Chicken thighs: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs are for ease. (They’re more flavorful than chicken breasts and much easier to shred too!)

Poblano peppers: You’ll need 1-2 poblano peppers (depending on their size)for this recipe. Poblanos are pretty mild in flavor compared to most other peppers but they have a fantastic smoky flavor.(Some grocery stores also call them pasilla peppers.)

Onion: White onion works the best and has the best flavor for these tacos.

Garlic: You’ll need 2 minced garlic cloves for the chicken filling.

Cilantro: You’ll need enough cilantro for the chicken filling and for the avocado-jalapeño salsa. (Use the leaves and stems for the best flavor.)

Corn tortillas: I’ve found that corn tortillas crisp up the best when making baked tacos. We use king size corn tortillas for ours. (They’re slightly larger than the standard tortilla size so you can load them up with more filling!😉)

Shredded cheese: We love using Monterey Jack cheese for ours. (It’s mild flavor pairs perfectly with the flavor of your smoky shredded chicken.) I recommend buying a block of Monterey jack cheese and grating it yourself for the best results.

Olive oil: You’ll need 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat the chicken and veggies with before baking. (Adding oil helps keep your chicken moist and the veggies tender while baking.)

Avocado: Used as the base of your avocado-jalapeño salsa. You’ll need at least 1 large avocado.

Jalapeño: Discard the seeds if you don’t want your salsa super spicy.

Water: This is what gives your salsa it’s smooth and creamy texture. Plus it helps to thin it out without altering the flavor too much.

White vinegar: 1 tablespoon is used in the salsa to add more flavor and complexity.

Spices: Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper are needed to season your shredded chicken filling.

How To Make Crispy Chicken Tacos

1.Make the salsa.Add the avocado,chopped jalapeño, water, cilantro, white vinegar and saltto a food processor andblend until smooth. Cover and keep the salsa stored in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

2. Cook the chicken.Turn the oven on to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Add the chicken thighs, olive oil, spices, minced garlic, cilantro, diced poblano peppers and sliced onion to a large bowl and toss until fully coated. Arrange the chicken and veggies in your prepared dish (making sure everything is spread out to ensure even baking) and bake for 20-22 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender. (The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees.) Use 2 large forks to shred the chicken once done then mix the shredded chicken and veggies together in the dish.

3.Assemble the tacos.Turn your oven up to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay your tortillas out on the pan and spray them on one side with cooking spray. Then flip them over andbake for 2-3 minutes.(We need them just soft enough to fold over your filling.)Once done, take the pan out of the oven andlayer each tortilla on one side with cheese, your shredded chicken mixture and a little more cheese. Fold the other side of the tortilla over your filling and press down gently to make it “stick.”

4.Bake.Once all of your tacos are made, place the pan back in the oven andbake for 15-17 minutesor until the cheese has melted and your tortillas are crispy.

5.Serve!Serve immediately with your avocado-jalapeño salsa and enjoy!

We love making these tacos are an easy weeknight dinner! There’s very little prep involved (especially if you made the shredded chicken and salsa beforehand) and they literally taste like they came from our favorite Mexican restaurant!

Tips

• Try to not overstuff your tortillas! Overstuffing can cause the tortillas to unfold while baking.
• Work fast when your tortillas first come out of the oven! You want them to be soft and pliable enough to fold over your filling. If they begin to harden – reheat them in the oven for an additional 2 minutes.
• Make the chicken filling and salsa 1-2 days in advance! They both keep well in the refrigerator and assembly is insanely easy once you’re ready to make your tacos.

Why you’ll love this chicken taco recipe!

• An easy dinner idea! With a little prep work, dinner can easily be on the table in less than 20 minutes!
• Baked instead of fried! Most crispy taco recipes require frying the tortillas in a large amount of oil – not these tacos! Baking makes them just as crispy without the oily mess!
• Great for serving a crowd! These tacos bake at the same time making it so easy to make a large batch!

[Made one of my recipes? Tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments – I love seeing what you create!]

More taco recipes you might like:

• Crispy Carnitas Chicken Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce
• Ground Pork Al Pastor Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
• Chipotle Lime Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema

Tags

avocado-jalapeño salsa chicken tacos crispy chicken tacos crispy tacos dinner recipes poblano peppers

24 Comments

1. 

   Melissa

   January 21, 2024 at 8:27 pm ·Reply

   Made these tonight and they were so easy, delicious and a hit even with my picky teen. I didnt have a jalepeno for the avocado creama so I used some red pepper flakes and I subbed lime juice for the vinegar, Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!

   • 

     Caitlin

     February 1, 2024 at 12:29 pm ·Reply

     Hi Melissa! I’m so happy they were a hit! (And love your substitutions too.😊) I hope you’re having a great day!

2. 

   Jason

   January 24, 2024 at 12:10 pm ·Reply

   My daughter and I, who are self proclaimed, foodies, made these tacos last night. She has severe celiac disease and is taking it upon herself to learn how to cook so that she can always eat what she wants when she wants. We absolutely love them. The hot crunchy taco dipped in the cool refreshing avocado jalapeño sauce was fantastic. Thank you so much for this recipe and we’re looking forward to trying the dozen or so recipes. We bookmarked from your site.

   • 

     Caitlin

     February 1, 2024 at 12:32 pm ·Reply

     OMG Jason – you have no idea how happy this makes me!🥰 First I love that your daughter is learning how to cook, that’s awesome! And the fact that you both loved these tacos!😊 Definitely let me know if you try anything else OR if you have any questions.

     • 

       Jason Flanary

       February 2, 2024 at 10:33 am ·Reply

       I think the Greek chicken kabobs are next or the crispy chicken carnitas tacos. We will definitely let you know. Thanks again!

       • 

         Caitlin

         February 6, 2024 at 4:44 pm ·Reply

         Ooo those both sound good!😉 Such a tough choice! Yes, definitely let me know how they turn out!

3. 

   Judy

   January 27, 2024 at 12:35 pm ·Reply

   Can I use the fresh corn tortillas located in the refrigerated area at the grocery store?

   • 

     Caitlin

     January 31, 2024 at 2:16 pm ·Reply

     Hi Judy, I believe those should work too!

     See Also

     Asian Chicken Lettuce Wrap {Paleo, Whole30, Gluten-Free}

4. 

   Karen Chaney

   February 4, 2024 at 8:11 pm ·Reply

   You are right! These tasted just like a Mexican Restaurant! The best tacos I ever made! Lots of slicing and dicing, but it was well worth it! I also used lime juice in stead of vinegar, fantastic! Excellent recipe!

   • 

     Caitlin

     February 6, 2024 at 4:48 pm ·Reply

     Hi Karen! You’re so sweet!🥰 I’m so happy you enjoyed them! (And great idea using lime juice for the vinegar!)

5. 

   Cheryl

   February 8, 2024 at 7:47 pm ·Reply

   can i make the avocado salsa a day in advance?

   • 

     Caitlin

     February 9, 2024 at 10:46 am ·Reply

     Hi Cheryl, yes absolutely! 🙂 Just keep it stored in the refrigerator.

6. 

   Kristi

   February 13, 2024 at 2:03 pm ·Reply

   Wow! I am a San Diego native and Mexican food is everything to my family! I made this recipe for a friend who lives in Germany that wanted one last Mexican food feast before heading home. This did not disappoint and she loved it. The avocado salsa was SO easy and was so good !! Do not skip that. My son and I just polished off leftovers which we heated in the air fryer. Delish! This will be in my rotation now and I love this method for crispy tacos without frying. Thank you for a great recipe which I found on Instagram. I will be checking out the rest of your site for more gems.

   • 

     Caitlin

     March 4, 2024 at 4:42 pm ·Reply

     Omg Kristi, I definitely teared up a little while reading this. You have no idea how happy this makes me! (Btw this method works so well for all types of fillings.😉) Let me know if you try anything else. I’m happy these tacos were a hit!

7. 

   Carly

   February 28, 2024 at 5:30 pm ·Reply

   Hi! I honestly almost never comment on recipes but thought you’d like to know I tried this last night (after seeing @cleaneatfeed post on IG) and it was SO easy and SOO good. Definitely going in my regular recipe rotation. That sauce is a 10. Thx for the inspo!! Browsing through some of your other recipes as we speak 🙂

   • 

     Caitlin

     March 4, 2024 at 4:36 pm ·Reply

     Yayyy, you have no idea how happy that makes me Carly! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Not gonna lie, I could practically drink that salsa – it’s so good!😉

8. 

   Lisa

   March 6, 2024 at 5:39 pm ·Reply

   Made these last night and we loved them! I used boneless skinless chicken breasts (my husband won’t eat thighs) and the chicken was delicious. Cooked until meat thermometer read 165 degrees (about 22 minutes at 400). I used lime juice in place of the vinegar in the salsa and also added some orange juice (per a similar recipe for guac that I often make). The crispy tacos with the cold salsa is a delicious combo. Thank you for the recipe. Excited to try your other recipes as well.

   • 

     Caitlin

     March 13, 2024 at 3:26 pm ·Reply

     This makes me so happy Lisa, I’m so glad they were a hit! By the way, I love the additions you made. They sound delicious! 🙂

9. 

   Carol

   March 8, 2024 at 10:02 pm ·Reply

   Best tacos I have ever made or had. The salsa was also outstanding.

   • 

     Caitlin

     March 13, 2024 at 3:25 pm ·Reply

     I’m so happy you enjoyed them Carol! Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂

10. 

    Gonzalo

    April 1, 2024 at 6:27 pm ·Reply

    They have become a classic at home. Deliciosos. Thanks!!

    • 

      Caitlin

      April 3, 2024 at 10:54 am ·Reply

      Oh yayy! You have no idea how happy that makes me! 🙂 I’m so glad you love them!

11. 

    Lori

    April 3, 2024 at 10:13 am ·Reply

    These absolutely amazing, yum, yum! Tried making with chicken breast and definitely better with the thigh meat

    • 

      Caitlin

      April 3, 2024 at 10:53 am ·Reply

      Hi Lori, I’m so happy they were a hit! 🙂