Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Soft Tacos
Taco Bell built its reputation on cheap and fast, so the Cantina menu caught a lot of people off guard. The Cantina Chicken Soft Taco wraps chicken simmered in a paprika-and-tomato broth in a warm flour tortilla, then finishes it with fresh pico de gallo, shredded iceberg lettuce, and purple cabbage. Simmering the chicken rather than browning it keeps the meat tender and lets the seasoned broth soak through each piece. The chicken and the pico both keep for days in the fridge, so taco night takes about as long as it does to warm tortillas.
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A Cantina Chicken Soft Taco is built from three parts, and only one of them requires cooking. Chicken breast is cut into small pieces and simmered in a broth seasoned with tomato paste, garlic and onion powder, and two kinds of paprika until it turns tender and takes on a deep red color.
The pico de gallo is raw and takes ten minutes. Roma tomatoes, white onion, jalapeño, and cilantro get finely diced, tossed with lime juice and salt, then chilled so the flavors have time to come together. That chill is not optional if you want the pico to taste like more than chopped vegetables.
Assembly is a warm flour tortilla, a spoonful of drained chicken, and a handful of cold toppings. The ingredient list looks long because most of it is spices you already have, and the few outliers, like nutritional yeast and MSG, earn their shelf space quickly.
Why the Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Soft Taco is the perfect addition to your Taco Night
Do you want to upgrade your Mexico-inspired dinners? Try this copycat Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Soft Taco recipe. Customers may love Taco Bell for its inexpensive meals, but with the introduction of the Cantina menu items, quality took a major leap forward. The star of this recipe is definitely the tender chicken simmered in a fully flavored sauce, but the homemade pico de gallo is pretty great, too. Wrap it all up in a soft flour tortilla and top with cool iceberg lettuce and crunchy purple cabbage for the ultimate Taco Night.
Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. There are certainly a few oddballs you may need to buy specifically for this recipe, but once you take one bite, you’ll definitely want to make it on the regular, so the Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Soft Taco ingredients won’t go to waste.
Ingredients and their roles
For the pico de gallo:
- Roma tomatoes – Finely diced. Romas have thick walls and few seeds, so the pico stays chunky instead of turning watery.
- White onion – Finely diced, for crunch and a clean, sharp bite.
- Jalapeño – Seeded and minced. Removing the seeds and white ribs keeps the heat present but manageable.
- Fresh cilantro – Chopped, for the bright, grassy note that defines pico de gallo.
- Lime – Juiced, for acidity that lifts the whole mixture and keeps the tomatoes tasting fresh.
- Salt – Draws moisture from the tomatoes and sharpens every other flavor in the bowl.
For the Cantina Chicken:
- Chicken breast – The main protein. Its mild flavor stays out of the way of the seasoning.
- Chicken broth – The braising liquid, and the meaty foundation of the sauce.
- Tomato paste – Adds concentrated tomato flavor, body, and a touch of sweetness.
- Garlic powder – Gives even garlic flavor without the harsh edge of raw cloves.
- Onion powder – Adds savory onion depth that dissolves smoothly into the broth.
- Sweet paprika – Colors the chicken and adds gentle peppery sweetness.
- Smoked paprika – Deepens the color and adds the faint smokiness that reads as grilled.
- Salt – Seasons the chicken and pulls the other spices into focus.
- MSG – Optional, but it delivers the clean savory quality the restaurant version has. ACCENT is widely available.
- Nutritional yeast – Rounds out the seasoning with nutty, cheesy umami.
For assembling:
- Soft flour tortillas – Six-inch size. Flour is softer and milder than corn, so it holds the filling without competing with it.
- Iceberg lettuce – Shredded, for cool crunch that adds texture more than flavor.
- Purple cabbage – Shredded, for firmer crunch, a mild peppery earthiness, and color.
Ingredient Notes
- Use Roma tomatoes specifically. Beefsteak and vine tomatoes contain far more seed gel, which will pool at the bottom of the bowl and make the tacos soggy.
- Roll the lime hard against the counter before cutting it. A rolled lime gives noticeably more juice, and bottled lime juice has a dull, slightly bitter edge that shows up immediately in raw pico.
- Nutritional yeast is found in the health food aisle or in bulk bins, sold as flakes rather than powder. It keeps for months and is worth buying for this recipe alone.
- Buy tortillas from the refrigerated case if your store carries them. Shelf-stable tortillas contain more preservatives and tend to crack rather than fold.
How to make Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Soft Tacos
To prepare the pico de gallo:
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the Pico de Gallo and mix well.
- Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least thirty minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
To cook the Cantina Chicken:
- Cut the chicken breasts into quarter-inch pieces and reserve.
- Add the remaining Cantina Chicken ingredients to a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pot and stir well to coat.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Check the chicken to make sure it is cooked through.
- Remove the pot from the heat and place the cover on top to keep the chicken warm.
To assemble the Cantina Chicken Soft Tacos:
- Warm the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side in a dry pan over medium heat.
- Spoon two tablespoons of the drained chicken in the center of each tortilla. Top with shredded iceberg lettuce, shredded purple cabbage, and pico de gallo.
- Fold in half and serve immediately.
What to serve with these premium tacos
Complete your taco night by adding a couple of the Taco Bell favorites below.
Taco Bell Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes – These are just about the feistiest potatoes you’ve ever tasted. The recipe starts with a base of crispy, seasoned, fried potatoes, then tops them with nacho cheese sauce and a dollop of sour cream. It is the perfect combination of flavorful spices, warm cheese, and cool, refreshing sour cream.
Taco Bell Dirty Mountain Dew Baja Blast Dream Soda – Everyone loves Mountain Dew Baja Blast, but have you ever tried Taco Bell’s twist, the Dirty Mountain Dew Baja Blast Dream Soda? A shot of vanilla-flavored cream transforms an ordinary glass of Baja Blast into something completely different and utterly delicious.
Taco Bell Caramel Apple Empanadas – Finish off your meal with these fusion apple pie empanadas. The flaky empanada dough makes a flavorful crust for the caramel-and-apple filling. Fried until crispy and finished with a drizzle of vanilla glaze, these apple pie hand pies are perfect as dessert or a quick snack.
Storing and make-ahead instructions
Refrigerator Storage: Cool the chicken to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container with its sauce and refrigerate for up to three days. Store the pico de gallo in a separate airtight container for up to three days, though it is best in the first day or two. The pico will release liquid as it sits, so drain it before serving. Keep shredded lettuce and cabbage in their own container and expect them to wilt within a day or two.
Reheating Method: Warm the chicken covered over medium-low heat on the stove with a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce, which tightens in the fridge. Cook until heated through, about six minutes. Warm the tortillas fresh in a dry skillet right before serving. Never reheat the pico or the shredded vegetables.
Freezer Storage: The cooked chicken freezes well for up to three months in an airtight container with its sauce. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Do not freeze the pico de gallo. Raw tomatoes rupture as they freeze and thaw into a watery, mushy mixture with none of the crunch that makes pico worth making.
More Taco Bell Copycat Recipes
- Taco Bell Soft Tacos – The original seasoned beef version in the same flour tortilla. Make both and let people at the table pick their side.
- Authentic Taco Bell Crunchy Tacos – The hard-shell classic the whole menu was built on, with the seasoned beef recipe worth knowing by heart.
- Taco Bell Fresco Crunchy Taco Recipe – Swaps cheese for pico de gallo, so the pico you just made has a second home.
- Taco Bell Double Decker Taco – A crunchy taco wrapped in a soft tortilla with beans between the layers. The Cantina chicken works in it beautifully.
- Taco Bell Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes – Crispy seasoned potatoes under warm nacho cheese sauce and sour cream. The side dish that finishes taco night.
Check out more of my copycat Taco Bell recipes to make any time you have a craving.
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Taco Bell Cantina Chicken Soft Tacos Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
Pico de Gallo
- 3 Roma tomatoes finely diced
- 1/2 cup finely diced white onion
- 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cantina Chicken
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 4 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG (Accent) (optional but accurate)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast finely chopped (1/4-inch cubes)
Taco Assembly
- 8 soft flour tortillas (6-inch)
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
Instructions
- To make the pico de gallo, combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To make the cantina chicken, combine the chicken broth, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, smoked paprika, salt, MSG (optional), and nutritional yeast in a pot over low heat. Mix well. Add the finely chopped chicken and simmer over medium-low heat for at least 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds.
- To assemble the tacos, spoon the chicken down the center of each tortilla. Top with shredded lettuce, purple cabbage, and a spoonful of pico de gallo.
Notes
- Chill the chicken breast in the freezer for 15 minutes before you cut it. Firm breast holds its shape under the blade, which makes an even quarter-inch dice much easier and keeps every piece cooking at the same rate.
- Drain the chicken before it goes in the tortilla. Sauce is what turns a soft taco into a wet, torn mess halfway through eating it. Keep the extra sauce in the pot for spooning over rice later.
- Taste the sauce before the chicken goes in. Once raw chicken is in the pot, you cannot taste and adjust until the whole batch has cooked through.
- Leave the pot uncovered for the full simmer. The open pot lets the broth reduce into a sauce that clings to the meat, while a lid traps steam and leaves the chicken sitting in thin liquid.
- Make the pico first, before you touch the chicken. It needs the full 30 minutes cold, and that window is exactly how long the chicken takes to cut and simmer.
- Do not add the lettuce and cabbage until the moment you serve. Cold shreds against a hot tortilla will wilt within a couple of minutes.
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