Baked Chicken Tacos Recipe

Chicken Tacos are the ideal weeknight meal. This recipe for quick and easy baked chicken tacos has a lot of flavor but none of the hassle. The spicy shredded chicken filling bakes up in the crispy taco shells in less than 30 minutes. It's the ideal dish for feeding a large group on game day, Cinco de Mayo, or taco night.

What’s in this Chicken Taco recipe?

A spicy shredded chicken taco filling is mixed into crispy taco shells with beans before being baked until hot and flavorful. Dinner will be served in about 25 minutes.

• Chicken Shredded: For the taco filling, use completely cooked, shredded chicken. For a quick and easy meal, I frequently buy rotisserie chicken!

• Seasoning for tacos: This spice blend (chili powder, paprika, garlic and onion powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes) is ideal for tacos.

• Shells for tacos: Make use of firm taco shells. In the oven, they get beautiful and crispy!

• Cheese, Shredded: Use shredded cheese from a Mexican blend or your preferred flavor. Freshly grated cheese melts perfectly!

• Chiles Verdes: For the chicken combination, use a can of chopped green chilies. It provides a little spice and is quite tasty. Make certain that they are completely drained.

• Beans with Refried Sauce: Refried beans' creamy texture adds a lovely layer of texture and taste beneath the chicken. Use roughly 12 cans.

• Tomatoes: A can of diced tomatoes adds texture to the recipe. Again, properly drain these to avoid having too much liquid in the chicken taco filling.

• Onion: To provide texture and aromatics, diced onions are sautéed. Depending on your taste, you can use white, sweet, or red onions.

• Toppings: Toppings can include jalapeno slices, sour cream, shredded lettuce, Pico de Gallo, cilantro, salsa, taco sauce, or any other taco favorites.

• Expert Advice: To keep your baked chicken tacos crispy, bake the shells first before filling them. When constructing, I also recommend piling the beans on the bottom and the chicken filling on top.

Are these tacos with shredded chicken spicy?

This baked chicken tacos recipe is somewhat spicy, but not overly hot, thanks to the taco spice, green chiles, and jalapenos (my favorite topping, though it's absolutely optional).

To make them less hot, leave out the jalapenos and green chilies on top. These can be pretty mild, but if you or your children are sensitive to spice, simply leave them out while cooking the chicken filling.

• FAQ

• What kind of dish should I use to bake tacos?

When I make these chicken tacos, I use a 913 baking dish. This holds roughly ten taco shells. Other sized square or rectangular dishes will also work, but you may need to experiment with how to arrange the shells or use multiple baking plates.

• What kind of chicken is best for tacos?

Shredded chicken can be made using either boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs. Cook it whatever you like, but make sure it's fully done before baking the tacos (it's only being reheated in the oven). For the simplest option, start with rotisserie chicken.

• How can I keep chicken tacos warm until I'm ready to serve them?

If you're making these for a crowd or a party, keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve. I normally reduce the temperature to around 250°F and keep them in a baking dish covered with foil.

• How do you retain crispy firm taco shells?

I do a few things to keep the shells from becoming wet. 1.) Fully drain all canned ingredients so that there is no excess liquid in the filling. 2.) Bake the shells for about 5 minutes before filling them. 3.) Layer the refried beans on the bottom, followed by the chicken taco meat on top. This improves their durability.

• Is taco seasoning suitable for chicken tacos?

Yes! The same taco spice blend that you use for beef tacos also works well for chicken tacos.

How to make the best baked chicken tacos for a crowd! Lots of tacos made in one baking dish for family dinners, Cinco de Mayo, and more.

• Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 pound cooked chicken shredded (I used cooked Rotisserie chicken)

• 1 ounce Taco Seasoning click for homemade recipe!

• 1/2 cup onion diced

• 1 can diced tomato 14.5 ounce, fully drained

• 1 can Chopped Green Chiles 4.5 ounce, fully drained

• 10 Stand and Stuff Taco Shells I used Old El Paso

• 8 ounces Refried Beans 1/2 can

• 2 cups Mexican Blend Cheese

• Toppings such as Old El Paso sliced Jalapenos, sour cream, salsa, chopped cilantro, shredded lettuce, or any of your favorite taco toppings!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 913 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.(1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil)

3. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is transparent and fragrant, in the skillet.( 1/2 cup onion)

4. Incorporate the chicken, taco seasoning, tomatoes (drained), and green chilies (drained) *see note. Stir everything together thoroughly. Reduce to a low heat and cook for 5-8 minutes.

5. Place the taco shells, standing up, in the baking dish. By stacking two taco shells on each side, I was able to fit ten taco shells in the dish.

6. To crisp up the taco shells, bake them for 5 minutes on their own. Take the dish out of the oven.

7. 1 spoonful of beans should be placed in the bottom of each taco shell. Fill each shell almost to the top with the chicken mixture.

8. Fill each shell to the brim with grated cheese, the more the merrier!(2 cups Mexican Cheese Blend)

9. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and the shell edges are golden.

10. Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite toppings like jalapenos, sour cream, cilantro, and salsa.