Baked Chicken Tacos Recipe

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Baked chicken tacos are a tasty and easy meal for your family or a crowd. You can make lots of tacos at once in a baking dish, perfect for dinner or parties. These tacos take only 25 minutes to make, with 15 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking time.

The recipe uses simple ingredients like shredded chicken, taco seasoning, and cheese. You start by cooking onions and mixing them with chicken, tomatoes, and green chiles. Then you fill taco shells with beans and the chicken mix, top with cheese, and bake until crispy. Add your favorite toppings like sour cream or salsa for extra flavor.

Exact Ingredients List

Here’s what you’ll need to make these tasty baked chicken tacos:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken works great)
• 1 ounce taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (4.5 ounces) diced green chiles, drained
• 10 hard taco shells (like Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff)
• 1/2 can (8 ounces) refried beans
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

For extra yumminess, you can add these toppings:

• Sliced jalapeños
• Sour cream
• Salsa
• Shredded lettuce
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Make sure you have all these ingredients ready before you start cooking. It’ll make the process much smoother and faster!

Instructions

Sauté the Onion: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add ½ cup of diced onion to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and fragrant.

Simmer the Filling: Stir in ½ pound of shredded cooked chicken, 1 ounce of taco seasoning, 14.5 ounces (1 can) of diced tomatoes (fully drained), and 4.5 ounces (1 can) of diced green chiles (fully drained). Stir to combine fully. Reduce to simmer and allow to cook for 5-8 minutes.

Bake the Taco Shells: Place 10 hard taco shells in the baking dish, standing up. We were able to fit 10 taco shells in the dish by adding 2 on each side. Bake the taco shells for 5 minutes by themselves to allow them to crisp up. Remove from the oven.

Fill the Tacos: Spoon 1 tablespoon of refried beans into the bottom of each taco shell. Top with the chicken mixture, filling almost to the top of each shell.

Top with Cheese: Sprinkle each shell generously with 2 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese, the more the better!

Bake and Serve: Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the edges of the shells are browned. Remove from the oven and top with your favorite items such as jalapenos, sour cream, shredded lettuce, cilantro, and salsa.

Possible Substitutes List & Recipe Variations

You can easily mix up this baked chicken tacos recipe to suit your tastes. Try ground beef or turkey instead of chicken for a different flavor.

Vegetarians can swap the meat for black beans or lentils. For a spicier kick, add some diced jalapeños or hot sauce to the filling.

Don’t have taco shells? Use soft tortillas and make a taco casserole instead. Simply layer the ingredients in the baking dish.

Here are some easy swaps:

• Cheese: Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack
• Beans: Black beans or pinto beans
• Veggies: Add corn, bell peppers, or zucchini to the filling

For a lighter version, use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. You can also try whole wheat tortillas for extra fiber.

Want to make it ahead? Prepare the filling up to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, just assemble and bake.

Tips, Tricks & Storing

Use rotisserie chicken to save time. It’s already cooked and seasoned, making prep a breeze.

Drain the tomatoes and green chiles well. This keeps your tacos crispy, not soggy.

Pre-bake the taco shells for 5 minutes. This extra step makes them extra crunchy.

Don’t overfill the tacos. Leave room for toppings and to prevent messy spills.

Let everyone add their own toppings. Set up a taco bar with choices like lettuce, salsa, and sour cream.

Store leftover tacos in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes to crisp them up again.

For meal prep, make the chicken mixture ahead of time. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to eat, just assemble and bake the tacos.

Freeze unbaked tacos for later. Wrap them individually in foil, then place in a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 5-10 minutes to the cook time.