Easy Baked Chicken Tacos
I’m gonna show you how to make the easiest chicken tacos.
These are baked, so there’s hardly any cooking required.
And best of all, you can use leftover rotisserie chicken or just buy one if you don’t wanna cook your chicken.
Why You’ll Love This
The kids love these.
They’re so quick and easy to make.
These baked chicken tacos are one of the best 30-minute meals, perfect for busy weeknights, much like an easy homemade hamburger helper recipe.
This is such a satisfying taco experience with very minimal effort, making it ideal for a quick weeknight dinner, similar to an easy creamy beef pasta recipe.
You guys are gonna love it.
My kids loved it, which surprised me.
No need to buy the crispy taco shells.
It crisps up in the oven just fine.
Ingredients
For the chicken filling:
- about two cups of shredded chicken (from two small chicken breasts or one very large one, light meat or dark meat)
- one can of roll-tailed tomatoes with green chilies
- two tablespoons of taco seasoning
- one tablespoon of fresh lime juice
For the tacos:
- 10 to 12 small corn tortillas
- oil
- Mexican shredded cheese
For serving:
- lettuce
- diced tomato
- pico de gallo
- fresh cilantro
- sour cream
- hot sauce
- fresh squeeze of lime juice
Instructions
- Remove any skin and bones on your chicken, then transfer to a large mixing bowl and shred it with your hands or use two forks.
- Make sure you drain off the extra liquid, then add it to the chicken.
- Now add two tablespoons of taco seasoning.
- Next, add one tablespoon of fresh lime juice.
- Now stir all of that together and set it aside for the flavors to meld.
- Spray both sides of the tortilla with oil and be generous because this does help the shell crisp up.
- Now sprinkle half of your Mexican shredded cheese over your tortillas.
- Next, divide the chicken filling evenly over the tortillas and finally top with the rest of your cheese.
- Finally, we’re gonna bake uncovered for about 10 to 12 minutes in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit or until the cheese is melted and the edges are crisp and golden.
- As soon as they come out of the oven while they’re still soft and pliable, use a spatula to quickly fold each one over.
Cooking Tips
If you’re shredding a lot of chicken and making a bigger batch, the easiest way to do it is to put it into the bowl of your stand mixer, then shred it up with the paddle attachment.
You can use homemade, which I have a great recipe for this or store bodice fine.
I found it’s easier to get the most juice out of it if you roll it on the counter before cutting and juicing it.
If you don’t have an oil sprayer, you can also brush with oil.
Folding them while they’re still hot like this also helps prevent the shell from breaking, a useful tip whether you’re making tacos or an easy BBQ tortilla wrap burger.
You can totally substitute what’s inside with cooked ground beef, like taco meat, cooked ground turkey with taco seasoning, ground chicken, or even consider making flavorful garlic butter steak bites for a different protein.
You can totally mix beans with taco seasoning.
I’ve done that for like a vegetarian version of tacos.
Serving Suggestions
I’m just using some lettuce.
I’ve got some diced tomato.
You can also use pico de gallo, which I have a really amazing authentic pico de gallo on my blog.
And then some fresh cilantro, of course.
I do like a little sour cream on my taco to add a little bit of creaminess and hot sauce.
Whatever your favorite hot sauce is, go for it.
A little fresh squeeze of lime juice is really nice.
You can just serve them like this.
Totally do it buffet style.
Everybody can build their own taco.
The way that they love it.
I hope you guys totally love it.
Let me know if you change it up in your kitchen and try a different protein or even the beans. For another simple and hearty meal, try this easy one-pan ground beef and rice with cheese.
Seriously, it works well.
Easy Baked Chicken Tacos Recipe for Quick Weeknight Meals
This recipe shows you how to make the easiest baked chicken tacos for a quick weeknight meal. Using shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works great!), these tacos crisp up perfectly in the oven with minimal effort, making them a satisfying 30-minute meal that kids and adults will love.
- For the Chicken Filling Array
- For the Tacos Array
- For Serving (Optional) Array
- Prepare the Chicken: Remove any skin and bones from your chicken if not already prepared. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and shred it with your hands or two forks. If using cooked chicken, ensure it’s finely shredded.
- Make the Filling: Drain any extra liquid from the Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies and add them to the shredded chicken. Add two tablespoons of taco seasoning and one tablespoon of fresh lime juice. Stir all ingredients together until well combined and set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
- Prepare Tortillas: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220°C). Lightly spray both sides of each corn tortilla generously with oil, as this helps the shell crisp up. (If you don’t have an oil sprayer, you can brush with oil.)
- Assemble Tacos: Lay the tortillas flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle half of your Mexican shredded cheese evenly over the tortillas. Divide the chicken filling evenly among the tortillas, spreading it out. Finally, top the chicken filling with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake Tacos: Bake uncovered for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the edges of the tortillas are crisp and golden.
- Fold and Serve: As soon as the tacos come out of the oven, while they are still hot and pliable, use a spatula to quickly fold each one over into a taco shape. This helps prevent the shells from breaking. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
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