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These baked chicken tacos are the best tacos ever! Taco shells filled with refried beans, cooked chicken with salsa, cheese and all the toppings. An easy dinner for the whole family, ready in less than 30 minutes!
Also perfect for bringing to potlucks, tailgate parties, the Superbowl, and big gatherings.
If you live an active lifestyle and need to put dinner on the table every night to feed your family, You’ll love this recipe! It’s super quick and easy to make and the result is very impressive. Crispy taco shells filled with refried beans, taco-flavored shredded chicken (seasoned or not), topped with melted cheese.
What You Need
Here’s what you need to make Oven Baked Chicken Tacos. You probably already have these ingredients in your kitchen, so making these tacos will be easy!
I always make ground chicken and keep it in the fridge to use for things like tacos, fajitas, pasta (have you tried my rasta pasta? It’s a reader favorite!), sandwiches, soups, and salads!
My favorite way to prepare ground chicken is in the slow cooker, here’s my recipe for slow cooker ground chicken. When I’m short on time, I often use my air fryer. If you have a whole chicken, try this whole chicken recipe because it turns out great grilled and tastes great. Or if you’re using chicken breasts, here’s my method for air frying chicken breasts. It’s so juicy and good every time!
If I’m really in a hurry, I just grab a roast chicken from the store.
I often make my own refried beans at home, but you can always buy a can of store-bought beans.
And as for the spices, I always keep a big jar of this taco seasoning at home in my pantry. I know it’s easier to buy a package at the store, but trust me, pre-made spices usually contain a lot of unnecessary and sometimes harmful ingredients, and a homemade version will save you a lot of money!
How to Make Baked Chicken Tacos
And here’s how:
- Place the taco shells on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. They’ll be nice and crispy!
- Chop the onion, garlic and add the spices. Then add the salsa and shredded chicken. Let it cook for a few minutes and then remove from heat.
- Add the refried beans to the taco shells, cover with seasoned chicken and top with a mixture of shredded Mexican cheese or any other melted cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the tacos are heated through.
When it comes to taco fillings, the possibilities are endless! Or keep it simple and just sprinkle some chopped chilies on top, maybe some greens or lettuce. But when I’m feeling fancy, a packet of lime guacamole is always amazing. I also really like pico de gallo and add it to all my Mexican/Tex Mex inspired dishes, the pineapple salsa adds sweetness and freshness, and this ranchera sauce is amazing!
Top Tips
- To prevent the turkey tacos from getting soggy, it’s important to pre-cook the shells before filling them for 5 minutes.
- To separate the taco shells from the liquid chicken mixture, add the refried beans. This will help your taco shells stay crispy. You can also add cheese if you like.
- If you want to make these pre-cooked chicken tacos, I I don’t recommend assembling them until you’re ready to cook and serve them, as the taco shells can get quite soggy. Then prepare the chicken mixture and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble.
Baked Chicken Tacos
What to Serve Baked Chicken Tacos With
For a Mexican-inspired dinner, you can serve these Baked Chicken Tacos with lots of wraps, other entrees, drinks, and dessert. Try these stuffed Mexican peppers, they’re to die for! Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas are a must when my oven is busy and I don’t want to stand near the oven making them in a pan. Chickpea and Mushroom Fajitas for your vegetarian family and friends, refreshing al fresco water for drinks, and churro bites for dessert!
Recommended Utensils
I often use my quarter sheet pan to make these baked chicken tacos. Alternatively, any bread pan will work, the recommended size for 12 tacos is 9×13″.
baked chicken Tacos
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
These Baked Chicken Tacos are the best tacos ever! Taco shells filled with refried beans, cooked chicken with salsa, cheese and all the toppings. An easy dinner for the whole family, ready in less than 30 minutes!
Utensils
- Baking sheet (quarter sheet pan) or 9×13-inch baking dish.
Ingredients
▢12 taco shells
▢1 tablespoon oil
▢1 onion, diced
▢2 cloves garlic chopped
▢4 cups ground chicken
▢2 tablespoons taco seasoning
▢7 ounces (200 g) salsa
▢1 cup refried beans
Topping
1 and ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or mozzarella or cheddar
▢½ cup green chiles
▢shredded lettuce
Instructions
- Place taco shells on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes at 350°F (180°C). After 5 minutes, remove tacos from oven.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or until fragrant.
- Add the shredded chicken, spices and salsa. Cook for a few minutes, then remove from heat.
- In prepared taco shells, add 1 tablespoon of refried beans and about ½ cup of the chicken sauce mixture. Top with grated cheese.
- Return to oven for a few minutes, until cheese melts. Remove from oven, garnish with chopped chili, shredded lettuce, avocado, yogurt, etc.
Notes:
- To prevent the turkey tacos from becoming soggy, it is important to cook them for 5 minutes before filling.
- To separate the taco shells from the liquid chicken mixture, add the refried beans. This will help your taco shells stay crispy. You can also add cheese if you like.
- If you want to make these oven-baked chicken tacos in advance, I don’t recommend assembling them until you are ready to cook and serve, as the taco shells can be. quite soft. Then, prepare the chicken mixture and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble.
