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These crispy oven baked chicken tacos are always a hit on taco night in my house. They’re made with corn tortillas, a flavorful ground chicken taco filling, and plenty of melty cheese. I love how easy they are to throw together on busy weeknights and the oven does all the work to get them perfectly crispy without frying!
If you love crispy tacos, then these baked chicken tacos are for you! Instead of frying the tacos in a bunch of oil, I brushed the corn tortillas with avocado oil (olive oil works too). This allows them to get golden brown and crisp while they bake in the oven. It’s easier, healthier, and there’s less mess!
I filled them with my favorite ground chicken taco filling, which is the same recipe that I use for my ground chicken taco bowls. The filling uses a flavorful homemade taco seasoning blend, onion, cilantro, and either salsa or enchilada sauce. Sometimes I swap ground chicken with ground turkey or ground beef and use the recipe for these turkey tacos and ground beef tacos.
Not only are these tacos great for an easy weeknight dinner that feeds the whole family, but perfect for game day or a taco bar at your next party. I recommend at least 2 baked chicken tacos per person.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Baked Chicken Tacos
- How to Make Baked Chicken Tacos
- Tips for Making Baked Chicken Tacos
- Best Tortillas for Baked Chicken Tacos (and How to Keep Them from Cracking)
- Substitutions and Variations
- What to Serve with Crispy Chicken Tacos
- How to Prep Baked Chicken Tacos for Busy Weeknights
- Storage and Freezing
- How to Keep Baked Chicken Tacos Crispy for Leftovers
- More Taco Recipes
- Baked Chicken Tacos Recipe
Ingredients for Baked Chicken Tacos
- Ground chicken – Use ground chicken with a little bit of fat in it for the best flavor and moisture. I generally use 90/10.
- Frozen corn – Use fire roasted frozen corn if you want a little smoky charred flavor.
- Yellow onion – sauteed onion adds a ton of flavor to the taco meat.
- Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, garlic powder – Dried spices for the homemade taco seasoning. It isn’t spicy and has a delicious earthy, smoky flavor.
- Cilantro – Optional if you don’t like it, but adds a great fresh herb flavor.
- Green enchilada sauce – I love using either the Hatch or Siete Foods brand of enchilada sauce. You can also use red enchilada sauce or salsa if you prefer.
- Avocado oil– Use it on the baking sheet and brush it onto the tortillas to make them crispy. You can also use olive oil.
- Corn tortillas – Thin corn tortillas work the best and will crisp up the most in the oven.
- Cheese – I used colby jack because I love the way it melts. You can also use cheddar, monterey jack, or pepper jack cheese.
How to Make Baked Chicken Tacos
This is an overview of the recipe with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
Saute the onion and crumble the ground chicken in a large skillet. Season it with salt, pepper, and the taco seasoning.
Add the corn, cilantro, and enchilada sauce in with the meat and stir together until combined.
Preheat your oven and drizzle oil onto a baking sheet so that it’s coated. Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave so they are more pliable.
Place the tortillas on the oiled baking sheet. Add add some cheese to one half of the tortilla and top it with a scoop of the taco meat. Top it with more cheese and then fold the tortilla in half and press to close. If the tortilla tears a bit, don’t worry about it.
Repeat the process, then line up the tacos on the baking sheet and brush the tops with additional oil.
Bake the tacos for 18-20 minutes flipping them over halfway through the cooking time. If some of the cheese and filling are oozing out, it’s ok. It just gets crispy!
Tips for Making Baked Chicken Tacos
- Don’t overfill the tacos. This will make them prone to falling apart and more difficult to handle.
- Don’t forget to flip them over halfway through the baking time. This ensure that both sides get crispy.
- Add toppings to the tacos after they’ve finished baking. Fresh toppings brightens up the flavors. I like to top with with chopped tomatoes, green onions, guacamole, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, and squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Best Tortillas for Baked Chicken Tacos (and How to Keep Them from Cracking)
I recommend using corn tortillas for baked chicken tacos. They get crispier in the oven compared to flour tortillas. To keep the tortillas from cracking, wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds before assembling the tacos. Warming them makes the tortillas more pliable and less likely to fall apart when you fold them in half.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use different meat. Ground turkey or ground beef are great ground meat alternatives. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken. I recommend using 4 cups.
- The colby jack cheese can be swapped with cheddar cheese, monterey jack, or pepper jack for a spicy kick.
- Mild/Kid-friendly – Adjust the spice level and use mild salsa or mild enchilada sauce to keep the tacos kid-friendly. Also, make sure the chili powder you are using is a mild blend and not cayenne pepper!
- Instead of green enchilada sauce, try using red enchilada sauce, salsa verde, or regular tomato salsa.
- Add black beans to the filling. It’s great for adding fiber and a good way to stretch the taco filling so you can make more tacos. Bell peppers would also be a good way to add extra veggies.
What to Serve with Crispy Chicken Tacos
I love having my green chile guacamole on hand to dip the tacos into. This avocado ranch dressing is also excellent for dipping or drizzling onto the tacos.
Black beans and rice, cilantro lime rice, pico de gallo with tortilla chips, and this Mexican street corn soup are all great side dishes to serve with the tacos.
How to Prep Baked Chicken Tacos for Busy Weeknights
You can make these baked chicken tacos even easier by prepping parts of them ahead of time. The taco filling can be made 2–3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it for longer storage. Shred the cheese and prep any toppings a day ahead, then when it’s time to eat, all you have to do is assemble the tacos and bake. They’re perfect for busy weeknights or stress-free Taco Tuesday.
Storage and Freezing
Storage – The tacos will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing – Once the tacos have cooled completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then store them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Keep Baked Chicken Tacos Crispy for Leftovers
The best way to reheat baked chicken tacos is in the oven. Bake on a sheet pan at 400° F. for 10-12 minutes or until crisp and hot. You can reheat them in the microwave, but they won’t be crispy. While I haven’t tried this, I have read that reheating them in an air fryer is another good option.
More Taco Recipes
Baked Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
Taco Filling
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, I used approximately 3/4 teaspoon fine kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup green enchilada sauce, or salsa verde
Other Ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with a tablespoon of avocado oil and set aside.
- Add the avocado oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium-high heat. Add in the diced onion and ground chicken. Crumble the ground chicken then add in the dried spices, salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is cooked through.
- Pour in the enchilada sauce, corn, and cilantro. Stir everything together until combined then remove the skillet from the heat.
- Wrap the corn tortillas in damp paper towels and heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Place the tortillas on the oiled baking sheet. Add add some cheese to one half of the tortilla and top it with a small scoop of the taco meat (about 2 tablespoons). Top it with more cheese and then fold the tortilla in half and press to close. If the tortilla tears a bit, don't worry about it.
- Brush the tops of the tortillas with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the tacos for 18-20 minutes flipping them over halfway through the cooking time.
- Remove the tacos from the oven and serve them with guacamole, salsa, sour cream or any of your favorite taco toppings and dipping sauces.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make these Baked Chicken Tacos, please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you and do my best to respond to your comments. And if you’re on Instagram tag @reciperunner so I can see your beautiful creations!
These were amazing!! Subbed ground chicken for cauliflower. Perfectly crispy. Also made a cilantro avo lime sauce to dip!
Fabulous! So good to hear you enjoyed them and were able to turn them into a vegetarian version.
These were delicious! Very quick and easy to make. I’ve been making taquitos for a while now but these were much easier and tastier. We just love your recipes! Thanks!
Thanks Alicea! And thanks for trying the tacos!