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These crispy, oven baked chicken tacos will be a hit for taco night! Made with corn tortillas, a flavorful ground chicken taco filling, and cheese. They’re great for an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy!
Looking for another easy chicken taco recipe? Make these slow cooker creamy green chile chicken tacos!
Why You’ll Love Baked Chicken Tacos
Crispy – If you love crispy tacos, then these baked tacos are for you! Corn tortillas are brushed with avocado or olive oil and then baked until crisp.
Flavorful chicken taco meat – These chicken tacos are made with ground chicken or you could use ground turkey. The taco filling is made using the same recipe that I use for my ground chicken taco bowls. It uses a flavorful blend of taco spices, onion, cilantro, and either salsa or enchilada sauce.
Family-friendly dinner – These tacos are sure to be a hit with the whole family! Both kids and adults will love how cheesy they are the the spice level can easily be adjusted to your families preference.
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.
- 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– Used on the baking sheet and to brush on the tortillas to make them crispy.
- 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!
Recipe Tip
Warm the corn tortillas wrapped in damp paper towels in the 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
- Substitute ground chicken with either ground turkey or ground beef.
- The colby jack cheese can be swapped with cheddar, monterey jack, or pepper jack for a spicy kick.
- Omit the cilantro if you aren’t a fan.
- I used green enchilada sauce, red enchilada sauce, salsa verde, or regular tomato salsa all work great!
- Add a can of 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.
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, pico de gallo with tortilla chips, and this Mexican street corn soup are all great side dishes to serve with the tacos.
Storage, Reheating 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.
Reheating – The best way to reheat the 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
Did you make this crispy baked chicken tacos? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
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.