Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos
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If you’ve got leftover rotisserie chicken and about 30 minutes, these crispy baked chicken tacos are dinner. The tortillas bake up golden on a sheet pan with cheese underneath, which is the trick to getting them crispy without a deep fryer. They taste like way more effort than they actually are.
Why We Love Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos
- The Family Begs For Seconds – My husband and daughter both asked when I’d make these again before they’d finished their first plates. Spoiler: I made sure to test them another time the next week too.
- Sheet Pan Easy – Everything bakes on two sheet pans, so there’s no skillet to scrub or fryer oil to deal with. Quick cleanup is half the reason these are a weeknight regular.
- Build Your Own Toppings – Set out lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or pico de gallo and let everyone build their own. It makes one pan of tacos work for picky eaters and adventurous ones at the same table.
Ingredients For Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- shredded chicken – cooked, you can use leftover or rotisserie chicken
- diced tomatoes – canned, you could also swap salsa but if it’s a thinner restaurant style salsa you may need to use less or the filling will become too liquidy.
- green chiles – diced, canned. You can use mild or hot depending on what you prefer.
- taco seasoning – or your favorite Mexican seasoning blend
- salt
- lime – fresh or bottled
- small corn tortillas – the 5 inch across kind, the fresher the better!
- Monterey Jack cheese – shredded, can also use cheddar or a blend of cheese
- topping – (optional, not shown in the picture) shredded lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo or diced tomatoes, corn black bean salsa, guacamole, or your favorite taco toppings
How To Make Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray two baking sheets lightly with spray cooking oil.
- In a large bowl, add shredded chicken, drained tomatoes, green chiles, taco seasoning, salt and juice from one lime. Mix until combined.
- Lay the corn tortillas evenly on the baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly one cup of Monterey Jack cheese evenly between the corn tortillas, and set the second cup of cheese to the side. Scoop a spoonful of the chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla, spreading the chicken mixture out over the tortilla evenly. Place both pans in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the other half of the cheese evenly between the corn tortillas over the chicken. Fold each tortilla in half, push each gently with a spatula so the tacos stay folded.
- Place the tacos back in the oven for about 3 minutes. Then flip the tacos and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the tacos to cool on the pan for a minute or two, then serve with cabbage, cilantro, guacamole, and sour cream. Enjoy!
How Do I Keep The Corn Tortillas From Breaking?
Sometimes the tortillas do crack when you’re making these tacos, which can be a little frustrating. Here are a few tips to help you keep them from breaking.
- Use Fresh Tortillas – Older tortillas are more likely to break, so the fresher the better!
- Try Hot Oil – The traditional way to roll tortillas involves dipping them in hot oil before filling them. You could spray them with a little oil and pop them in the oven for a few minutes to warm them up. You can also warm them in a pan with a little oil.
- Or Warm The Tortillas In The Microwave – Not quite as effective, but if you wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 20-30 seconds, the tortillas will be a little more bendable.
- Wrap With A Second Corn Tortilla – If one bursts before you bake them, you can add a second tortilla before you bake to help keep the filling from falling out.
You can see in my process photos that a few of mine did split before I baked that batch, my tortillas weren’t the freshest. When the tortillas crisp up, they are still folded and delicious, you just have to eat a little more carefully.
Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos Variation Ideas
Swap The Meat – You could swap the chicken for leftover carnitas, ground beef, steak, or even refried beans or shrimp. Whatever protein you use, it must be already cooked through to add it to the tacos.
Add Some Vegetables – Sauteed peppers and onions make these fajita style. Or try diced onion and lots of cilantro for a street tacos style. You can also just add beans or corn. It’s a good idea to sautee any vegetables so they don’t make the tacos too wet.
Try Swapping Cheese – I’ve used Monterey Jack cheese, but you can use cheddar cheese, a Mexican blend, or even colby.
How Long Will Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos Last?
Expect these tacos will last about three days when stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave, but will be crispier if reheated in a pan of medium-high heat. In the air fryer reheat at 350 degrees for 2-4 minutes or until warm and crispy.
More Easy Mexican Style Recipes
Easy Chicken Fajita Wraps
Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas
Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken
Cripsy Baked Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken can use rotisserie chicken
- 14.5 ounces tomatoes diced, canned, drained well
- 4 ounces mild green chiles chopped, canned
- 4 teaspoons taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium lime about 2 tablespoons
- 12 small corn tortillas 5 inch size
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray two baking sheets lightly with spray cooking oil.
- In a large bowl, add shredded chicken, drained tomatoes, green chiles, taco seasoning, salt and juice from one lime. Mix until combined.2 cups cooked shredded chicken , 14.5 ounces tomatoes, 4 ounces mild green chiles, 4 teaspoons taco seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 medium lime
- Lay the corn tortillas evenly on the baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly one cup of Monterey Jack cheese evenly between the corn tortillas, and set the second cup of cheese to the side. Scoop a spoonful of the chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla, spreading the chicken mixture out over the tortilla evenly. Place both pans in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.12 small corn tortillas , 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
- Sprinkle the other half of the cheese evenly between the corn tortillas over the chicken. Fold each tortilla in half, push each gently with a spatula so the tacos stay folded.
- Place the tacos back in the oven for about 3 minutes. Then flip the tacos and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the tacos to cool on the pan for a minute or two, then serve with cabbage, cilantro, guacamole, and sour cream. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
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