Looking for some easy dinner inspiration? There’s nothing better than taco night, especially when you make these Oven Baked Chicken Tacos. They’re super simple to prepare and only takes less than 30 minutes!
Taco Tuesday is a popular theme at my house and on a busy weeknight baked tacos are my go-to.
How to Make Tacos in the Oven
These oven baked chicken tacos are a delicious and easy way to prepare dinner. They’re made with fresh ingredients, so you know they’ll be good for you too! You can make these tacos in less than 30 minutes, thanks to using precooked chicken. Just pop them into the oven and wait until they’re done cooking. It doesn’t get easier than this!
What to Serve with Baked Tacos
Both Cheesy Mexican Rice and Cilantro Lime Rice would be a terrific side dish for these tacos. This Fresh Corn Salad recipe would be quite nice too.
How Long Are Baked Chicken Tacos Good For?
The baked chicken tacos can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. The dish reheats well, so you can enjoy it for lunch or dinner later on in the week. Be sure to store this dish in an airtight container to keep your food fresh.
How to Reheat the Baked Chicken Tacos
To reheat the baked chicken tacos, simply place them in a microwave and heat on high for one minute. Heating in the microwave is fast but the shells do not get that same crispiness that they had when they are fresh. You can also reheat this dish in an oven or toaster oven. You will want to reheat for just a few minutes until the taco shells are crispy again and the middle is warm.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs
I am using precooked chicken for this recipe. That is because it is a great time saver. You can use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken you already have on hand. Since you can use whatever chicken you want, you can use chicken thighs or shredded chicken breast as well. Any type of shredded chicken will work for this recipe. A tip to make this a fast dinner anytime. Keep shredded chicken on hand in the freezer. Then you can take the chicken out of the freezer in order to make bake chicken tacos anytime, even in a hurry.
Tips for Shredding Chicken
The best thing to do is to simply chop the chicken into smaller pieces, then use two forks. Gently lift a piece of chicken up between both forks, and pull. You’ll have nice, clean, shredded chicken ready to go in no time at all.
Another way to shred chicken is to use a mixer. Place the chicken in your mixer and let it run for a minute. Turn it off, check to make sure that all of the chicken is shredded up before you take it out. Once you turn the mixer off, there will be hot liquid inside if you are shredding the chicken when it is hot.
For your convenience, a printable recipe card with measurements is located at the bottom of this post.
Ingredients
- cooked chicken shredded (Rotisserie chicken works great for this recipe.)
- olive oil
- taco seasoning
- diced white onion
- canned diced tomatoes
- canned diced green chiles
- stand and stuff crunchy taco shells (flat on the bottom)
- refried beans
- shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Taco toppings ( I recommend shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges.)
How to Baked Chicken Tacos
Preheat oven to 400F.
Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium size skillet, heat oil on medium heat.
Add onion to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the shredded chicken, taco seasoning, drained tomatoes and drained green chiles. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes.
Arrange the taco shells in prepared baking dish, standing up.
Warm the taco shells in the oven for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven.
Spoon and spread 1 tbsp of refried beans into the bottom of each shell. Top with chicken mixture, leaving a little room for taco toppings.
Sprinkle each taco generously with cheese.
Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the shells are just starting to brown.
Remove from the oven and top with your favorite taco toppings and a squeeze of lime.
Baked Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- ½ pound cooked chicken shredded Rotisserie chicken works great for this recipe.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- ½ cup white onion diced
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes drained
- 4.5 oz. diced green chiles
- 10 crunchy taco shells stand and stuff , flat on the bottom
- 8 oz. refried beans
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Taco toppings I recommend shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium size skillet, heat oil on medium heat.
- Add onion to a pan and cook 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the shredded chicken, taco seasoning, drained tomatoes, and drained green chiles. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes.
- Arrange the taco shells in prepared baking dish, standing up. Warm the taco shells in the oven for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven. Spoon and spread 1 tbsp of refried beans into the bottom of each shell. Top with chicken mixture, leaving a little room for taco toppings.
- Sprinkle each taco generously with cheese.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the shells are just starting to brown.
- Remove from the oven and top with your favorite taco toppings and a squeeze of lime.
Nutrition
You might also enjoy these Mexican-Inspired Recipes: