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When I need an easy dinner for my family, I always turn to these baked chicken tacos. They’re a favorite with my kids, and I love that they require minimal clean-up and are super simple to prepare. Ready in under 30 minutes, the shredded chicken filling bakes quickly inside perfectly crisp taco shells.
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“I use the chicken filling for so many things other than this recipe!! It’s so good for taco salads, quesadillas, soft tacos, the list goes on. I make a double batch and eat the variations throughout the week!” -Catie
Easy Baked Chicken Tacos Recipe
When I developed this recipe in 2015, I had no idea how many times I’d end up making it. We make it time and time again at our house, in about every flavor combination possible. I always end up coming back to this simple chicken filling, and it’s a favorite of my kids as well. This is the most popular recipe on The Cookie Rookie.
Whenever I need a no-fuss dish, whether it be for a weeknight dinner, a family get-together, or any type of celebration, this taco recipe is my go-to. With just a handful of ingredients, mostly pantry staples, it comes together quickly and easily. Best of all, I can prep the chicken in advance and pull it out when I am ready to make the tacos. If I don’t have any chicken on hand but everyone is asking for tacos, I’ll make this crockpot taco meat instead.
Between the taco seasoning, green chiles, and jalapenos (my favorite topping, though it’s completely optional), this shredded chicken tacos recipe is relatively spicy, but not overwhelmingly hot. If you want a taco with more spice, this quesabirria taco packs more of a punch. Or, for less spice, leave out the jalapeños.
Tips for Beginners
- Prevent sogginess. Fully drain all canned ingredients to keep excess liquid out of the filling. For extra crispiness, bake the shells on their own for about 5 minutes before adding the filling.
- Shredding chicken. I find the easiest way to shred the chicken is to use two forks to pull it apart. Pull the forks through the chicken in opposite directions.
- Bake in the air fryer. I haven’t baked these tacos in the air fryer, but if you want to use yours instead of the oven, bake until the cheese is melted and the chicken is warmed through.
- Play around with the toppings. Taco toppings are a personal choice, so feel free to use your favorites. Anything goes: salsa, guacamole, or fresh pico de gallo.
- In place of the taco seasoning. Use your favorite Mexican marinade to add the Mexican flavoring.
Baked Chicken Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ lb. shredded cooked chicken I used Rotisserie chicken
- 1 oz. taco seasoning (click for recipe)
- ½ cup diced onion any kind works
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes fully drained (1 can)
- 4.5 oz. diced green chiles fully drained (1 can)
- 10 hard taco shells I like Old El Paso Stand 'N Stuff
- 8 oz. refried beans (½ can)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese or any cheese works
Optional Toppings
- sliced jalapeños
- sour cream
- salsa
- shredded lettuce
- chopped fresh cilantro
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Shred chicken. I used Rotisserie chicken but you can cook chicken in a slow cooker as well.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet.1 tbsp olive oil
- Add onion to skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and fragrant.½ cup diced onion
- Stir in the chicken, taco seasoning, tomatoes (fully drained), and green chiles (fully drained). Stir to combine fully. Reduce to simmer and allow to cook for 5-8 minutes.½ lb. shredded cooked chicken, 1 oz. taco seasoning, 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes, 4.5 oz. diced green chiles
- Place the taco shells in the baking dish, standing up. I was able to fit 10 taco shells in the dish by adding 2 on each side.10 hard taco shells
- Bake the taco shells for 5 minutes by themselves to allow them to crisp up. Remove from the oven.
- Spoon 1 tbsp beans into the bottom of each taco shell. Top with the chicken mixture, almost to the top of each shell.8 oz. refried beans
- Sprinkle each shell generously with shredded cheese, the more the better!2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted and the edges of the shells are browned.
- Remove from the oven and top with your favorite items such as jalapeños, sour cream, shredded lettuce, cilantro, and salsa.sliced jalapeños, sour cream, salsa, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded lettuce
Equipment
- Equipment used for Chicken Tacos
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Chicken Tacos Step by Step
Prep all your ingredients: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Shred the cooked chicken using two forks, pulling the meat apart into bite-sized pieces. For the best texture, shred while the chicken is still warm—it will come apart more easily and evenly.
Sauté the onion: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add ½ cup diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant.
Simmer the filling: Stir in ½ lb. shredded cooked chicken, 1 oz. taco seasoning, 14.5 oz. (1 can) diced tomatoes, drained, and 4.5 oz. (1 can) diced green chiles, drained. Stir well to completely combine. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for 5-8 minutes.
Bake the taco shells: Place 10 hard taco shells in the baking dish, standing up. I fit 10 taco shells in the dish by adding 2 on either side. Bake the taco shells for 5 minutes on their own so they crisp up. Remove from the oven.
Fill the tacos: Spoon 1 tbsp refried beans into the bottom of each taco shell, topping with a scoop of the chicken mixture, filling almost to the top of each shell. Fill the tacos to just below the top of the shell so the filling doesn’t all out when you eat it.
Top with cheese and bake: Sprinkle each shell generously with shredded Mexican blend cheese. I love cheese, so the more the better.
Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the edges of the shells are browned. Check a few minutes before the recommended bake time so the tacos don’t burn since oven temperatures vary.
Serve: Top with your favorite items such as jalapenos, sour cream, shredded lettuce, cilantro, and salsa. If you’re making these for a crowd or a party, keep them warm in the oven as you serve. I usually turn the oven down to about 250°F, and keep them in a baking dish covered with foil.
How to Store
I generally recommend storing these baked chicken tacos separately rather than as whole tacos. Store the individual components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you have leftover tacos after baking everything together, wrap individual tacos in aluminum foil, and place them in a resealable bag. Keep in mind that the shells might get soggy if stored this way. To reheat, assemble tacos and bake as instructed in the recipe card, or until the chicken is fully heated through (165°F).
Serving Suggestions
These easy chicken tacos make Taco Tuesday a snap. They’re quick to prep for a Cinco de Mayo party, and they also make delicious game-day food. I like to pair them with sides like Mexican grilled corn, or this light and zesty cilantro lime rice.
This is one of my family’s favorite meals to make on busy nights or for a celebration.
More Taco Recipes
- Birria Tacos feature melt-in-your-mouth beef, rich in Mexican flavors, mingling with melted cheese, all wrapped in a crunchy tortilla.
- Turkey Tacos have seasoned ground turkey that is added to tortillas before being pan-fried to crispy perfection.
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken Tacos are made with shredded honey BBQ chicken, mango salsa, black beans, and cheese.
Becky!!! This recipe is absolutely delicious!! My son and I have it often. We like to use the southwest style seasoned chicken from HEB and shred it after it cooks. (You can find it in the Meal Simple section.)
What an easy and tasty recipe! I doubled it so we could have leftovers – they will be even better tomorrow. It seems very versatile – could proabably use ground beef, add cilantro lime rice to the tacos…the possibilities are endless. Again, easy and tasty!
Thank you Lisa! Yes, lots of ways you can customize these bakes chicken tacos!
This is definitely a five star recipe, thank you so much for the detailed instructions the simplicity of a great meal.
My hubby loves them!
I made these the other night. Filling the shells was a tad trying. We thought that one and done on this recipe. But no, I’m sure I’ll get better and better at making these as they are great as is. We didn’t even add a single topping other than the Mexican cheese.
Very good recipe!
I’m not a fan of hardshell tacos by baking them in the oven. Do they soften up?
Hi Kim, They are definitely still crunchy!
These tacos are GOOD! Will for sure make again! I omitted the onions because I didn’t feel like cutting anything. Next time I may just use a can of rotel instead of the tomatoes and green chilies.
SO good!! made twice in one week – my fiancé and I are obsessed!
I love this recipe! Tried it the first time using rotisserie chicken as she had put in her recipe, tonight trying ground beef.
My son loves!! Made exactly as written except no beans (he’s not a fan) such an easy meal on busy nights