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Baked Chicken Tacos are the ultimate easy dinner recipe, perfect for busy weeknights or celebrations. This family favorite features spicy shredded chicken, crispy taco shells, and creamy layers of beans and cheese. Quick to prepare and baked to perfection in less than 30 minutes, these tacos are sure to become a staple in your home.
A Family Favorite
I discovered this recipe on a busy weeknight when I needed something quick and crowd-pleasing. Now it's become our go-to taco night dinner. There's something magical about how the shells get extra crispy in the oven while the cheese melts into that perfectly gooey layer. The best part is how everyone can customize their toppings making dinner time fun and interactive.
What You'll Need
- Shredded Chicken: Fully cooked, shredded chicken like rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Taco Seasoning: A blend of chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes.
- Taco Shells: Hard shells that bake to a crispy finish.
- Cheese: Shredded Mexican blend or any melting cheese of your choice.
- Green Chiles: Adds a mild heat; use canned, fully drained.
- Refried Beans: Creamy base for layering.
- Diced Tomatoes: Adds texture; fully drain to avoid sogginess.
- Onion: Use white, red, or sweet onion for extra flavor.
Let's Make Them Together
- Prepare the Shells
- Pre-bake taco shells at 350°F for 5 minutes to keep them crisp.
- Mix the Filling
- Combine shredded chicken with taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, green chiles, and onions.
- Layer the Ingredients
- Spread a layer of refried beans at the bottom of each shell, followed by the chicken mixture.
- Add Cheese
- Top each taco with shredded cheese and arrange them in a baking dish.
- Bake
- Bake the tacos at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Making Them Perfect
Through many taco nights I've learned some game-changing tricks. Always drain those canned ingredients really well soggy tacos are no fun! That quick pre-bake of the shells makes such a difference in keeping them crispy. And using refried beans as the first layer creates a barrier that helps everything stay put when you bite in.
Serving and Storing
I love setting up a toppings bar with fresh guacamole salsa sour cream and extra cheese letting everyone customize their tacos. If we have leftovers (which is rare!) I store the components separately and assemble fresh tacos the next day. For parties I'll keep a batch warm in a low oven covered with foil it works perfectly for serving a crowd.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- → How spicy are these tacos?
- They're relatively spicy from taco seasoning, green chiles, and optional jalapeños, but not overwhelming. Skip jalapeños and green chiles for a milder version.
- → Why pre-bake the taco shells?
- Baking the shells for 5 minutes before filling helps them crisp up and prevents them from becoming soggy when filled.
- → How long do leftovers keep?
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that shells may lose some crispness over time.
- → Why drain the tomatoes and chiles?
- Fully draining prevents excess liquid that could make the tacos soggy. This helps maintain the crispy texture of the shells.
- → Can I fit more tacos in the dish?
- The recipe fits 10 shells in a 9x13 dish by adding 2 on each side. Adding more might make them too crowded to fill and serve easily.