When I want to make 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 involve minimal clean up and are super easy. Made in less than 30 minutes, the spicy shredded chicken filling bakes up in the crispy taco shells so fast. I developed this recipe in 2015 and it’s been the ultimate recipe for serving a crowd on game day, Cinco de Mayo, or taco night ever since. Over 2400 home cooks have ranked this recipe a 5-star favorite. I’m so proud of this recipe!
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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 its a favorite of my kid’s as well. This is the most popular recipe on The Cookie Rookie. It has been viewed over 6 million times and pinned over 2 million times. It’s so simple and delicious, I just know you’ll love it!
What’s in This Baked Chicken Taco Recipe?
- Shredded Chicken: Use fully cooked, shredded chicken for the taco filling. I often use rotisserie chicken for a quick and easy option.
- Taco Seasoning: This blend of spices (chili powder, paprika, garlic and onion powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes) is perfect for any taco recipe and adds so much flavor.
- Taco Shells: Use hard taco shells since they bake up nice and crispy in the oven!
- Cheese: I used Mexican blend shredded cheese, but any blend of melting cheeses will work. Freshly grated cheese gets beautifully melty!
- Green Chiles: Use a can of chopped green chiles for the chicken mixture. It adds a little bit of heat, and it’s really delicious. Just be sure to fully drain them.
- Refried Beans: The creamy texture of refried beans adds a nice layer of texture and flavor beneath the chicken. Use about half a can.
- Tomatoes: A can of diced tomatoes adds more texture to the mix. Again, be sure to fully drain these so you don’t end up with too much liquid in the chicken taco filling.
- Onion: Adds more texture and some aromatics. White, sweet, or red onions all work.
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Tips for Success
- There are a few things I do to make sure the shells don’t get soggy:
- Fully drain all canned ingredients so that there isn’t extra liquid in the filling.
- Bake the shells by themselves for about 5 minutes before filling them.
- Layer the refried beans on the bottom, and place the chicken taco meat on top. This helps them hold up better.
- If you’re making these for a crowd or a party, you can keep them warm in the oven as you serve. We usually turn the oven down to about 250°F, and keep them in a baking dish covered with foil.
How to Store and Reheat
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. Pair them with Mexican grilled corn, Mexican rice, or Esquites for a rounded meal.
This is one of our family’s favorite meals to make on busy nights, or for a celebration. We hope you love it as much as we do.
5-Star Reviews
“I rarely leave reviews for recipes, but this was SO good and so simple, I had to say thank you! So thanks for the great recipe, it’s going in the regular rotation!” – Christy
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“We have made these several tomes snd they’re well loved! Sure go fast! I couldn’t even get a photo of them all!!!” – Melissa
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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
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“This is a go-to in our household. It’s so quick, simple, and delicious- and since it’s just my husband and I, we have enough for two days! :)” – Brittany
Baked Chicken Tacos Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ pound shredded cooked chicken We used Rotisserie chicken
- 1 ounce taco seasoning (click for recipe!)
- ½ cup diced onion
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes fully drained (1 can)
- 4.5 ounces diced green chiles fully drained (1 can)
- 10 hard taco shells We used Old El Paso Stand 'N Stuff
- 8 ounces refried beans (½ can)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
Optional Toppings
- Sliced jalapeños
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet.1 tablespoon 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 pound shredded cooked chicken, 1 ounce taco seasoning, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 4.5 ounces diced green chiles
- Place the taco shells in the baking dish, standing up. We were 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 tablespoon of beans into the bottom of each taco shell. Top with the chicken mixture, almost to the top of each shell.8 ounces 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 jalapenos, sour cream, shredded lettuce, cilantro, and salsa.Sliced jalapeños, Sour cream, Salsa, Chopped fresh cilantro, Shredded lettuce
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Between the taco seasoning, green chiles, and jalapenos (my favorite topping, though it’s completely optional), this baked chicken tacos recipe is relatively spicy, but not overwhelmingly hot.
- When I want to make them less spicy, I skip the jalapeños on top. The green chiles can be quite mild, but if you or the kids are sensitive to spice, simply skip over them when making the chicken filling.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients
Nutrition Information
How to Make Chicken Tacos Step by Step
Sauté the Onion: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add ½ cup of diced onion to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and fragrant.
Simmer the Filling: Stir in ½ pound of shredded cooked chicken, 1 ounce of taco seasoning, 14.5 ounces (1 can) of diced tomatoes (fully drained), and 4.5 ounces (1 can) of diced green chiles (fully drained). Stir to combine fully. Reduce to simmer and allow to cook for 5-8 minutes.
Bake the Taco Shells: Place 10 hard taco shells in the baking dish, standing up. We were able to fit 10 taco shells in the dish by adding 2 on each side. Bake the taco shells for 5 minutes by themselves to allow them to crisp up. Remove from the oven.
Fill the Tacos: Spoon 1 tablespoon of refried beans into the bottom of each taco shell. Top with the chicken mixture, filling almost to the top of each shell.
Top with Cheese: Sprinkle each shell generously with 2 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese, the more the better!
Bake and Serve: Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the edges of the shells are browned. Remove from the oven and top with your favorite items such as jalapenos, sour cream, shredded lettuce, cilantro, and salsa.
Looks yummy. Cutting back on carbs and tired of the plain chicken in the freezer. Going to try baking just the filling in a slightly smaller pan. Serve on bed of lettuce for a taco salad.
Thanks so much for the nice article.
Are the calorie counts in this recipe just for the chicken mixture itself? Or does it include the taco shell? Thanks!
Its for the taco shell too. It’s for 1 full taco.
These look so delicious, and I love that the recipe would feed a crowd! Perfect for game day!
Nice Becky. This looks gorgeous.I found this formula on Pinterest and made it today evening time. It got rave audits! The main distinction I made is I utilized cabbage as a part of the spot of lettuce. It matched consummately with the cream! A debt of gratitude is in order for the amazing formulas!
This looks amazing, a beautiful concept, and quick meal. LOVE everything about it. DROOLS!
These look so so good. I love a great taco recipe, can’t wait to try them baked!
YES! Love the idea of baked tacos! My hubby will appreciate the added spice!
Taco Tuesday just went up like 10 levels, perfect week night recipe!
Mexican night is always a favorite here. I know my kids would love these, and I love how easy these are!
What an awesome idea! Thanks for sharing!
I love baked taco so much! Your chicken version looks amazinf and fresh
I used regular taco seasoning but Tomatoe with green chilies and the chopped green chilies. It’s so so good!
Also did the White Chicken Caprese Lasagna last night and it was an “OMG SO GOOD “out loud moment!
did you cook the chicken before placing in the taco ? or does the chicken cook in the oven?
How many does this serve?
Linda that depends how many tacos you can eat….. It makes 10 tacos. ????
How do I unsubscribe?
They are fantastic! I just made them tonight.
Boring food site using processes & essentially premade stuff. No idea how to cook but present your quest in a hipster way w/ random foliage chips lol. Everyone feels entitled to having a dear diary these days I guess, over any interest they have, forcing others to scroll through muck when they’re looking for professional recipes.
Don’t listen to garbage talk like that from Jen. Some people just have to be negative about everything and they’re never h appy. She I ‘s one of those. I think your site rocks, and love the recipes. If it’s one that I don’t I or my family will like I skip it. Otherwise a I try it. Have I great day and keep up the good work.
Nothing wrong with using pre-made store products,as a chef for over 40 years I know many recipes are better off with them, I use them and I just remember to choose my products wisely and go whole foods and fresh. store bought taco shell are ok. you have a great site here and it shows by your following I say To Hell with negative people !
Keep it up you got my “that a girl”
Chef Ernie
Aw thank you Chef Ernie! I definitely don’t claim to be a chef and I so appreciate you perspective. So sweet of you to say hello. Hope you had a fabulous 4th of July!
Wow hater much???
Sounds like Jen should get off her high horse….no one forced you to look at the site or continue to read the site if it wasn’t your thing. Some of us enjoy these recipes. Some of us are busy and look forward to these quick recipes. Why bring down someone else’s work…go create your own website with all these perfect meals you looking for.
Jen, please read 1st word in recipe title. Please notice that it says “Easy…”. More often than not, ‘Easy..’ in the title or name means just that. Just because it says ‘Easy’, that doesn’t mean that it’s not very tasty.
I’m looking forward to trying this tomorrow night. Giving my wife the night off in the kitchen.
WAY TO GO, w/ giving your wife a night (HOPEFULLY a “regular” to @least “occasional”thing you DO????) OFF IN THE kitchen!! DOES “a night off in the kitchen” ALSO mean threat you ACTUALLY “DO THE dishes & clean-up”, ALSO??
SHE’S a lucky lucky lady that I’m NEARLY POSITIVE KNOWS & APPRECIATES IT (& “YOU” for it)…as long as by giving her the night OFF in the kitchen DOES NOT ACTUALLY mean that you make a HUGE MESS that you leave BEHIND FOR HER AFTER DOING THE “COOKING”!
EITHER WAY, IT’S VERY VERY THOUGHTFUL & MOST LADIES FIND “THIS” SAYING 2B ABSOLUTELY TRULY FRELT…”THERE’S NOTHING SEXIER THAN A MAN WHEN HE’S DOING THE DISHES”!!
YOU sound like a husband that’s thoughtful & deaply in love w/your sweetheart -& I’M NEAR POSITIVE THAT SHE FEELS THE “ADORED” when you’re SO THOUGHTFUL about ALL of the kitchen duties SHE does & volunteer to TAKE YOUR TURN!! KEEP IT UP, Richard…& you and your wife quill have a MUCH BETTER CHANCE at beating those 50% of marriages END IN “divorce”!!
KEEP cooking these type of GREAT meals FOR EACH OTHER!! Try cooking &/or cleaning up “TOGETHER” (IF your kitchen had ROOM ENOUGH) SO “romantic” -AGAIN…”quite SEXY”!!
Jen…..sounds like your irrelevent self needs to “GET A LIFE”.
Great comeback. You are so right!!! She can look else where for her recipes!!
Wow, what an ass you are. If you are looking for made from scratch recipes go buy yourself a Betty Crocker cookbook. Sometimes working, busy people don’t have time to go out and kill the chicken, strip its feathers and cook it. Nor do I feel the need to grind my own corn to make taco shells. For me I look for fast, easy and yes sometimes processed and precooked foods.
Yum! Just a little tip: I pu the refried beans in a zip lock bag, cut a small hole in the corner and piped a line of beans in each taco. I also used rotisiere chicken. Thanks for the recipe
That is Genius!!! I had a bit of trouble getting the reformed beans into the bottoms of the shells, had to be very careful and use odd spoon angles to get them in there without breaking or cracking the shells. This is the new way to go for me :) thanks for th suggestion; did you warm the beans at all to make them a bit easier to work wth? I find them pretty chunky and hard straight out of the can?
THAT IS SO SMART! Thank you so much for dropping that nugget of wisdom, I love it!
Beat it Jen,
Don’t come back here. Go find another website to be nasty to.
Dear Becky,
So sorry but there are haters everywhere I guess. I am sorry for Jen’s nasty behavior. She is an asshat.
So true, thank you I love them
yet there you sit wasting your oh so precious time complaining about something you could have just scrolled past..
I love the stories before the recipes , when I cook, its always from the heart. Its one of the ways I show my love to my family. Stories add to the recipe . I love the stories that came with the recipes that my mother gave me. Even simple recipes, like mashed potatoes , always had a family event described. Like, “I remember the first time you helped Nanna mash the potatoes, you were so small , they had to sit you on the counter because the rim of the bowl was too high for your arms to reach, even standing o a stool.”
Please keep the stories, it what gives the recipes a soul!
You are so sweet. Thank you Dawn!
Well said, Becky! I am so glad I found your site. I love how clean and easy it is to read and follow. Great for a mom like me who has no time or ability to come up with dinner plans!
Best,
Alice
Don’t be a hater Jen. Feel free to look elsewhere for recipes that fit your taste.
Well said Becky! Keep your recipes coming. I do appreciate you sharing them.
Wow… people can be so hateful. I am trying your tacos tonight and they already smell FANTASTIC! Thank you for putting yourself out there, even when you have to deal with people who try to insult you and can’t even spell “processed”. ???? Keep doing a great job! ????
wow! really!
Oh for Pete’s sake! Pay no attention to the rude comment. To Jen: First of all, if you have so much experience with “professional” recipes, it would be easy to figure out that instead of complaining, you could easily prepare your own chicken, taco seasoning, and substitute fresh ingredients for the canned ones. You could also add whatever you want to suit your taste. I can and have done all of those things.
There are nights that I enjoy making a meal almost or entirely from scratch. There are also nights where I was stuck at the office late, or the kids have an event shortly after getting home from school, and premade ingredients are a lifesaver. And a recipe like this is much healthier than fast food or a frozen pizza. So please get off your high horse. It’s a big drop when you fall off.
Thanks for the awesome recipe! I tried it and will make it again!
Get over yourself…….this is a wonderful recipe and your comments were disgraceful ….. excellent go to for a quick dinner.
So did your family like them? I’m sure by now you have tweaked the recipe to suit everyone. My son loves these! So much so he’s in the kitchen tearing apart some chicken breasts.when I make the meat portion,I make extra so the next time I hear chicken tacos all I need to do is go buy shells.
Just stumbled upon your site and was reading the reviews. Have to say I’m surprised that someone would be so rude. Your response was great. I do like the recipe and will be sure to try it.
I do have one question. The calories are high–is that for one serving?
WOW…. rude much? NOT EVERYTHING IS PREPACKAGED BLAH BLAH BLAH, Jen. I was going to something pithy but I was too busy PICKING my jaw up off the floor. Becky, I appreciate what you’ve done here. Keep on going, girlfriend! My husband and children have loved every recipe I’ve tried off your site! And FOR the record, I HAVE always been a great cook and excellent baker… and I love trying new things!
Thank you Kellie! I appreciate you and I’m so glad you and your family loved the recipe. MUAH xoxo
Wow! Who are you? What are you?
Wow. Honestly if You don’t appreciate the site then block it without the nasty comment. I am looking forward to making these on Mother’s Day.. “tomorrow” in case you may need a reminder.
Happy Mother’s Day! Thanks for the sweet comment <3
Great answer keep it up. There are people who appriciate your receipes.
Thank you so much! <3
Jen, Why must you be so rude? Sometimes it’s better to say nothing and go your own way. This is a great site and Becky does a wonderful job. If you were trying to make Becky feel small, then it backfired on you. So sad for you!
Thank you Anne, that is so sweet of you. Have a wonderful holiday.
I REFUSE to be message OR rude in ANY WAY…just a “ditto” to Becky’s REPLY.
ALSO, I’m certain that like myself out CAN BE “quite exasperating” with the TONS of posts it seems we have to scroll THROUGH just to get to the people & items that we’d care to see!!????
However, I’ve found that MOST sites have a way to make your page “private”. That way only THOSE that “YOU’VE approved” are allowed to post on YOUR PAGE
…w/the EXCEPTION of the advertisements the site requires you to see so that our keeps YOU & OTHERS from HAVING TO “PAY” for the site!! (I’m guessing it’s HOW the sites get THEIR financial needs & goals met and keep the sites UP, AVAILABLE & running.)
Seriously, look for HOW to make YOUR PAGE “private”. It sounds as if it would at least HELP keep you from getting so many sites that YOU REALLY DON’T CARE FOR!
Good luck w/TRYING THAT, & have an ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL, POSITIVE, & HAPPY DAY!
Jen the jealous Hater!! Awesome recipe!!
Thank you Teri, glad you loved the recipe :)
Wow Jen ~ you’re an asshole
some folks just have to be toxic, Jen must have a pathetic life to have to use negativity on someone else’s site just to attempt to be relevant… narcissistic enough to try to renounce/rebuke others & yet have absolutely nothing positive or useful to ad…. Jen could have metntioned it just wasn’t her cup of tea & moved on… how sad she appears…
I have an idea Jen…find something better to do than try to make people feel crappy just because you happen to be miserable in life.
I LOVE this site because unlike Jen, some of us could use a simpler version of amazing food! BTW Old El Paso makes billions of dollars…how much have you made this year Jen
The oven spicy chicken tacos are AWSOME in taste but with the foil lined pan they got very soggy on bottom., next time i will try with out the foil.
I know this is really old but i just saw it. What are you simmering if you use a dry seasoning and drain the tomatoes?
The tomatoes will cook down and get watery . Just enough to mix and simmer
I made this recipe last night. It was fantastic and super easy! I will be using many more if your recipes in the future. Thank you so much!