Baked Chicken Tacos

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These Baked Chicken Tacos are made with juicy chicken, melted cheese, and lots of flavor. Spices and fresh cilantro make it taste amazing and it’s so easy to prep ahead.

Baked Chicken Tacos topped with guacamole, lime slices, sliced cherry tomatoes, and chopped cilantro.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
Add-ins and Substitutions
How to Make Baked Chicken Tacos
Recipe Tips
FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Make This Recipe in Advance
More Delicious Mexican-Inspired Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions

Recipe Details

I love tacos in pretty much any form, but these Baked Chicken Tacos are in a class of their own. Marinated meat, scrumptious spices, and melted cheese make this meal absolutely delicious. This recipe is versatile, simple, and convenient, perfect for even the busiest nights.

TASTE: The chicken is marinated with onion, garlic, and spices for an epic flavor. This dish is smoky, savory, and a little spicy.
TEXTURE: Soft corn tortillas are wrapped around tender, juicy chicken and gooey cheese.
TIME: This takes about 1.5 hours, but an hour of that is for the chicken to marinate.
EASE: This is an easy baked meal. It’s made with simple ingredients and a few short steps, so it’ll be a breeze.

What You’ll Need

Baked Chicken Tacos ingredients: onion, Monterey jack cheese, garlic, olive oil, chicken thighs, cilantro, tortillas, sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cumin.

Ingredient Notes

Chicken thighs- I like boneless, skinless thighs because they are easy to use and the meat is juicier.
Corn tortillas- These are have a nice corn flavor and are great for tacos. They’re also gluten-free.
Cheese- I like Monterey jack for its mild flavor that’s a little buttery and tangy. It goes well with these tacos.
Smoked paprika- This gives the meat a smoky flavor with a hint of heat and sweet.
Chili powder- This seasoning is moderately spicy.
Cumin- This spice has an earthy, savory, and slightly nutty flavor.
Sea salt- This flakier salt melts easily and has a little bit of a briny taste.
Black pepper- For a little added spice.
Cilantro- This herb is bright and citrusy, adding a refreshing flavor to this savory taco dish.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Substitute different cheeses- You can make this with other cheeses, such as shredded cheddar cheese, pepper jack, Mexican blend cheese, or mozzarella.
Make them with different tortillas- Corn tortillas are traditional, but if you like the flavor and texture of flour tortillas, then use those. Or use hard taco shells.
Substitute different meats- Try this with chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken, ground beef, pork, or even turkey for a different flavor. You can also go vegetarian with refired beans, black beans, or pinto beans.
Add some toppings- Top it with sour cream, pico de gallo, enchilada sauce, hot sauce, salsa, tomatoes, or sliced jalapenos.

How to Make Baked Chicken Tacos

Prep the chicken. Place the chicken thighs into a large prep bowl with the oil, spices, pressed garlic, chopped cilantro, and sliced white onion.
Marinate. Mix it well and let it marinate for 1-2 hours.

Steps to make Baked Chicken Tacos: combine oil, onion, garlic, cilantro, chicken, smoked paprika, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and chili powder and marinate the chicken.

Prepare the chicken for the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F and place the chicken onto a baking sheet.
Bake. Bake for about 35 minutes.
Shred it. Once the chicken comes out of the oven, shred it.

Pro Tip: You can shred it with 2 forks or place the chicken in a large bowl and use a handheld mixer on low speed to break it up.

Steps to make Baked Chicken Tacos: bake the marinated chicken and then shred it with two forks.

Prep the tortillas. Bring the oven temperature to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the corn tortillas on top. Spray the top and bottoms of the tortillas with cooking oil.
Add chicken and cheese for baking. Add the shredded chicken and cheese on top of the tortillas and bake for 5-10 minutes until the edges of the tortillas are lightly brown, and the cheese is melted.
Fold, top, and serve. Immediately after you pull the tortillas out of the oven, fold them in half. Serve with lettuce, cilantro, guacamole, and freshly squeezed lime juice.

Steps to make Baked Chicken Tacos: spray the corn tortillas and then top them with shredded chicken and cheese, then bake.

Recipe Tips

Use block cheese- Pre-shredded cheese is dusted with starch to keep it from sticking to itself, but this makes melting more difficult. Shredding your own makes it melt better.
Spray the tortillas before baking- Make sure to spray the top and bottoms of the corn tortillas with cooking oil to help get them crispy. This ensures they don’t rip when bent.
Fold them as soon as they are done baking- You don’t want the tortillas too crispy, so when they are still pliable from the heat of the oven, fold them and let the melted cheese hold them closed.

FAQs

How to cook chicken for chicken tacos?

For these baked chicken tacos, the chicken is marinated, baked for 35 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and shredded. You can also cook the chicken in a skillet on the stove, in an instant pot, or in a crockpot.

How do you keep chicken juicy in the oven?

Marinating the chicken helps tenderize it without losing an moisture. This recipe uses spices, herbs, onion, garlic, and oil to infuse flavor and keep the chicken juicy and tender through its baking. Also be careful not to overcook it or set the temperature too high.

Close up of Baked Chicken Tacos, topped with lime, cilantro, and guacamole.

Serving Suggestions

These homemade Baked Chicken Tacos are so delicious and flavorful. Serve them alongside delicious salads, sides, and veggies.

Sides: Enjoy them with some 7 Layer Taco Dip, Loaded Chicken Nachos, Air Fryer Corn on the Cob, or Avocado Corn Salad.
Salad: Serve these with a Taco Salad (VIDEO), Cabbage Cucumber Salad, BLT Pasta Salad, or Chicken Pasta Salad.
Rice and Beans: Enjoy them with Brown Rice Jambalaya with Chicken and Shrimp, Spanish rice, Wild Brown Rice, refried beans, or black beans.
Vegetables: Pair these chicken tacos with some Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, Roasted Air Fryer Vegetables, Scalloped Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Zucchini.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can leave the chicken marinating in the fridge overnight, or you can bake and shred the chicken, storing it in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to bake your tacos.

Storing: Store any leftovers of this Baked Chicken Taco recipe in an airtight container once cooled for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven to get the tortilla crispy again.

Freeze: You can freeze these tacos in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat in the oven.

More Delicious Mexican-Inspired Dishes!

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Dina

Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!