Crispy Chicken Tacos Recipe
These Baked Chicken Tacos are mouthwatering flavor fireworks in each cheesy, saucy, crispy bite. They’re the easier cousin to chicken birria in more accessible weeknight dinner form! This taco recipe is made with shredded chicken smothered in rich, bold, smoky, earthy homemade enchilada sauce, stuffed into tortillas along with ooey gooey cheese then baked to crispy, crunchy perfection. These chicken tacos are an easy dinner or crowd pleaser, and great for meal prep because the chicken and toppings can be made ahead of time. Serve the handheld heroes along with a side of Cilantro Lime Rice and finish them off with Tres Leches Cake!
Servings 12 tacos
Ingredients
Tacos
- 1 recipe Homemade Enchilada Sauce <--click for recipe
- 4 cups shredded chicken <--click for recipe or use rotisserie
- 12 soft white corn tortillas (see notes)
- 2 cups favorite shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterrey, Oaxaca, or a combo)
CILANTRO LIME SOUR CREAM (OPTIONAL)
- 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro, finely chopped (measure before chopping)
- 2-4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos (optional)
- 1/2 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried chives, dried dill
- salt and pepper to taste
TOPPINGS (PICK YOUR FAVS!)
Instructions
- Cilantro Lime Ranch: Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Oven: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Sauce: Prepare Enchilada Sauce according to recipe directions (click HERE for recipe).
- Chicken: Add desired amount of sauce to the shredded chicken in a large bowl (more or less depending on how "saucy" you like your tacos), and stir to combine.
- Prep tortillas: Working in 2 batches, place 6 tortillas between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until pliable. Lightly brush the top of the tortillas with olive oil then flip over (the oiled side should now be face down, touching the baking sheet so it gets crispy).
- Assemble: Add a layer of cheese to the bottom half of the tortilla and top it with about 1/3 cup chicken. Fold the tortillas over in half and lightly press so they stay folded, you may need to flip the whole taco over so it stays. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Bake: Bake at 425 degrees F for 8 minutes, flip the tacos over and bake an additional 8 minutes. If the tortillas aren’t crispy, then flip and bake an additional 5 minutes OR until crispy. Stuff with desired toppings and dig in!
Video
Notes
- White corn tortillas: are made with white masa harina as opposed to yellow masa harina and tend to be softer, more tender, with a higher moisture content, which makes them more pliable. White corn tortillas can be easily rolled and folded without cracking or breaking. Look for “super soft” white corn tortillas (like Mission brand).
- Use a light hand when brushing the olive oil over the tortillas. If you use too much oil, then the tortillas will be too wet and have a difficult time getting crispy.
- Bake until crispy. I have experimented with a couple different types of tortillas and some take longer to crisp up than others – so be flexible and patient and bake until crispy.
- Meal Prep: The tacos will be the crunchiest when freshly made unless you have an air fryer to reheat them. The good news is the shredded chicken can be made 100% ahead of time and just reheated so the taco assembly can be done in minutes. All of the toppings can be prepped ahead of time.
- Storage: Store chicken tacos in a single layer (with parchment paper in between layers if stacked) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How to Reheat Baked Chicken Tacos
The best way to reheat chicken tacos to get them crispy again is in the air fry fryer:- Air fryer: Place your tacos in the air fryer basket and air fry at 400 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Stove: Heat a skillet to low then add the taco(s). Cook until heated through, rotating as needed. Once the inside is warm, you can crank the heat to medium-high to quickly toast the outside.
- Oven: Place tacos on a wire rack placed over a baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until warmed through.
- Microwave: The microwave won’t crisp up the exterior again, but it’s convenient for hands off reheating. Transfer tacos to a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high or 45 seconds then at 15-second intervals as needed.