Crispy Chicken Tacos
Published on June 19, 2024
Quick Summary
Crispy Chicken Tacos- Shredded chicken and cheese are stuffed in corn tortillas and baked in the oven until crispy! Serve with jalapeño ranch, pico de gallo, guacamole, and your favorite taco toppings! This quick and easy chicken taco recipe is perfect for busy weeknights! You will love how crunchy the are!
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Pin ItTacos are a staple meal at our house. We love making ground beef tacos, fish tacos, vegetarian tacos, steak tacos, and these Crispy Chicken Tacos.
Corn tortillas are lightly coated in oil, stuffed with shredded chicken that has been tossed in taco seasoning and lime juice, sprinkled with shredded cheese, and then baked to crispy perfection. These crispy tacos remind me of taquitos, but the tacos are folded instead of rolled up.
The tacos are crunchy, cheesy, crispy, and SO delicious, especially when served with jalapeño ranch. You can drizzle the ranch over the tacos or dunk them in the ranch. We also like to serve the tacos with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, and pickled red onions, but feel free to enjoy them with whatever toppings you like.
Mix up taco night and make these Crispy Chicken Tacos! They only take 30 minutes to make and they are a family favorite! They are also great for entertaining. Set out a big tray of tacos, lots of toppings, and let our guests build their own taco plates! SO fun and SO delicious!
Table of Contents
Taco Ingredients
- Chicken– to keep the recipe super simple I use shredded rotisserie chicken. Cooked or grilled chicken will work too.
- Lime– fresh lime adds flavor to the chicken.
- Taco seasoning– I love using our homemade taco seasoning, to season the chicken. It is the best and easy to make too. You can make it in advance and keep it in the pantry so you always have it on hand. Store bought seasoning will work too.
- Avocado oil– for greasing pan and brushing on the tortillas. You can use avocado oil or avocado oil spray.
- Cheddar cheese– for best results, buy a block of cheese and use a grater. Store bought cheese has a powder coating and it doesn’t melt as well. We use cheddar cheese, but Monterey jack, pepper jack, or sharp cheddar would also be good.
- Tortillas– use yellow or white corn tortillas. For best results, use the freshest tortillas you can find so they don’t tear.
How to Make Crispy Chicken Tacos
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, lime juice, and taco seasoning.
- Wrap the tortillas in a towel and microwave on high for 45 to 60 seconds to make them more pliable. This will prevent them for tearing. If they tear a little, it is ok!
- Grease a large baking sheet generously with avocado oil. Place the tortillas on a large baking sheet in a single layer.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cheese on half of each tortilla. Top the cheese with 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Add another tablespoon of cheese on top.
- Fold tortillas over the filling and gently press to adhere. Lightly brush tortillas with oil.
- Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy.
- It’s ok if some of the cheese oozes out and gets crispy! That is the point! The crispy cheese is SO good!
Jalapeño Ranch
I love serving these tacos with jalapeño ranch. The creamy, tangy dressing takes the flavors to the next level. You can dip, dunk, or drizzle the ranch over the crispy tacos.
The ranch is easy to blend up, put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor, blend, and that’s it! You can make the ranch while the tacos are in the oven.
Find the full recipe HERE!
Toppings
I love tacos because they are delicious. I also love them because they are a vehicle for LOTS of toppings. Here are some topping ideas for the crispy chicken tacos!
- Jalapeño Ranch or Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Shredded lettuce
- Sour cream
- Pico de Gallo or Salsa
- Guacamole
- Pickled Red Onions
- Corn Salsa
- Chimichurri Sauce
What to Serve with Crispy Chicken Tacos
How to Store & Reheat
The tacos are best fresh, but you can store and reheat and even freeze the tacos.
- Storing Leftovers: Let the tacos cool completely. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing the Tacos: Bake the tacos and let them cool completely. Place the tacos on a large baking sheet or tray in a single layer and freeze for 1 to 2 hours or until solid. Wrap the tacos individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: The best way to reheat the tacos is in an air fryer. Place tacos in the air fryer at 400 degrees F and heat for 6 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until warm and crispy. You can also reheat them in a 400 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. I don’t recommend reheating the tacos in the microwave because the tacos will get soggy and chewy instead of crispy.
More Taco Recipes
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Fish Tacos
- Breakfast Tacos
- Turkey Tacos
- Easy Vegetarian Tacos
- Grilled Steak Tacos
- Shrimp Tacos
Crispy Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
For the tacos:
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, or cooked chicken
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- Avocado oil, for greasing pan and brushing on tortillas
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 corn tortillas
For serving:
- Jalapeño Ranch
- Shredded lettuce
- Pico de Gallo
- Guacamole
- Pickled Red Onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, lime juice, and taco seasoning.
- Wrap the tortillas in a towel and microwave on high for 45 to 60 seconds to make them more pliable. Grease a large baking sheet generously with avocado oil. Place the tortillas on a large baking sheet in a single layer.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cheese on half of each tortilla. Top the cheese with 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Add another tablespoon of cheese on top. Fold tortillas over the filling and gently press to adhere. Lightly brush tortillas with oil.
- Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy.
- While the tacos are baking, make the jalapeño ranch. Serve the tacos with the jalapeño ranch and desired toppings.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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I like this clever idea of stuffing then baking and we will give it a try. They look delicious.
They are so easy!
Just made these for dinner for my family. My college age son is home and he said definitely a make again meal. We did traditional beans and rice as sides and easy and delicious. Thank you for the idea to bake and not have to fry to achieve the crispy taco. I did not make any changes.
The perfect meal!
I made these last night and they were a hit! We had guacamole and salsa for topping and Mexican black beans on the side. Easy and delicious!
Yahoo!
This was a winner for the whole fam: including two picky toddlers. Added rice and beans for some extra heft.
Yay! Love this!
An easy and quick meal. Rotisserie chicken makes the tacos hassle-free. I Made mendicant rice as a side dish. Oven baking is the way to go.
Perfect for busy weeknights!
Remember those frozen mini tacos? These are the adult versions and OMG they’re so good! Easy and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
Yes!
These are RIDICULOUS, so delicious and so so easy for a busy weeknight meal. Definitely adding to our rotation and HIGHLY recommend you make them. Like now. Go make them right now!
We make them all of the time!
I made these tonight but used pulled pork instead of chicken. They turned out great. We will try them with chicken next time.
Pulled pork is a great way to switch them up! I am glad you liked the tacos!