Homemade Chicken Tacos Recipe

Chicken Tacos are a fantastic choice for a simple weekday dinner. This speedy and straightforward recipe for baked chicken tacos is bursting with flavor and doesn’t require much effort.

In under 30 minutes, you can whip up the spicy shredded chicken filling and bake it inside crispy taco shells. It’s the ideal recipe for feeding a bunch of folks on game day, Cinco de Mayo, or just a regular taco night.

In this delightful Chicken Taco recipe, you’ll find a delectably spiced, shredded chicken taco filling that’s whipped up in no time and then expertly layered into crispy taco shells with the addition of beans. The end result? A deeply satisfying dinner that’s ready to serve in just about 25 minutes, guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of your entire family!

Let’s dive into the essential components:

Shredded Chicken: Use already cooked and shredded chicken, like the kind you can buy in a store or from a rotisserie chicken for convenience.

Taco Seasoning: It’s a mix of spices like chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and a tiny bit of red pepper flakes. This seasoning adds lots of tasty flavor to your tacos.

Taco Shells: Get hard taco shells that become nice and crispy when you bake them. They make your tacos crunchy.

Shredded Cheese: Choose your favorite cheese, like Mexican blend or any other type you like. Grating the cheese fresh makes it melt perfectly and tastes even better.

Green Chiles: These are diced green peppers that come in a can. They add a bit of spiciness and great flavor to your chicken. Just make sure to drain them well.

Refried Beans: These beans are creamy and smooth. They add both texture and flavor under the chicken. You’ll need about half a can.

Tomatoes: Use canned diced tomatoes to give your filling a rich texture. Make sure to drain them well so your tacos don’t get too watery.

Onion: Cook diced onions in a pan until they’re soft and flavorful. You can choose white, sweet, or red onions based on your taste.

Toppings: You can add jalapeno slices, sour cream, shredded lettuce, Pico de Gallo, cilantro, salsa, taco sauce, or any toppings you like on your tacos.

Pro Tip: To keep your chicken tacos crispy when baking, start by baking the taco shells by themselves before adding the fillings. Also, it’s a good idea to put the beans at the bottom when you’re putting everything together, and then add the chicken on top.

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Are these shredded chicken tacos spicy?

These baked chicken tacos do have some spiciness because of the taco seasoning, green chiles, and optional jalapeno toppings. But they’re not extremely hot. If you want them less spicy, just don’t use jalapenos and skip the green chiles when making the chicken filling. This way, they’ll be milder, which is better if you or your kids don’t like too much spice.

Storing Shredded Chicken Taco Filling in the Freezer:

If you have extra shredded chicken taco meat or want to prepare meals ahead of time, you can freeze it. Simply put the taco filling in a container or a sealed freezer bag. It will stay frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it in the fridge before reheating.

A Tip to Remember: It’s not a good idea to freeze these baked chicken tacos as a whole because the hard taco shells will get soggy when they thaw. However, soft taco shells, especially flour tortillas, usually freeze well.

Side dishes to Enjoy with Your Chicken Tacos:

These simple chicken tacos are ideal for Taco Tuesday, a Cinco de Mayo get-together, or as game day snacks. Some tasty side dishes to go with them include Mexican grilled corn, Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, or Esquites.

You can also pair them with fresh tortilla chips and easy guacamole and salsa (like avocado corn salsa or tomatillo avocado salsa).

Prep time: 15 minutes	Cook time: 20 minutes
Rest time: 5 minutes	Total time:40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 packet taco seasoning mix
• 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
• 1 cup refried beans
• 1 cup shredded cheese (your choice)
• 12 taco shells (hard or soft)
• Toppings: jalapeno slices, sour cream, shredded lettuce, Pico de Gallo, cilantro, salsa, taco sauce, or your favorite taco toppings.

Instructions:

• Preheat the Oven
  Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Prepare the Chicken Filling
  In a skillet over medium heat, combine the shredded chicken, taco seasoning, and diced green chiles. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is well-mixed and heated through.
• Layer the Taco Shells
  If you’re using hard taco shells, place them on a baking sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes. This will help keep them crispy.
  If you’re using soft taco shells, you can skip this step.
• Assemble the Tacos
  Spread a spoonful of refried beans inside each taco shell.
  Add a portion of the chicken mixture on top of the beans.
  Sprinkle shredded cheese over the chicken.
• Bake the Tacos
  If you’re using soft taco shells, you can skip this step.
  If you’re using hard taco shells, return the assembled tacos to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
• Add Toppings
  Remove the tacos from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes.
  Now it’s time to add your favorite toppings! You can use jalapeno slices, sour cream, shredded lettuce, Pico de Gallo, cilantro, salsa, taco sauce, or any other toppings you like.
• Serve
  Serve your delicious chicken tacos while they’re still warm and enjoy!
• Now you have a tasty chicken taco recipe with the estimated times for prep, cook, and rest. Enjoy your meal!