Corn tortillas are stuffed with sauced-up shredded chicken, cilantro, and cheese in this crispy chicken taco recipe. By using a few store-bought shortcuts like rotisserie chicken and bottled taco sauce, you can have these crunchy, cheesy tacos on the table in 30 minutes flat!
Baking Chicken Tacos on a Sheet Pan Makes Them SUPER Crispy
This simple recipe is inspired by the frozen crispy chicken tacos my husband brought home from Costco after sampling them at the big box store. He’s a big Jack-in-the-Box and Taco Bell taco fan, so he loved these crispy 3-4 bite tacos for quick lunches, and always with loads of hot sauce.
There’s really not much to them, so I made my own version with shredded rotisserie chicken meat (from Costco, of course), hot tomato sauce (El Pato is our fave), fresh cilantro, a little cumin, and melty Mexican cheese.
And what do you know? He liked mine even better. The corn tortillas get extra crispy and flavorful in the oven, and there’s more filling and cheese than in the store-bought ones. Plus, I like them better because I know what’s in them!
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Warm the tortillas so they don’t crack or break. Corn tortillas have to be wrapped in a damp tea towel and microwaved for 30 seconds to prevent them from crumbling apart when stuffed with the saucy chicken and cheese filling.
A little bit of oil on both sides means there’s no need to flip while baking. I personally hate when oven baked recipes require any level of babysitting, so I added a little extra oil to the tortillas to make my life easier.
Adjust the heat level by using a different taco sauce. We like a little heat in this house, but if your family prefers their tacos on the milder side just purchase a different taco sauce to tame the flames.
The 5 Main Ingredients (+ Swaps)
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Cooked, shredded chicken — I purchased a rotisserie chicken from Costco and shredded it myself (if you pop the chicken into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix it on low with the paddle attachment, you can shred an entire chicken in less than 5 minutes!). Any leftover or meal prepped chicken works though, including Instant Pot chicken breasts, poached chicken, cilantro lime chicken, etc.
- Taco sauce — My favorite is the El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce, but any taco sauce or enchilada sauce will work. Just don’t omit the sauce entirely because it adds so much flavor and texture to the filling!
- Seasonings — The taco sauce does most of the heavy lifting in this recipe, but I like to add a little ground cumin and a handful of fresh cilantro to liven up the filling.
- Corn tortillas — Flour tortillas would technically work here too, but corn tortillas crisp up so much better in the oven without hardening or drying out like flour tortillas tend to do.
- Cheese — Use any shredded cheese that’s floating around in your fridge. My top choices are Mexican Chihuahua cheese or Monterrey Jack.
Topping Ideas
You can chow down on the crispy chicken and cheese tacos in their purest form, or you can load them up with minced or pickled onion, more chopped cilantro, citrus guacamole, and / or a squeeze of lime.
How to Make Crispy Chicken Tacos in the Oven
- Make the filling. Add the shredded chicken to a bowl and toss with the cilantro, cumin, and taco sauce until fully coated.
- Prep the tortillas. Run a tea towel under the tap and then wring out the excess water so the towel is damp but not dripping. Wrap it around a stack of corn tortillas and microwave for 30 seconds. Bend one of the tortillas to make sure it’s pliable and doesn’t break.
- Assemble the tacos. For maximum crispiness, brush one side of the tortilla with oil before loading up the non-oiled side with the chicken taco filling and cheese. Fold the tortilla in half and place on a pre-oiled sheet pan, then repeat until all of the filling has been used up.
- Bake at high heat until super crispy. Chicken tacos need to bake at 425ºF for a good 18 to 20 minutes. Everything’s been pre-cooked, so you’re just looking for the tortillas to develop color and some serious crunch.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 12 ounces)
- 1 (7-ounce) can El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce , divided (or other taco sauce)
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- 12 (5 ½-inch) corn tortillas
- 2 ½ teaspoons canola or vegetable oil , divided
- 2 ¼ cups shredded Mexican Chihuahua melting cheese or Monterey Jack (about ½ pound)
Instructions
- Mix the chicken filling. In a medium bowl, mix 2 cups shredded cooked chicken with ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) hot tomato sauce, ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, and ⅓ cup chopped cilantro.
- Warm tortillas, then oil one side brush with oil. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Brush a baking sheet with 1 teaspoon canola oil. Wrap 12 corn tortillas in a damp tea towel and microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds until soft and pliable.
- Layer the chicken taco ingredients. Working 1 at a time, brush one side of the tortilla with oil and place on the baking sheet, oiled side down. Sprinkle a heaping ¼ cup of shredded cheese on the tortilla. Add a heaping ¼ cup chicken mixture to the top half of the tortilla. Fold the bottom half over the top half, and firmly press down to keep the tortilla folded. Arrange on the baking sheet in a single layer, and repeat with the remaining tortillas. Give the tortillas an extra swipe of the oiled brush before baking.
- Bake until crispy and melty. Bake at 425°F for 18-20 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned on the bottom and the cheese is melted. Serve with the rest of the hot tomato sauce or taco sauce, pickled onion, minced white onion, more chopped cilantro, and guacamole if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve With Chicken Tacos
More Easy Taco Recipes
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