You want to know why people love tacos so much? Well, sure, they love the tasty experience of the savory meat coming together with the soft taco shells. Yeah, that’s great. But… they’re just so easy to make that it makes it impossible for them to feel anything but unconditional love for them. Specifically, these Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos. You simply brown some juicy chicken with some Tex-Mex spices, fill up some smooth taco shells, and bake them to perfection… that’s it! To make them even more exciting, a little bit of rich sour cream, fresh pico de gallo, and beloved guacamole on top are sure to have a lasting effect on you. Are you convinced yet? We’re certain it will be love at first bite for you with these Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos!
Ingredients
For the tacos:
- 2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend, shredded, divided
- 8 flour or corn tortillas, warmed
Optional toppings:
- sour cream, to taste
- pico de gallo, to taste, homemade or store-bought
- guacamole, to taste, homemade or store-bought
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Step 3 –Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 4 –Add the ground chicken, the onion, and the garlic to the skillet and cook, while stirring and crumbling, until the meat is browned, about 3-5 minutes. Drain the excess fat.
Step 5 –Add the green chiles and their juices, the chili powder, the paprika, the oregano, and the cumin to the chicken mixture and stir until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 6 –Transfer the chicken mixture from the heat.
Step 7 –Add the cilantro and the lime juice to the chicken mixture and stir to combine.
Step 8 –Season the chicken mixture with the salt and the pepper.
Step 9 –Add 1 cup of the cheese to the chicken mixture and stir until well-combined.
Step 10 –Working one at a time, spread the chicken mixture over 1/2 of one of the tortillas.
Step 11 –Sprinkle the chicken mixture with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese.
Step 12 –Fold the tortilla in 1/2 to seal. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas to make a total of 8 tacos.
Step 13 –Arrange the prepared tacos in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Step 14 –Brush the tops of the tacos with the remaining canola oil.
Step 15 –Bake the tacos until they are toasted and crispy, about 12-15 minutes.
Step 16 –Serve the tacos topped with the sour cream, the pico de gallo, and the guacamole.
