Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tacos
Folded corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken coated in enchilada sauce, baked until crispy and served with cilantro lime ranch and your choice of toppings.
Servings: 12 tacos
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 recipeHomemade Enchilada Sauce<–click for recipe
- 4 cupsshredded chicken<–click for recipe or use rotisserie
- 12 soft white corn tortillas see notes
- 2 cupsfavorite shredded cheese cheddar, Monterrey, Oaxaca, or a combo
- 1 cupsour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoonslime juice
- 1-2 tablespoonsmilk
- 1/2 cuppacked cilantro finely chopped (measure before chopping)
- 2-4 tablespoonschopped pickled jalapenos optional
- 1/2 tsp EACHgarlic powder onion powder, dried parsley, dried chives, dried dill
- salt and pepper to taste
- Chipotle Sauce
- Guacamole
- Avocado Crema
- Pico de Gallo
- Pickled Red Onions
- Hot Sauce
- Corn Salsa
- Avocado Corn Salsa
Instructions
Instructions
- Make the Cilantro Lime Ranch: measure 1/2 cup packed cilantro (measure before chopping) and finely chop. In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1–2 tablespoons milk, the chopped cilantro, 2–4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños (optional), 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried chives and dried dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Prepare 1 recipe Homemade Enchilada Sauce according to its recipe.
- In a large bowl combine the 4 cups shredded chicken with your desired amount of the prepared enchilada sauce (add more or less depending on how "saucy" you like the tacos). Stir to evenly coat the chicken.
- Working in two batches, soften the tortillas: place 6 tortillas between two damp paper towels and microwave 30–60 seconds, or until pliable. Repeat with the remaining 6 tortillas.
- Assemble the tacos: place a softened tortilla on a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet. Add a layer of the 2 cups shredded cheese to the bottom half of the tortilla, then top with about 1/3 cup of the sauced shredded chicken. Fold the tortilla in half and press lightly so it stays folded; place each folded taco seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with all tortillas.
- Bake the tacos at 425°F for 8 minutes. Carefully flip each taco and bake an additional 8 minutes. If the tortillas aren’t as crisp as you like, flip again and bake up to an additional 5 minutes or until crispy.
- Remove tacos from the oven and let rest 1–2 minutes. Stuff or top with any desired toppings from the list (Chipotle Sauce, Guacamole, Avocado Crema, Pico de Gallo, Pickled Red Onions, Hot Sauce, Corn Salsa, Avocado Corn Salsa) and serve with the chilled Cilantro Lime Ranch.
Equipment
- Oven
- Microwave
- Mixing Bowl
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
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.
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.
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.
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.