These quick and easy Crispy Chicken Tacos (oven baked tacos) are made with simple ingredients and ready in under an hour, making them perfect for busy weeknights. Just fill, bake until crispy, and serve with your favorite toppings.
Around here, tacos are a weekly staple. From Carnitas Tacos to Birria Tacos, we love them all. Lately, my go-to has been these oven baked Crispy Chicken Tacos because they’re so easy to make, and the whole family loves them—especially with guacamole for dipping!
Since we raise chickens for meat, I’m always looking for creative recipes to use chicken, and this one is a winner. Shredded chicken is tossed with finely chopped chipotle peppers and a little adobo sauce for a smoky, irresistible flavor. For a kid-friendly version, I stick to ½ to 1 chipotle pepper, but if you like it spicy, feel free to add 2–3 for your Crispy Chicken Tacos!
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How To Make Crispy Chicken Tacos
The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
Cook Chicken- Pat dry and season the chicken all over with the spices. Sear the chicken and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165° F. Then you're one step closer to enjoying delicious Crispy Chicken Tacos.
Shred Chicken- Shred chicken and place in a medium bowl. Stir in the chipotle and adobo sauce.
Make Taco Mixture - Add the cheese to the chicken mixture and mix well to combine.
Stuff Tacos- Place ¼ cup of the mixture in each tortilla, fold the tortilla in half. The key to deliciously crispy chicken tacos is filling them adequately.
Bake Tacos- Bake for 8-10 minutes, flip and bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until crispy.
Serve Tacos- Pile on your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!
💡Expert Tip
Need to use up some leg quarters? I have made this recipe using 4 leg quarters. Depending on the size of the leg quarters used, you may need to adjust the seasonings.
Topping Suggestions
Just about anything you normally eat on tacos can be eaten with these Crispy Chicken Tacos. I am a sucker for Guacamole and Pico de Gallo, so I almost always serve them with tacos.
- Shredded Lettuce
- Diced Tomatoes
- Hot Sauce
- Sour Cream
- Cilantro Lime Cream
- Guacamole
- Pico De Gallo
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer to use soft corn tortillas when making these oven baked tacos. Soft corn tortillas are easy to stuff and get deliciously crispy when baked. You can use flour tortillas if you do not have soft corn tortillas.
The key to getting these oven baked tacos crispy is to coat the pan and corn tortillas in oil before baking. After baking for 8-10 minutes the side touching the pan will be crispy. Then you will need to carefully flip the tacos and bake for another 10 minutes to crisp up the other side.
These Crispy Chicken Tacos are made with soft corn tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken and shredded cheese. They are then coated in oil and baked until crispy.
Tip
Using leftover chicken is a great way to make this recipe even faster. Rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken or just pre-cooked and shredded chicken are perfect for these Crispy Chicken Tacos. Just toss the chicken with the seasonings and chipotles before filling the tacos.
Another great way to save time with these Crispy Chicken Tacos is to use premade Taco Seasoning in place of the seasonings for the chicken.
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts patted dry
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ⅛-1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for brushing the tortillas
- ½-1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce finely chopped
- 8 ounces pepperjack cheese shredded
- 5 ounces queso fresco cheese crumbled
- 16 soft corn tortillas
Instructions
- Pre-heat an oven to 375° F. Season the chicken all over with the spices. Place an oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil and chicken. Sear on both sides and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, turn the oven up to 450°F. Brush a sheet pan with olive oil. Place the tortillas in a damp towel, cover completely, and warm in the microwave for 20 seconds. Flip and microwave for 20 more seconds.
- Shred the chicken and place in a medium bowl. Add the finely chopped chipotle pepper and a little of the adobo sauce to the chicken. Add in the cheeses and mix until fully combined.
- Brush one side of a tortilla with olive oil, place that side down on the prepared pan. Fill with ¼ cup of the chicken and cheese mixture, fold in half and continue with the remaining tortillas.
- Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully flip each taco. Place back in the oven and bake for 8-10 more minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Kristin says
These were super dope! I've made what feels like a million different taco recipes and this is definitely a new favorite! So easy, packed with a lot of flavor and super delicious.
Sky Pilgreen says
I love hearing this! These are some of my favorite tacos too!
Anonymous says
I love these!