Easy Baked Chicken Tacos

These oven baked chicken tacos are quick and easy. Using rotisserie or leftover chicken makes this the perfect fast weeknight family dinner!

If you’ve got hungry mouths to feed and want to do something that’s fun (especially for kids), this baked chicken tacos recipe may be right up your alley. Everyone can choose their own toppings so everyone’s happy. Theoretically, anyway. 😉

These really couldn’t be much easier to make, so they’re perfect for frazzled weeknights. 

The thing that makes this recipe super easy is using salsa as a way to add flavor to the chicken and keep it moist. You simply mix the already-cooked chicken with a cup of salsa and you’re good to go. You can definitely add some more ingredients if you want to, but I find the salsa provides the perfect amount of flavor without having to mess around too much. 

How to make baked chicken tacos

1. Combine the cooked chicken with your favorite salsa.
2. Arrange the empty taco shells in a 9×13 baking dish.
3. Add the chicken mixture to the tacos and then top them with the shredded cheese.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is good and melty.
5. Meanwhile, prep the toppings.
6. Serve warm and top as desired. 

Topping ideas for baked chicken tacos

• Shredded iceberg lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Avocado or guacamole
• Corn 
• Black beans 
• Sour cream or pain Greek yogurt
• Onions
• Jalapeno peppers 

…and a squeeze of lime is essential (in my opinion) for any kind of tacos. 🙂 

Want to give these tacos some heat? Use a spicy salsa or mix in 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper with the salsa prior to adding it to the chicken. 

Pro tip: I use the flat-bottom hard taco shells to make this recipe easier. I used Old El Paso brand. 

Will you give these baked chicken tacos a try?

Questions? Let me know in the comments below!

Print

Baked Chicken Tacos

These oven baked chicken tacos are quick and easy. Using rotisserie or leftover chicken makes this the perfect fast weeknight family dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword baked chicken tacos

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 10 tacos

Author Salt & Lavender

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
• 1 cup salsa
• 10 hard taco shells
• 1 cup shredded cheese (e.g. Tex-Mex blend or cheddar)
• Optional toppings: sour cream, tomatoes, onions, avocado, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Move the rack to the middle position.

2. Add the chicken and salsa to a bowl. Stir until it's combined.

3. Place your taco shells in a baking dish (mine was 9x13). I bought the flat bottom taco shells to make this easier. Spoon the chicken mixture equally into each taco and then sprinkle the cheese over top.

4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tacos are heated through. Check around the 10 minute mark to make sure the tacos don't start to burn. 

5. Meanwhile, prep your toppings.

6. Top tacos as desired and enjoy while they're still warm.