Baked Crunchy Chicken Tacos Recipe (Flavorful!)
This Crunchy Chicken Tacos Recipe is baked in the oven for golden, crispy, cheesy perfection! It's both a weeknight winner and party worthy addition to our easy dinner recipes collection. Use poblanos, onions, and classic Mexican seasonings to make the ultimate shredded chicken filling, then layer onto corn tortillas with spicy pepper jack cheese.
Servings: 20 tacos
Calories: 157kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 (about 2 lbs) chicken breasts cut in half horizontally
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing
- 2 poblano peppers seeded and diced
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 large jalapeno diced
- 20 corn tortillas
- 1 lb (about 4 cups) pepper jack cheese shredded
For serving
- Optional: Avocado Jalapeno Salsa or your favorite salsa
- Optional: cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, avocado
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with foil.
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl.2 tablespoon garlic, 2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, 2 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Put the chicken breasts, oil, and half of the seasoning mix into a medium bowl. Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated in seasonings. Then place on the prepared baking sheets, dividing it evenly between the two pans.3 (about 2 lbs) chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Put the veggies and remaining seasonings in the bowl that the chicken was in. Mix well to evenly coat the veggies. Then sprinkle them evenly on the two sheet pans around the chicken. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken has reached 165°F and will shred when pulled apart.2 poblano peppers, 1 white onion, 1 large jalapeno
- Place the chicken on a cutting board and scoop the veggies into a bowl. Using two forks, pull the chicken apart into small pieces. Add the shredded chicken to the veggies and mix well.
Assembly
- Remove the foil from the cookie sheets and line with parchment paper.
- Warm the tortillas slightly in the microwave, until they are pliable. Lay out 10 tortillas on each cookie sheet (they can fall over the edge of the pan because they will be folded in half). Moving quickly, layer half of each tortilla with chicken mixture, then cheese. You should divide all of the chicken and cheese evenly on the 20 tortillas.20 corn tortillas, 1 lb (about 4 cups) pepper jack cheese
- Fold the other side of the tortilla over the top of the filling and press down gently. Use a silicone brush to coat the top of each tortilla with oil. Then bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and gently pull apart any tacos that are stuck to each other. Allow to cool on the pan for about 5 minutes to maximize crispiness. Enjoy!Optional: Avocado Jalapeno Salsa, Optional: cilantro, lime wedges, sour cream, avocado
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Cut all the veggies the same size so that they cook evenly. You can do a smaller dice or a bit larger dice - we've tried both and they work equally well.
- Use tortillas that are soft and don't look dry. We used soft Mission tortillas, but freshly made from a Mexican market is great too.
- You can flip the tacos halfway through the baking time for more even browning if desired.
- It's tempting, but don't eat them immediately! That extra couple minutes on the pan help them get extra crispy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1taco | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 385mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 389IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 1mg
