Description
These Baked Chicken Tacos are a quick and delicious meal featuring tender shredded chicken mixed with spicy Rotel tomatoes and taco seasoning, layered with melted Mexican-style cheese on crispy baked tortillas. Perfect for a family dinner or casual get-together, the tacos are baked until golden and folded fresh out of the oven for maximum flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Tortillas
- 10–12 small corn tortillas (5-inch size) or flour tortillas
- Cooking spray or neutral oil, for brushing tortillas
Filling
- 2 cups shredded chicken (from rotisserie or cooked chicken)
- 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles, drained
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Cheese
- 2 cups Mexican-style shredded cheese
Instructions
- Prep Tortillas: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Lay the tortillas flat on a large rimmed baking sheet, allowing slight overlapping if needed. Spray or brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with cooking spray or neutral oil. Arrange them in a single layer; use two baking sheets or a large 3/4 sheet if available for even baking.
- Mix the filling: In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, drained Rotel tomatoes and green chiles, taco seasoning, and fresh lime juice. Stir well until the chicken is evenly coated with the seasoning and tomatoes, ensuring a flavorful filling.
- Assemble open-face tacos: Evenly divide half of the shredded cheese onto the prepared tortillas. Then scoop roughly 1/4 cup of the chicken filling onto each tortilla, leaving a border around the edges. Sprinkle the remaining cheese generously over the top of each filled tortilla.
- Bake the tacos: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is thoroughly melted and the tortilla edges turn crisp and golden brown. If using two baking sheets, rotate their positions halfway through baking for even cooking. Immediately after removing from the oven, use a spatula to carefully fold each taco in half while still warm and pliable.
- Garnish and serve: Transfer the folded tacos to a serving platter. Top with your favorite taco garnishes such as salsa, sour cream, guacamole, chopped cilantro, or sliced jalapeños as desired. Serve hot for best taste and texture.
Notes
- You can substitute corn tortillas with flour tortillas depending on your preference.
- For a spicier kick, add extra chopped jalapeños or hot sauce to the filling.
- Use freshly shredded cheese for better melting compared to pre-shredded cheese.
- Leftover tacos can be refrigerated and reheated in the oven to maintain crispness.
- To make it gluten free, ensure the taco seasoning does not contain gluten-containing ingredients.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
