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Baked Chicken Tacos

Baked chicken tacos with crispy tortilla shells, tender shredded chicken, and fresh vegetable toppings. This oven-baked method gives crunch without deep-frying, then you load the shells with chicken, cheese, and vibrant toppings.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasoning
  • 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste
Tortilla shells
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 Vegetable oil cooking spray
Toppings
  • 1 lettuce
  • 1 tomatoes
  • 1 shredded cheese
  • 1 cilantro
  • 1 sour cream
  • 1 salsa
  • 1 lime wedges

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Season and cook the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken.
  2. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 6-8 minutes per side, with a steady sizzle. The chicken should be fully cooked with no pink in the center.
  3. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it. Keep shredding until you have bite-size pieces for filling the tacos.
Bake crispy tortilla shells
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a sheet pan with vegetable oil cooking spray and arrange corn tortillas into taco shells.
  2. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 375°F until crispy, watching for golden, firm edges. Remove when the shells hold their shape and sound slightly firm when tapped.
Assemble and serve
  1. Fill each crispy tortilla shell with the shredded chicken. Add lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and cilantro on top.
  2. Serve immediately with salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges. Finish with lime juice as desired for brightness.

Notes

Pro tip: For extra crisp shells, use tortillas that can stand up in the oven (not overly soft) and don’t overcrowd the sheet pan. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat chicken and warm tortillas briefly in the oven to restore some crunch. Freezing is not recommended for assembled tacos, but you can freeze shredded chicken up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat shredded cheese and light sour cream if you want the toppings to stay creamy without as much fat.