Cheesy Baked Chicken Tacos

Baked Chicken Tacos are the perfect weeknight dinner. Made with shredded chicken, black beans, chiles and cheese then topped with all the fixings. 

Have you read the book Dragons Love Tacos? My kids love it. It’s actually one of my favorite children’s books too. The dragons love all kinds of tacos except for spicy. Those make them breath fire. It’s pretty cute. And it has made my kiddos love tacos even more, which is a great thing, because this mama LOVES tacos too. Especially these Cheesy Baked Chicken Tacos.

Tacos are pretty much a regular occurrence in our house. We’re talking weekly. We usually have fish tacos, shrimp tacos, fried avocado tacos or steak tacos. This is the first time however, that I have made baked tacos. And it is so not going to be the last.

These Cheesy Baked Chicken Tacos were a hit with the whole family and because they use already cooked chicken, they couldn’t be easier to make. 

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make them. 

Baked Chicken Taco Ingredients: 

• OIL: You can use olive, canola or avocado.
• SHREDDED COOKED CHICKEN: This is a great recipe if you have leftover chicken on hand. I used a mixture of shredded chicken breast and dark meat. 
• CHILI POWDER: Will add a little bit of heat to the chicken but not much. 
• CUMIN: Will add a warm, earthy flavor. 
• OREGANO: Adds a peppery bite. 
• GRANULATED GARLIC: You can also use garlic powder. If you use garlic salt, be careful of adding additional salt to the recipe. 
• ONION POWDER: Adds a subtle onion flavor without overpowering. 
• BLACK BEANS: Black beans make these tacos really hearty. It is important to make sure that they are drained well so they don’t add extra moisture to the tacos. 
• DICED GREEN CHILES: Add a smoky, chili flavor to the taco filling. 
• STAND AND STUFF TACO SHELLS: These tacos are hearty and work better if you use the stand and stuff tacos as they can fit more filling. 
• PEPPER JACK CHEESE: Freshly shredded pepper jack cheese will melt better than pre-shredded cheese. 
• ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS: These can be whatever you like to top your tacos with. We used sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole. 

Step by Step Photos and Instructions: 

Making baked chicken tacos is really easy! Simply make the filling, stuff the tacos, bake and top with your favorite toppings. Follow along with these step by step photos and instructions. 

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• STEP #1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place 10 – 12 taco shells in  9 x 13 baking dish. Warm shells according to package directions. 
• STEP #2: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, oregano, granulated garlic, onion powder. Mix to combine. Add in black beans and green chiles. Mix well and continue cooking until warmed through. 
• STEP #3: Remove shells from oven and fill with about 1/4 cup of the filling. Top each with cheese.
• STEP #4: Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake at for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. 
• STEP #5: Remove from oven and top with your favorite taco toppings. Serve immediately. 

Storage and Leftovers: 

These tacos are best eaten immediately. However, you can make the filling ahead of time and fill the taco shells just before baking. 

Recipe Tips and FAQ:

Looking for more Mexican inspired recipes to round out your taco night, here are some of my most popular:

Not much beats warm Homemade Tortilla Chips on taco night!

Want to spice things up? Try making Habanero Salsa.

Strawberry Jalapeño Margaritas are the perfect way to wash down some tacos!

Note: Originally published in 2016. Updated in 2024 with a new recipe, photos, step by step photos and nutrition information.