These Oven Baked Chicken Tacos are a quick and easy family favourite recipes that is a great way to use up leftover shredded chicken. High protein, plenty of flavour, easy to adapt with extra veggies and perfect for meal prep and stashing in your freezer. Just 204 calories and over 16 grams of protein per taco too!
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Baked chicken tacos are an almost weekly staple in our lives. With two kids doing very different sports and activities, our week is full!
Some days it feels like as soon as we are through the door from school we are back out straight away for sports! We all love it, but it does mean I need to be prepared.
Having meals like these chicken tacos in the oven on the meal plan means that I can do some prep during the day and then just throw it in the oven when we get home. You can also cook them, wrap them up and keep them in the freezer and just reheat when needed.
These are SO simple to make. Mix some shredded leftover cooked chicken with salsa and fajita seasoning and then put into some soft tacos with cheese, fold over and bake. All done on one tray - perfect for feeding hungry kids!
Looking for more family favourite recipes? Why not try our Easy Chicken Traybake, tasty Cauliflower Mac and Cheese or our amazing One Pot Creamy Beef Pasta?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken - These baked tacos are made using leftover roast chicken from a Sunday roast. Just shred it all up to use. You could also shred up a store bought rotisserie chicken or my Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts.
- Tortillas - Use mini soft tortillas.
- Canned Tomatoes - This is mixed into the chicken to add the sauce. You could use salsa instead if you want it really spicy.
- Fajita/taco seasoning - If you are using salsa, then you could leave this out.
- Cheese - You need to use something that will melt well like cheddar.
Variations
Spicy kick: Add chopped jalapeños or use hot salsa for a real kick of spice.
BBQ twist: Swap salsa for barbecue sauce and use Monterey Jack cheese.
Veggie-packed: Mix in sautéed peppers, onions, or black beans with the chicken. You can add chopped spinach too.
Kid-friendly: Keep them mild and serve toppings on the side so kids can customise.
How To Make Baked Chicken Tacos - Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C(Fan)/375°F/Gas 5.
- Step 1: Put the chicken, tomatoes and seasoning into a mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Mix well ensuring all of the chicken is coated.
- Step 3: Divide the chicken onto one side of the tortillas and add cheese to each one.
- Step 4: Fold the tortillas over and put onto a large baking sheet. Spray or brush the tops of the tortillas with a little oil.
- Step 5: Put the baking tray into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tortillas are slightly crispy on the edges and the cheese has melted.
Serving Suggestions
We usually just have these baked chicken tacos as they are for a quick dinner. But if you are serving them for a crowd and want some sides, then they pair perfectly with:
- Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice
- Refried beans or black beans
- Fresh guacamole and chips
- A side salad with lime vinaigrette
For a fun twist, set up a DIY taco bar with toppings like sour cream, hot sauce, diced avocado, jalapeños, chopped coriander (cilantro), tomatoes and shredded lettuce so everyone can build their perfect taco.
Baked Chicken Taco Storage & Meal Prep
Meal prep tip: Cook and shred chicken in advance, then store in the fridge. When ready to eat, just assemble and bake.
Fridge: Store leftover baked tacos in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 8-10 minutes to crisp them back up.
Freezer: Once cooked and cooled, wrap tightly in foil and put them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost them and then reheat them in the oven for 10 minutes or the air fryer for a 5-8 minutes.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Double layer tortillas if yours tend to break while baking.
- Don't overfill the tacos - a little goes a long way and you don't want the filling to all fall out.
- Sprinkle a little cheese on the outside edges to help "glue" the tacos together while baking.
- For crispier tacos, lightly brush the tortillas with oil before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but hard shells tend to crack more easily. If you do, place them snugly in a baking dish and fill carefully.
Yes - assemble them up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly, and bake when ready to serve.
More Taco Recipes
If you've tried this baked chicken taco recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Oven Baked Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5 oz) of Cooked chicken - shredded
- 8 Mini flour tortillas
- 120 g (1 cups) of Light mature cheddar - grated
- 200 g (7 oz) of Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 3 tablespoon of Fajita seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C(Fan)/375°F/Gas 5.
- Put 300 g of Cooked chicken, 200 g of Chopped tomatoes and 3 tbsp of Fajita seasoning into a mixing bowl.
- Mix well ensuring all of the chicken is coated.
- Divide the chicken onto one half of each of the 8 Mini flour tortillas and divide 120 g of Light mature cheddar between them.
- Fold the tortillas over and put onto a large baking tray. Spray or brush the tops of the tortillas with a little oil.
- Put the baking tray into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tortillas are slightly crispy on the edges and the cheese has melted.
Recipe Tips
- Double layer tortillas if yours tend to break while baking.
- Don't overfill the tacos - a little goes a long way and you don't want the filling to all fall out.
- Sprinkle a little cheese on the outside edges to help "glue" the tacos together while baking.
- For crispier tacos, lightly brush the tortillas with oil before baking.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Kylie Lock says
This our new family favourite for a Saturday evening - all round the table today watching Gladiators
It’s so moorish
Kim R says
I’ve made this a few times with left over chicken from a whole roasted chicken. It’s much quicker and easier than doing fajitas and really tasty.
Mel says
Delicious and easy to prepare. Baking the tacos gives an awesome crispy & crunchy texture to go with guacamole and sour cream (optional). Fresh, easy, delicious.