I have always seen recipes for baked tacos but have never taken the plunge to try them. One day I got the urge to try them and found these adorable mini corn tortilla shells at the grocery which I knew would be perfect! They are Mission Street Tacos White Corn Tortillas, you can see them here. I got mine at Walmart but recently saw them at Target too. I think you can find them most anywhere, but if you can’t a small taco shell with do the same.
My idea behind these Fiesta Baked Chicken Tacos were to make a flavorful taco that was baked in a corn tortilla shell. I wanted a taco that was pre-made and ready to serve, all you need to add is your own topping choices! If you strongly dislike corn tortilla shells these can be made with flour but please give the corn tortilla a shot. They are so good!
I know this recipe may look complex but I promise you once you make it you will be hooked and it won’t take you too long. I have been making them weekly since I first made them December. And I am waiting to host some friends to share these yummy baked tacos with!
Serve these with your favorite queso and chips, I have one here, and don’t forget the margaritas! Enjoy your next Taco Tuesday with these tacos, but please don’t limit tacos to just one day a week.
Fiesta Baked Chicken Tacos
6 servings
30 minutes
25 minutes
Medium
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 ½ cups onion diced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 small orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jar (4 oz) fire roasted diced green chiles
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- Mission Street Tacos White Corn Tortillas, see link above
- Shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
- Shredded lettuce, for topping
- Diced tomatoes, for topping
- Sour cream, for topping
- Salsa, for topping
- Sliced red onion, for topping
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and grab a large skillet, a baking tray and a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Cut the chicken thighs or breasts into small pieces about 1/4 to 1/2 inch in size. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat with 1 Tablespoon of the oil. Once hot, add half of the chicken and cook. (I like to carefully place in the chicken so that the pieces are separate and sear rather than steam.) Cook for about two minutes on each side and flip with a spatula in between. Place the cooked chicken in a bowl. Heat the pan back up with another 1 Tablespoon of oil and cook the second half of the chicken when pan is hot in the same manner. Remove the second batch and place in the bowl of cooked chicken.
- Using the same skillet, turn the burner to medium heat and heat the with 1 Tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot add in the onion and cooked peppers and saute for 3 minutes until tender.
- Add the diced chiles and spices to the skillet along with the water, tomato paste and cooked chicken. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the flavor cooks together.
Remove from heat. - Prepare your corn tortillas by placing the tortillas on a baking tray and brush each side of the tortillas with olive oil. Bake the tortilla shells in your preheated 400 degree oven for 4-5 minutes. They should crisp up a little but not get too crispy.
- Take the hot shells (allow them to cool for a minute or two so you can touch them) and carefully line each shell with shredded cheddar cheese and top with the festive chicken mixture. Fold the taco shells and place the shells in the 9 x 13 baking dish stacking them side by side (see photo below). Bake the baking dish with the tacos for 4 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve with your favorite toppings. Our favorites toppings are more shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa and sliced red onion.
This looks so good Renee. And kid-friendly too!