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Weeknight style Cheesy Baked Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch…and all the toppings. Because loaded tacos are just better. Ground chicken seasoned with a smoky chipotle chili spice mix, stuffed into hard shell tacos, topped with cheese, and oven-baked. These tacos are crunchy on the outside, but spicy and cheesy inside. Serve each taco with a creamy, cooling cilantro lime ranch sauce, and a mix of your favorite taco toppings. They come together in minutes and are so delicious…the perfect weeknight dinner. Bonus, the chipotle chicken is great as a leftover. Pile it high onto your favorite tortilla chips for some seriously delicious nachos or serve it up atop greens for a Mexican inspired salad.
As a kid, tacos were a weeknight staple in our house. I’ve touched on this before, but my dad cooked tacos for dinner at least once or twice a week for multiple years straight. It probably wasn’t until I started to take over the cooking around the age of fourteen that we started to switch things up. So yes, the typical weeknight ground beef taco was a staple, and my dad had them down to a T.
He’d make his tacos with ground beef and store-bought taco seasoning. Then he’d simply stuff the meat into tortillas with a little cheddar cheese and nothing else. Well…maybe some lettuce for my mom and I. But no beans, no avocado, not even cilantro or a squeeze of lime. Very, very basic, and it’s just what my brothers wanted. At the time, I didn’t know any better, so I greatly enjoyed these tacos too. I took mine in a hard shell and oven-baked for extra crispiness on the outside, and soft and cheesy inside.
And there you have it.
That’s my childhood taco story. Did we ever get sick of eating tacos? Honestly, I don’t think we did. I’m pretty sure that we were the ones requesting taco night so often. We loved it and still do! I’m always making tacos, whether it’s these quick skillet chicken tacos, my favorite Caribbean shrimp tacos, or these saucy instant pot BBQ chicken tacos. Tacos are still on the menu every couple of weeks.
But my absolute go-to taco?
It’s these. They’re classic, so simple, cheesy, crunchy, and SO GOOD. I love them, my brothers love them, and pretty much every other human who enjoys Mexican food (even just a little) enjoys these crunchy tacos.
To make these weeknight chicken tacos…
It is SIMPLE.
Pick up some ground chicken, turkey, or even ground beef. Just be sure to use what your family loves most! Simply brown the meat, add seasonings, and stuff into hard tacos. Then top with cheese, and bake in the oven until melted and crisp.
Doesn’t get any easier, but yet this is a dinner that everyone loves.
I do have a few little secrets however that make these tacos better than the rest.
The seasoning blend.
Over the years, I feel like I’ve kind of perfected the taco seasoning mix. It’s just a touch spicy, a little smoky, and hinted with garlic. I use a mix of chipotle chili powder (key ingredient) and smoked paprika to keep the taco meat extra flavorful. Most tacos mixes use regular chili powder, but I’ve always found that to lack flavor. Using chipotle chili powder adds the perfect amount of spiciness.
I like to use a good amount, so be sure to adjust this to your family’s taste level. Start with two teaspoons and work your way up to three if you like things spicy!
My Shells? I make them at home.
Well, kind of, and the shells aren’t technically a part of the recipe. BUT I’m including it in the notes. Instead of using store-bought taco shells I like to take corn tortillas, stuff them with the taco meat plus cheese, then oven bake them until the tortillas are crispy. I rub each tortilla with olive oil and then flip them halfway through cooking. This is key to getting the tacos extra crispy on both sides.
If you have a couple extra minutes, I would highly recommend making your own “shells”. They’re very, very good…and much healthier than store-bought too!
That cilantro lime ranch? You need it too.
Most tacos are topped with sour cream, but trust me this cilantro lime ranch is so much better, but it’s also not your average ranch.
I used fresh cilantro and plenty of lime in place of the usual herb mix and stirred in some pickled jalapeños for a spicy, tangy kick. This is the perfect sauce to dollop onto each cheesy, crunchy taco.
If you wanted to take the toppings a step further, I would recommend a pineapple salsa or mango salsa. But you all know me, I love a good fruity salsa. Oh, and maybe add a nice margarita too. This spicy mango marg is my personal favorite.
If you make these weeknight Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Weeknight Cheesy Baked Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 544 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken, beef, or turkey
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2-3 teaspoons chipotle chili powder, use to your taste
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, use to your taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 12 hard shell tacos (see notes for homemade option)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Cilantro Lime Ranch
- 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped + 2 tablespoons brine
- juice from 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ground chicken and onion. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt. Add 3/4 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly around the chicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. 3. Line the taco shells up on a sheet pan or in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake 5 minutes. Evenly divide the meat among each taco shell and top with cheese. Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. 4. Meanwhile, make the ranch. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake or stir until creamy. 5. Serve the tacos topped with ranch, avocado, red onion, and any other desired toppings.
Notes
For Easy Homemade Hard Shells: Warm 8-12 corn tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Lay each flat and then layer evenly with cheese and chicken. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling, gently pushing to adhere (see above photo). Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.
This post was originally published on February 13, 2020
These are amazing! And so easy. We love this recipe!
Hey Erin,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Love Tieghan’s recipes! Seriously have not been disappointed once. I made these last night and they were AMAZING. So simple but so good. And that jalapeño ranch is perfect. The splash of lime and salt added onto the tacos at the end just tops it off! Definitely recommend trying these babies! I did double the recipe since my husband eats a lot haha but it worked out great. Thanks for sharing!!
Hey Morgan,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Made these the other night. They were delicious! However, my tortillas would not stay closed so I did your trick with the sheet pan on top and they all broke in half at the fold. Ended up eating them with a knife and fork. I don’t know what I did wrong. I did not microwave the tortillas as they seemed pretty pliable when I opened the package. Could that have been the problem? I did oil both sides of the tortilla.
Hey Karen,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, so sorry you had issues with the tortillas. I really find that warming them helps with breakage. You could also try a different brand of tortillas, I love Whole Foods 365. I hope this helps for next time:) xTieghan
So so spicy…. maybe the chili
Powder? Ouch!
Hey Anne,
So sorry you did not enjoy the spice level, next time I would reduce or omit the crushed red pepper. I hope this helps! xTieghan
YUM! These were delicious and so easy – the perfect Taco Tuesday meal!
Thank you!
Hey Liz,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
These were my favorite tacos I’ve ever made! I didn’t realize taco meat could actually be this delicious! This is going on our list of “winner winner chicken dinners” 🙂
Hey Kim,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the tacos, thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
do you have substitution for the chipotle chili powder? I am in Canada and having trouble finding this.
Hey Dani,
You could use regular chili powder. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
AMAZING!!! My son said THE BEST tacos he has ever eaten!!! The cilantro lime topping is crazy delicious!! I didn’t have any smoked paprika…but my friend had smoky salt, so I just added that with regular paprika. Pure Awesomeness!! Thank You for a delicious dinner!!
Hey Sheree,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This was delicious!! All 3 of my kids loved it which is a major mom win! I, too, had a hard time having the tacos make their shape. And I think it was my bad because I bought those tiny Mi Rancho taco sliders (corn) from Whole Foods so they are tiny to begin with! So I ended up making little tostadas. Still followed the directions (oil on both sides of the tortilla, etc). and they worked well as little tostadas. They crisped up so well! And then we just put everything on top (lettuce, cilantro, the amazing cilantro lime ranch – delicious!!!). I love love when things have fresh lime juice so was worried the 2 T of jalapeño brine would ruin the flavor (freshness of the lime juice) of the ranch, but it was delicious! Great recipe. Thank you, Tieghan!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This was a nice recipe. I used ground turkey, homemade chili paste (in addition to the seasonings), and added fresh jalapeños. My only flag was that I tried the homemade hard shells and they came out chewy – would not use that method again. I would make this recipe again but with lightly charred corn or flour tortillas. I thought flour tortillas tasted better with this, but both work.
Hey Sarah,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghn
Oh man, these were so good! Even my super picky 4 year old loved them! I tried your trick with the second sheet pan on top for the tortillas and it worked perfectly. Thanks! This one is a keeper!
Hey Liz,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed! xTieghan
These tacos are absolutely delicious. I have made them several times and they are always well received. I have a question about the shells, though. Any suggestions to keep them from tearing on the bottom? Thanks for the recipe.
Hey Reba,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed! So sorry about the tearing, make sure you coat both sides in olive oil to avoid this! xTieghan
Delicious! Thank you for another great recipe.
Hey Patty,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed! xTieghan
My boyfriend and I LOVED these tacos!! They were amazing and we will 100% be making these often. I was wondering if you had any idea why some of my shells turned out a little chewy? We still loved the recipe but I was wondering if you think this could be because of too much or too little olive oil? We did put the olive oil on both sides. Thank you!!
Hey Holly,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! So sorry about the tortillas, I would try a different brand, I love Whole Foods 365. Happy New Year! xTieghan
Made these tonight and they were delicious and very flavorful. My only question is how to get the tortilla a bit more crunchy…are you suppose to bake the tortilla for 5 mins before the filling& cheese step? Or just fill and bake on both sides for 5-8 mins? I felt it could have been crispier so wanting to improve that the next time. Thanks again for another amazing recipe!
Hey May,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. That is so great the recipe was enjoyed! I like to coat the tortillas in olive oil to achieve the crisp! Happy New Year! xTieghan