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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
We have made these twice. Once with ground chicken and once with refried black beans. We used 2 cans black beans and the spices as called for in the recipe. We love this meal. And the cilantro lime ranch is delicious!! This is in rotation now. Thanks!
Hey Jennifer,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Another amazing HBH recipe!! The homemade shells were delicious. I used to toothpick to get them closed and that seemed to work well. Great flavours and quick to prepare. Can’t wait to make these again!
Hey Courtney,
I am so thrilled the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Wow! No leftovers on this one – the cilantro lime ranch is the perfect topping along with avocados. Next time I’ll have to think about doubling the recipe so we have at least a few leftovers!
Hey Molly,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This recipe is delicious however I wish parchment paper was included in the recipe directions. The tacos stick to the baking sheet so it was really difficult to flip over. Also the tacos do not fold easily, we had to use toothpicks angled toward the taco’s bend. She makes it look so easy! Learning one step at a time!
Hey Betsy,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I am addicted to this recipe. I make it weekly! My whole family loves it. I use ground chicken! So easy and quick too! So many people are surprised when they learn it’s chicken. The seasonings are spot on!
Hey Daisy,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Ok! These tacos are AMAZING! Here in Austin we tend to eat breakfast tacos and soft tacos…but we are officially crispy shell converts! I have made these tacos several times, complete with the shells and after each go around, the fam wants more! Thanks!!!
Hey Monica,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
SO DELICIOUS! These tacos had so many delicious flavors! Will definitely be making again! Thank you!
Hey Sara,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
I could eat this ranch by the spoonful! The tacos are simple but delicious. Great comfort food.
Thanks so much Alex! xTieghan
I had half of a costco rotisserie chicken in the fridge that I was tired of looking at so I tried this recipe with that instead of ground meat. It was so good. The kids put the tacos together while I sipped wine and monitored. An easy weekday meal that even a couple of teens can manage. Definitely making this again soon!
Hey Karima,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Killer good! My first recipe of yours. For a skinny girl you sure can cook. Will be trying many more.
Thank you
Hey Tara,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Great but definitely spicy! And I’m big on spicy food – would prob lay off the chipotle powder next time. I also cranked up the oven a bit to get the shells really crispy. Super tasty would for sure make again.
Hey Emily,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try. I am so glad that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
These were delicious! The shells caused me grief, obviously not your fault. I had soft yellow corn shells and they smelled and tasted horrible so I decided to used white corn ones. Any tips on what kind to use? Thanks for another great recipe!!
Hey Judy,
Thanks for trying the recipe, so sorry about your shells. I like to use Whole Foods 365 brand yellow corn tortilla shells. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
These tacos were phenomenal!!! Some of the best tacos I’ve ever had and I’m so picky about my tacos. My 16 year old is even pickier and she was obsessed with them. She made a burrito and a rice bow with the meat. She rarely eats leftovers but she couldn’t get enough of these. They will now be on a regular Taco Tuesday rotation.
To those people who rate a recipe before they try it (Oscar! And I’ll respond directly to you in a minute) that’s so unfair and unkind. I don’t think anyone should be allowed to rate a recipe they’ve never tried. They should be more aware of the affects of their actions and how it can dissuade others from even trying a recipe, if they only look at the star rating. Thankfully, there were enough people who rated this recipe high enough to keep the overall rating high.
HBHers (or Harvesters? Not sure what to call your faithful followers), do yourselves a favor and TRY this recipe just once. I know you’re going to LOVE it.
Hey Stacy,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Hi Teigan, I’ve been on a bit of a cooking binge using your recipes, and these look delicious. I have a question: When you call for crushed red pepper, do you mean (crushed) chili flakes or cayenne pepper? All the best!
Hey Myrna,
Sorry for the confusion, you want to use chili flakes. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
YUUMMMEEENESS!!!!!!!!!!! Our family LOVED it!! 🙂 Who would of thought to bake a taco?? Genius! I would just add how important it is to drain the taco meat as it can make the taco shell soggy and break. Also,lining the cookie sheet with parchment paper is critical since it keeps from the cheese sticking to the shell/cookie sheet, thus breaking the shell. And, dont go without the ranch sauce! THEE BOMB dot COM baby!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey there,
I am so glad that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xTieghan