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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
When you oil and bake them does the oil go on the inside of the shell? Or the outside?
Hey Sharyl,
The oil goes on the outside of the shell. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was one of the first recipes from HBH that I’ve tried. I’m only 21 and can only cook very basic things and this was perfect! I made it for my family and served with a bunch of fun toppings and was getting compliments all night. So easy and delicious!
Hey Sarah,
Fantastic, I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
We heart it.
Been making it with impossible meat. And whoa
Hey Albert,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
We love this taco meat. Such depth of flavor. It’s also delish with turkey meat.
Hey there,
Awesome! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have a wonderful weekend☀️ xTieghan
Keeper def! I used turkey and cotija cheese.
Hey there,
Happy Friday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This is my GO-TO taco meat recipe. We make it about once a week. Even if I use store bought shells instead and skip the ranch – I use the recipe for the meat. It’s very flavorful! We love it!
Hey Laura,
Awesome! So great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for making it! Have the best week! xTieghan
We’ve made this a lot of times now, and it’s one of the all time favourites for the whole family. Thank You so much for sharing!
Hey Niklas,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! xTieghan
I found a discrepancy in between the video and the instructions for making your own hard shells! In the instructions it says to bake the shells first, then add filling and fold over but they were too hard to fold; in the video you assemble them all then bake it seems. I found that version 2 worked better for me.
That said I loved this recipe – added some chipotle peppers as well for the smoked spice flavouring.
Hey Sandi,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Husband and I ate these tonight. Instead of smoked chipotle powder, we added a few tsp of red chili powder and Cajun seasoning. Otherwise we followed the recipe and added more jalapeño to the sour cream. The suggestion for mango salsa (we did mango/peach) was well worth it. The only issue I had was having the corn tortilla shells hold up but we did not care one bit. They were excellent and had forks handy.
Hey Nisha,
Fantastic! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Another amazing recipe with the perfect spice blend! Made these tonight and my husband and I devoured them. I used white corn tortillas and baked them as instructed. They came out perfectly crispy. I added 2 tsp. Of regular chili powder and only one of the Chipotle chili powder since the brand I have is rip your face off hot! I didn’t have Mexican cheese so I used Queso Fresco. It worked well. I love your spice blends. Always restaurant quality taste!!
Hey Andrea,
I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try!! xxTieghan
So yummy! I make her recipes all of the time and I seriously have not had one yet that I didn’t enjoy. This one crisped up so nicely and the seasonings were perfect. Thank you for another delicious dish!!
Hey Haley,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great Sunday:) xTieghan
If we use pre-made hard taco shells, any recommendations on assembling? Would you follow the same baking instructions but with these pre-made shells? Sorry for all of the questions! Appreciate you!
Hey Sherish,
If you are using pre-made shells, I would just use hard shells and assemble the tacos, no need to bake those. xTieghan
Wow! Thank you for the quick reply. You are awesome!
If I use pre-made hard taco shells, any advice on how I can melt the cheese?
Or will the instructions below apply to pre-made hard taco shells:
“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.“
Hey Sherish,
Yes, those instructions will work perfectly with your store bought shells!
Thank you for all of your help!! 🙂
Hello! I had another question. For the pickled jalapeños, do you use fresh or canned? If fresh, where do you buy them? If canned, can you please share the brand you use?
Thank you!!
Hey Sherish,
You are going to use pickled jalapeños from a jar, this is where the brine comes from. Hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Hello! I wanted to know what brine is and if it will dramatically affect the taste of the ranch if not added?
Hey Sherish,
Brine is the liquid that the jalapeños are stored in. I find it to add a nice tangy flavor to the ranch. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
HBH is my go-to for recipes! I was just searching for a taco seasoning recipe and found your combo in this recipe. I think we would love it if you made a recipe collection of just your spice blends! Just an idea! Thanks for your service to the world. ?
Thanks so much Lisa!! xTieghan