Next Post
4 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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
OMG these are so good! I don’t know how I’ll eat another taco again, made these with beef since we had that on hand. Very easy to make, these will definitely become part of our regular rotation of dinner recipes!
Love to hear that! Thank you for trying this Maddie! xTieghan
I’ve made these before with chicken and made them again tonight with beef on our Blackstone Griddle. OMG they’re so good with fresh corn tortillas and that crema. ? Thank you so much for sharing this wonderfully delicious recipe. Looking forward to camping season with a bunch of friends.
Aw these will be amazing for camping! Love that! Thank you Jo! xTieghan
I never comment on recipes because I always change up ingredients to my liking. I used ground turkey instead of the ground chicken and followed the recipe, this will be how I fix tacos from now on. What a great seasoning blend, I might add coriander when I fix it this weekend again. The cilantro ranch is perfect with it too.
I am so glad this one turned out so well for you, Barbara!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
These were yummy! I’ve noticed with your crispy tacos and taquitos, my shells always crack! Do you recommend a certain brand corn tortilla, or do I need to microwave longer? Thanks!
Hi Lauren! I usually use mission brand and I think they work great! Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to help! xTieghan
I absolutely love this recipe! The only problem is the tortillas always split before they go into the oven. Any ideas ?
Normally I don’t rate things, especially when I do not make the exact recipe. I used meatless crumbles and added a bag of roughly chopped baby spinach. I also used almond flour tortillas and aged havarti cheese (because it’s what I had handy). These were so amazing! I’m going to use some of the leftover filling on a roasted sweet potato tomorrow!
Amazing!! Thank you so much for trying this one, Elizabeth! xTieghan
Super good recipe. I had trouble with the corn tortillas splitting on the seam … but it didn’t change how delicious they were, just the need for more napkins. I’ve made one of your recipes every single night for dinner the past 4 nights. ALL delicious!!
I am so glad you loved these tacos, Amy! Thank you for trying them! xTieghan
My family LOVED these. Such a quick and easy meal to throw together. We topped ours with thin slices of jalapeño and pickled red onion. I could drink the cilantro cream by itself. Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely be making these again, soon.
Yes that is amazing to hear! I am really glad these tacos turned out so well for you, Liz! xTieghan
These were ah-mazing!!! My family just devoured them. I snuck some of the cilantro lime ranch in the shells but everyone still wanted more of that ranch! So good! Your recipes are my go to’s. ?
Aw that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Lisa! xTieghan
I made this tonight, but made it vegetarian by using cauliflower instead of chicken. I baked the cauliflower how I normally would, but with all the spices the chicken would’ve had. I added a little bit of dill to the cilantro ranch dressing too. Topped with shredded cabbage (I didn’t have lettuce), avocado, the cilantro lime dressing, green onions, and some Valentina or green tomatillos sauce if wanted. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you Amy!! I am really glad this one turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
Tastes amazing, quick and easy to make with ingredients on-hand. We have made these several times and I’m sure that it will be a staple on our family’s menu.
Thank you so much Lulu!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Great flavor! Cut way back on the spice and made triple batch of meat to feed 8 and it was perfect. I’m not sure how one batch feeds 6. I liked your homemade hard shell version but I had to switch to broil to get them to crisp up nicely after 20 min in the oven at 425°. Keeper recipe!
So happy to hear that! Thank you so much Abby!! xTieghan
We had these for dinner tonight. We loved everything about this recipe. They are absolutely delicious! My husband said, be sure to save the recipe! I made the homemade hard shells…..so much better!!!! We loved the cilantro lime ranch dressing. I used Greek yogurt. Thank you so much….next time, I need to make a fruit salsa as you suggested. I can’t wait to make them for our family.Sorry no picture!
Thank you so much Yvonne! Makes me so happy to hear that this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Can you use flour tortillas the same way?
Yes that should work fine! Thank you Brooks! xTieghan
I tried this recipe last month and now my people are making this recipe a tradition for every other Friday night. They party when they hear this is going to be made for dinner. Thanks, Tieghan!
Wow love that!! Thank you so much for trying these tacos! xTieghan