Name: Baked Chicken Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 pounds chicken breasts; 7 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce; 1/2 cup water; 3 cloves garlic (peeled); 2 teaspoons chili powder; 2 teaspoons cumin; 2 teaspoons salt (fine kosher or sea); 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 cup yellow onion (diced); 1/4 cup cilantro (roughly chopped); 10 stand and stuff taco shells; 1 can refried beans (juices mixed in); 1 1/2 cups colby jack cheese (shredded)

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These Baked Chicken Tacos are loaded with creamy refried beans and chopped spicy marinated chicken then topped with gooey freshly shredded Colby Jack cheese.

Three baked chicken tacos on a red plate.

Taco night is a staple and these baked chicken tacos make it a breeze.

Chicken is marinated in a smoky spicy chipotle peppers and adobo sauce then seared golden brown before getting a quick chop. Refried beans and the chopped chicken is stuffed into hard corn tortillas then smothered in freshly grated Colby Jack cheese (or any other cheese you like!)

Yum!

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Chicken Breast – I like to use chicken breast for this recipe but you also could use boneless skinless thighs.

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce – These smoky spicy peppers add a ton of flavor to the marinade.

Refried Beans – Canned refried beans add creaminess and flavor but they also help prevent the taco from getting soggy.

Cilantro – Adds flavor and freshness to the chicken.

Colby Jack Cheese – Adds melty gooey cheesiness to the tacos. You could also use Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or any other cheese that you like.

Step By Step Instructions

Note: Full list of ingredients, their amounts, and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1:

To a blender, add the whole can of chipotle peppers and the adobo sauce, garlic cloves, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and water. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

Cover the chicken with the sauce. Marinade in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day in advance. The longer the more flavorful!

Chipotle pepper sauce with chicken marinading in it.

Step 2:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set aside a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Heat olive oil in a skillet that has a lid.

Step 3:

Sauté diced onions until they are softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Step 4:

Add the chicken to the skillet reserving the marinade. Cover the skillet with the lid and cook for 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook another 6 to 8 minutes uncovered or until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Chop the chicken into small bite-size pieces.

Cooked marinated chicken breasts and then cut into small pieces.

Step 5:

Add 1/4 cup of the marinade and 1/4 cup of water to the hot skillet and simmer for at least 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Turn the heat off.

Note: It’s important that you gently boil the sauce for 5 minutes to kill off any potential bacteria from the chicken marinating in it.

Step 6:

Add the chopped chicken and cilantro to the skillet with the sauce. Toss to combine.

Step 7:

To assemble the tacos, spread about a tablespoon of refried beans in the bottom of each taco shell then place them in the 9×13 baking dish.

Evenly divide the chicken between the shells.

Top each taco with shredded cheese.

Four part grid showing the assembly steps for baked chicken tacos.

Step 8:

Bake the tacos for 5 minutes.

Top them however you like (ideas below!) and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

You likely won’t use all of the refried beans in the tacos. To use up what’s left, scoop it into a pan and heat over medium-low heat until warmed through, and serve it alongside the tacos.
I highly recommend using taco shells with flat bottoms. They are much easier to fit into the baking dish without them falling over. However, the round bottom shells will also work.
If you prefer shredded chicken, instead of chopping it pull it apart with two forks after cooking then continue with the rest of the recipe.

Topping Ideas

Sliced avocado
Diced red or yellow onion
Diced tomato
Shredded lettuce
Your favorite hot sauce
More cilantro
Sour cream
Salsa
Fresh or jarred jalapeños

Storage & Reheating

These tacos really are best eaten right away. However, if you have leftovers and would like to keep them the best suggestion is to scoop out the filling and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Then, spoon it back into fresh taco shells when you want to eat them. Bake them at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes just like before.

Otherwise, you can refrigerate the whole taco and reheat it in the oven. Just know that the bottoms will be a bit soggy.

More Recipes You’ll Love!

Crispy Shrimp Tacos with Jalapeño Crema

Adobo Chicken Wraps with Avocado Green Goddess Dressing

Pork Carnitas with Pineapple Pico de Gallo

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