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Baked Chipotle Beef and Melted Cheese Tacos. Taco-seasoned ground beef cooked and stuffed into chipotle sauce–dipped tortillas with melty cheese. Bake on a sheet pan until the edges of each taco get a little crispy and the cheese is perfectly melted. Finish each taco with lime, cilantro, avocado, and lots of spicy chipotle sauce. They’re crispy-ish, Birria-style (but way easier) tacos that are no fuss and quick to make. Everyone in the family will love these for taco night!
Naming recipes can be so hard sometimes. These could be called so many different things! In the end, no matter what you call them, they’re just plain delicious.
Inspired by dipped Birria tacos, but made in a fraction of the time with ground beef and a can of enchilada sauce. I’ve been making these all month long, and we can’t get enough of the crispy edges, the melty cheese, and that chipotle sauce. My family is officially obsessed.
I’ve been serving each dipped, baked taco with grilled corn salsa and chunks of avocado tossed in lime and salt. Nothing fancy! But the chipotle sauce on the side? That’s non-negotiable—I double the recipe every time.
Here are the details
Ingredients – for the chipotle sauce
- red enchilada sauce
- canned chipotle chilies in adobo
- dried oregano
- apple cider vinegar
- salted butter
- cinnamon
Ingredients – for the tacos
- ground beef – or use ground chicken
- a yellow onion
- taco seasoning
- corn tortillas
- mixed Mexican cheeses – I love a spicy cheddar, colby jack, and pepper jack blend
- Monterey Jack cheese
- chopped cilantro
- cubed or sliced avocado
- lime zest and lime juice
- grilled corn or corn salsa
Special Tools
You’ll need a skillet. I recommend an 11-inch cast-iron skillet. And a sheet pan.
Steps
Step 1: Make the chipotle sauce
Pour a can of red enchilada sauce into the blender with the chipotle chilies, oregano, and vinegar. Blend until smooth.
Now pour the sauce into a shallow skillet. Add a few tablespoons of butter and the cinnamon stick (or use ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon). Fill the empty enchilada sauce can with water and add that to the skillet too.
Simmer until the sauce is combined and warmed through, then season with a pinch of salt.
Step 2: Cook the beef
In a large skillet, cook the ground beef (or chicken) with the onions and taco seasoning until the meat is mostly cooked through, about 10 minutes. The aroma will be incredible!
I love to make my own seasoning using chili powder, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Add water to the skillet and simmer until the sauce thickens around the meat.
Step 3: Assemble and bake the tacos
Dip each corn tortilla into the warm chipotle sauce, then arrange on a baking sheet. Fill with cheese and the seasoned meat.
Bake for about 15 mins, until the taco edges are crispy and the cheese has melted.
Serve
Top with avocado tossed in lime zest, juice, and sea salt, plus fresh cilantro and grilled corn. Serve the extra chipotle sauce on the side for dipping—each bite is even better dunked into that warm, smoky sauce.
Looking for more simple weeknight recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Crispy Cider Braised White Chili Chicken Tacos
Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos
Baked Chipotle Beef and Melted Cheese Tacos
Ingredients
Chipotle Sauce
- 1 can red enchilada sauce
- 1/4 cup canned chipotle chilies in adobo
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-3 tablespoons salted butter
Tacos
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or chicken
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 16-20 corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- limes, cilantro, avocado, and grilled corn for serving
Instructions
- 1. To make the Chipotle sauce. Combine everything, except the cinnamon and butter, in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the sauce into a skillet set over medium heat. Add the cinnamon and butter. Fill the empty enchilada can with water, add it to the sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat until combined and steaming. Season as needed with salt. 2. The Tacos. Preheat the oven to 425° F.3. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, and taco seasoning, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until browned, 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened around the meat, about 5 minutes. 4. To assemble, dip each tortilla into the chipotle sauce, coating both sides. Place the dipped tortillas on a baking sheet. Add a small handful of shredded cheese to one half of each tortilla, then spoon over the meat and add a sprinkle more cheese. Fold the tortillas in half, pressing to close. Bake for 10 minutes, flip each taco, and bake another 5 minutes. 5. Serve the tacos with a squeeze of lime, cilantro, avocado, and chipotle sauce for dipping. If desired, add grilled corn too!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan!
Made these tonite and they were a hit. Good flavor and the chipotle sauce was zingy and had a good smoky kick. My family all agreed they were tasty.
Question for you: with most recipes involving corn tortillas, mine tend to break in half when baked in the oven. This happened with these tacos, didn’t affect the flavor, but I’m curious if you have any tips for keeping them whole so they are easier for picking up/dipping in the chipotle sauce.
Hi Alicia! So happy these were a hit for your family! Corn tortillas can be tricky since they dry out quickly warming them first in a skillet or microwave (wrapped in a damp towel) before filling and baking usually helps make them more flexible! Hope you enjoy! 🙂 xT
Why did you say on IG that if a taco doesn’t have cheese it probably isn’t the best? I’ve had plenty of street tacos that don’t have cheese & they are amazing! You also have plenty of recipes on your site of tacos without cheese. Could you explain your thought process on saying that? Not every dish needs cheese 🙂
Hey Rebecca! You’re totally right, there are so many yummy tacos without cheese, and I love those too! My comment was meant to be lighthearted and playful, not a serious rule. I enjoy cheese in tacos, but I agree that great tacos can shine in all kinds of ways, with or without it! Have a good weekend! xT
These were so dry on the outside but also super greasy…I’ll stick with another method of tacos next time.
Hey Ashley! So sorry you didn’t enjoy these tacos! I appreciate the feedback. Have a good weekend! 🙂 xT
How are you making these all month long for your family when you said they were gone?
Hey Barbara! They’ve been home for a while now. We ate these last week and they loved them!
Thanks for the question! Let me know if you have any others. Have a great weekend! xT
What makes these Birria style?
Hi Shelby! They’re birria inspired because the beef is cooked in a flavorful broth, the tortillas are dipped in the sauce before crisping, and they’re filled with melted cheese! Not saying these are exactly like a birria taco, just inspired by the flavors and components! Hope this helps! 🙂 xT
Nothing about this is Birria-style. I was not pleased with this recipe at all, it definitely won’t be on repeat in my home.
Hey Blair! So sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe, is there anything specific I can do to help? Let me know! Thanks so much! xT
Hi, I want to try this recipe from your stories this morning but it looks like you put a can of chipotle peppers in, but the recipe only calls for 1/4 cup. Is this a mistake or do you recommend the full can?
Hi Jeni! My family likes spicy things so I sometimes put the whole can in, but I would recommend 1/4 cup! 🙂 xT
Am I reading it right that you’d actually need two skillets- one for the sauce and another to cook the beef?
Hi Kate! Yes, that’s correct, you’ll use one skillet to simmer the chipotle sauce and another to cook the seasoned beef. This way, the sauce can develop flavor and the beef can brown properly before bringing everything together for those crispy, cheesy tacos! xT
How are these birria style? Birria refers to how the meat is cooked into a braised stew. These are just ground beef tacos.
Hi Tiffany! These are inspired by birria tacos because of the flavors of the sauce/meat! Hope this helps! Enjoy 🙂 xT
The orange filter you use makes it kind of hard to see…would you consider more natural lighting instead of everything being so orange?
Hey Brenda! Noted! Thank you for this feedback. I am working with my natural light and we have fires in Colorado right now. The hazzy skies give off an orange light. I will try my best to adjust.
Have a great weekend! xT
I’ve noticed it for quite awhile now, not just recently so I don’t think it’s due to the fires! Thanks for hearing my feedback! Hope you have a great weekend!! 🙂
Enchilada sauce comes in different sizes, can you please clarify the ounces instead of just “one can?”
Hi Tierra! So sorry for the confusion! I use a 15 oz can of enchilada sauce for this recipe! xT
This looks delicious, can’t wait to try it! Which size can are you using for the enchilada sauce? 10 or 19oz?
Hi Alexis! I would recommend using a 15 oz can of sauce in this recipe! Enjoy! 🙂 xT
How many ounces should the can of enchilada sauce be?
Hi Joanie! I would recommend using a 15 oz can of enchilada sauce! 🙂 xT
Not sure what filter you use, but for the past year or so all of your pictures have a distinct orange/yellow tone to them that make the food look really unappetizing. Also all the shadows in your photos look like a 9th grade art project trying to be edgy. Your older photography was so much brighter and more clear and the food looked so much better. Maybe some photography classes would be a good idea, or just go back to how you use to photograph.
Hey Lois, thanks so much for this feedback! New location, so the lighting is different. Working with what I have.
Personally I really like them. My family and friends enjoy them too. I’m sorry they don’t appeal to you!
Thank you again for the feedback. I will take this into consideration. Have a great weekend! xT
How is your family obsessed with these when you said they’ve been gone for over a month? It seems like you say that about every recipe…
Hey Renee! They’ve been home for a while now. We ate these last week and they love them!
Thanks for the question! Let me know if you have any others. Have a great weekend! xT