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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.
OOPS, forgot to give it a 5 star!
Thanks again Jeanna! So sweet of you! Have a lovely week! xT
I made these last night and thought they were really tasty! I did put foil down on my baking sheet and sprayed but they still stuck a little, the tortilla fell apart a bit when dipping in the sauce. Next time I will heat them up like you suggested. Don’t work with corn tortillas much, so that is good to know. Also, next time I would use only 1/2 can of water, my sauce was a bit runny, maybe I didn’t simmer it long enough. The end product, although, may not have been pretty, tasted great!! I loved them. No negative comments here, just gotta tweak a little, like we have to do w/ all recipes. I enjoy your recipes and nobody is perfect, I wish people would be nicer. Have a great day!
Hi Jeanna! Thank you so so much for taking the time to leave such a kind and helpful comment! I really appreciate it, and I’m so glad you ended up loving these tacos! 🙂 xT
These turned out delicious! Parchment paper kept them from sticking. Served them with some cilantro lime rice. Yum!
Hi Genna! Thank you so so much! I’m so glad you loved these tacos, have a great week! 🙂 xT
These completely fell apart and stuck to the pan no matter how much sauce used…using too much sauce just made them fall apart and so greasy.
Hi Cherie! I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe! Thank you for the input! xT
These were amazing, having said that they did stick to the pan and some fell apart BUT I just decided to make a bowl out of them. I laid 3 in a bowl and topped with all the ingredients you listed plus added shredded lettuce. Can’t wait to make again…so so good. Thank u again!!!
Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoyed these tacos! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂 xT
This recipe was such a flop & waste of ingredients. 🙁
Hey Katie! I am so sorry you didn’t enjoy these tacos! Thank you for the input, it’s always appreciated! 🙂 xT
Ok well who cares if they fell apart a little
These were a huge delicious hit with my family.
Will definitely make these again!!!
Hi Julie! Love to hear you enjoyed these tacos! As far as the cracked tortillas, corn tortillas can be a little tricky, they sometimes crack if they’re not warmed properly. I recommend wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for a few seconds! Hope this helps! xT
These were amazing, having said that they did stick to the pan and some fell apart BUT I just decided to make a bowl out of them. I laid 3 in a bowl and topped with all the ingredients you listed plus added shredded lettuce. Can’t wait to make again…so so good. Thank u again!!!
Hi Lisa! Thank you so so much, I’m so glad you enjoyed these tacos! Thanks for giving them a try! 🙂 xT
My corn tortillas fell apart when I flipped them
Will see how they taste!
Hi Julie! Corn tortillas can be a little tricky, they sometimes crack if they’re not warmed properly. I recommend wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for a few seconds! Hopefully that helps for next time! Enjoy! 🙂 xT
Stuck like glue to baking sheet. After making it looks like maybe baking sheet was lined with parchment paper
but recipe did not say anything.
Hi Terry! So sorry these stuck on the pan for you! Normally the sauce prevents the tacos from sticking, but if you want to be sure to not have issues with sticking you can lightly grease the pan! xT
The photography is so orange I can hardly tell what I’m looking at. Regarding the recipe, I don’t understand what you mean by you double the portion for the sauce. If that’s how you make it, why isn’t that the recipe? I can’t tell from this how many ounces of sauce you are saying the dish needs. I wish you would work on your clarity and accuracy. No one needs the text at the top of its going to diverge from the recipe. You often don’t have the right ingredients listed up there too. Please let me know about the sauce volume.
Hi Quincy! Thanks so much for your feedback! The sauce for this recipe is made with one 15-ounce can of enchilada sauce plus water that you’ll use the enchilada sauce can for. This will give you plenty for dipping and topping! Thank you for the input regarding the the photography! Have a great week! xT
What size can of enchilada sauce??
Hi Michelle! I use a 15 oz can of enchilada sauce! Enjoy! 🙂 xT
Maybe the 3rd time will be the charm for getting my question approved? I really don’t understand why cooking questions don’t get approved or take multiple days to get an answer.
If this recipe is using a 15 ounce jar of enchilada sauce and I’m filling it with water to add to the sauce this will yield about 30 ounces of sauce- you say that you like to double the sauce, is the recipe as written already doubling the sauce or should I be making 60 ounces of sauce to dip these in? Thanks!
Hi Dina! I am so sorry for the delay in responding to your question! I appreciate your patience, your question is important and I definitely want to give it the attention it deserves! You don’t need to double the sauce recipe because it will yield 30 oz of sauce which will be plenty of sauce for dipping/serving the tacos! Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns! 🙂 xT
These were so bad…what a waste of ingredients.
Hey Sharon! Oh no! I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy these tacos! Is there anything I can do to help? Let me know! xT
These were great. Not greasy or dry. Not sure why people are being so mean about the minutia of her IG comments. Who cares if she said her family ate it all week or not. You do realize some of the IG posts are for show right???If you are reviewing a recipe let the reader know if you like the food not the IG videos. IMO!!!
Hi there! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! And thank you for the kind words, it means so much to me! xT
I thought these were great. Not greasy or dry. I would make again.
Hi Tyrrell! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed these tacos! 🙂 xT