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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.
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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.
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
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.
I feel like this recipe was good. The only thing I would change is to use whole chicken breast versus the ground chicken that’s used in this recipe. The reason being is that it’s more authentic to the Mexican culture that this dish is trying to remake.
Hey Juliet,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
Could I sub regular chili powder for the chipotle chili powder? Love your recipies!
Hey Caitlin,
Totally, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe!! xx
Just want to say thank you ! Absolutely delicious! I had ground turkey on hand which my family usually snubs their nose, but all demanded to put on weekly menu.
Hey there,
Happy Monday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Easy and tasty! My husband said, “restaurant quality”.
Hey Syd,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:)
This was dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious; I have no notes 😂 Your palate for Mexican flavors is top notch!
Hey Kristina,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xT
They are amazing! Could eat these all the time. Are they in any of your recipe books?
Hey Natalie,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! This recipe is just on the blog:) Have a great Thursday:)
Made these tonight and we love them! We’ll try with shredded pork or chicken next time.
Hey Penny,
Happy Friday! ☃️ So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! xT
Love these!! I tried what you said about the make your own tortillas and it was the great!
You’re the best! Thank you 💕
Hey Patti,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go! xT
These were such a hit! My husband & I loved them, they are definitely going into my rotation. Your amazing thank you.
Hey Chelsea,
Happy Sunday!🌾🌽 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
I’ve been making your recipes for over a year now. And I feel obliged to post a comment. Your food is amazing. We cook one of your recipes every weekend. And there’s not one we don’t like.
Awe, thanks so much for your kind message Shawn!! We appreciate you being here and making the recipes! xx
If you like spicy, these had great flavor. But I made these with 2 tsp of the chipotle Chile powder & omitted the red pepper flakes and they were way too spicy for any of our kids to enjoy. I’d maybe try 1 tsp next time or use regular chili powder.
Hi Marie,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry about the spice!! xx
Hi! Can I omit the jalapenos in the cilantro lime sauce? If so, what are some good substitutes? We like some spice but my kids can’t handle the spice of jalapenos 🙂
Thanks!
Hey Josafina,
Sure, you could skip them or try using pickled jalapeños, they just have a mild heat. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Loved making this for my fam last night. Everyone LOVED it! 🙂 Thanks for your wonderful recipes, I love them! One question – I was confused about if it was Chipotle Chili Powder or Chipotle Powder? I am thinking based on the link it’s just the powder of the Chipotle Chile? Thank you!!
Hey Mer,
Happy Wednesday!!👻 I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:) Yes, chipotle Chile powder is what I used!
Made these last night, so good!!! Definitely trying the Buffalo style ones next for game day. Thank you for yet another great recipe Teigan💜 you’re the best!
Hi Felicia,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend!🍁
Hi 🙂 Would you use the same cooking method if choosing to use shrimp instead?
Hi Margaret,
Sure, that would work, you don’t need to cook the shrimp for very long though. Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
Absolutely delicious! I had a bit of a tough time folding the taco shell over so I just used a toothpick to hold it in place while it was baking. I ended up finding sprouted corn tortillas at healthy planet in the frozen section and they were perfect!
Hi Sarah,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) xx