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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.
These were soooo good. Definitely microwave the tortillas first and coat them in olive oil so they don’t fall apart. Also use a toothpick for sure to hold them together. They will probably be a bit chewy but I found it to be worth it. I used Turkey and it was delicious! I also didn’t have chipotle chili powder so I used regular and it was great, and I didn’t have pickled jalapeños so I used fresh minced jalapeños. No brine was necessary. I loved this
Hey Jenny,
Fantastic!!🌻 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Made these tonight vegetarian style w smashed pinto beans – absolutely delicious 10/10 recipe. My teenager said they tasted the bar counter mini tacos — her fav!
Hey Emily,
Fantastic!!🌺 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for making it! xT
I have 3 large athletes to feed at my house. I made these tonight and everyone loved them!! You are amazing! Thank you for spicing up my family meals!!
Hi Carol,
Happy Wednesday!🌈 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner!
Any tips on getting a nice crispy texture? Attempted last night and some parts of the taco were weirdly soggy and other parts were extremely hard. Maybe I need to try a different corn tortilla?
Hey Claire,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe!! Did you coat your tortillas in oil? That usually helps to crisp them up! Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
If making ahead of time what would you recommend for reheating?
Hey Gabriela,
You can make everything ad advance, I would just wait to assemble and actually bake the tacos until you are ready to serve. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Delicious! One problem how do I stop the tortilla from flipping open while in the oven.
Hey Brigitte,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish!! You could stick a toothpick in the tortillas! xx
One of my all time favorite recipes that I could eat almost every day. Thank you for such deliciousness.
Hey Penny,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Obsessed with these tacos and the seasoning blend. You will not regret making this. Definitely make your own shells as suggested!
Hey Lizzle,
Awesome!!🌼 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
This are delicious! Love how crunchy the corn tortillas get. I used your note for the easy homemade hard shells. Perfect! The cilantro lime ranch is a great addition of flavor and a nice cooling for the heat of the taco. There was leftover meat. I kept warming tortillas and making tacos to use up the chicken. So glad I did! Plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Yum!
Hey Brenda,
Awesome!!🌼 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
I’m making this once a week for my family. I make them because they are easy and delicious and it is also easy for me to add some extra veggies into the meat (chopped kale/zucchini whatever I have that needs to be used) and that sauce is KEY, I make it for almost every taco I make now.
Hey Anna,
Happy Friday!😁 Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
These look delicious and going to make them this weekend for some friends that are coming to visit. What do you think about making this dish in a crockpot with a beef rump roast? I’m going to try it with the ingredients that you use.
Hey Diana,
Sure, that sounds like it would work well for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Tieghan, I love your recipes. Tried this one last night, and my family loved it. I didn’t have ground chicken on hand so used chicken tenderloins instead, cutting them into smallest pieces possible.
Hey Annie,
Happy Sunday!😃 Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, I am so glad it turned out well for you! xx
One of my FAVORITE meals to make. It is easy and a go-to meal idea for my house. Love it!
Hey Nicole,
Wonderful!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
Hi do you oil both sides of tortilla before stuffing and baking
Hi there,
I do! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
The sauce and the cilantro lime yogurt were so good! I used TJ’S jicama wraps as shells and no cheese, but these still were so decadent. I added some lime zest to the yogurt too, yum! Love your recipes 🙂
Hey Kristin,
Happy Wednesday!! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I used the siete shells, baked for 5 minutes ahead of time like recommended and they closed up and got too brown. Next time I wouldn’t bake ahead or I would just soft shells and bake before hand. Instructions were a little confusing.
Hi Maddie,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry for any confusion, the Siete shells definitely cook faster than a classic corn tortilla! xx