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Easy Baked Chicken Tacos 🌮
Taco night, minus the standing at the stove filling one shell at a time. Stand-and-stuff shells get loaded with seasoned shredded chicken, refried beans, and plenty of cheese, then baked until the shells crisp and the cheese melts down into everything. You fill a pan, slide it in, and come back to a whole tray at once.
Servings: 8 tacos
Calories: 232kcal
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 white or yellow onion diced
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles drained
- 8-10 stand and stuff taco shells
- 1/2 16oz can refried beans
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese
Optional Toppings
- cilantro
- sour cream
- jalapeños
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until fragrant (2-3 minutes).
- Add cooked chicken, taco seasoning, and Rotel tomatoes until combined. Reduce heat and let cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Put stand and stuff taco shells in the prepared baking dish, standing up. Spoon 1 tablespoon of beans into each shell’s bottom. (Tip: warm up the beans in the microwave for a minute so they spread easier and you don’t risk cracking the shell.)
- Top with chicken mixture until tacos are stuffed to the top. Sprinkle cheese generously over the tacos.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Hit the broil button and leave in for 1-2 minutes for an additional crisp!
- Top as desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 456mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 361mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie is perfect) to keep it fast.
- Warm the refried beans so they spread easily into the shells.
- Pack the filling but don’t overfill, so the shells stay standing.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and the shell edges are crisp.
- Set out the cold toppings to add after baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do the shells stay crisp instead of going soft?
The beans go in as a barrier between the shell and the wet filling, and everything cold gets added after baking. That’s the whole trick.
What shells work best?
Flat-bottomed stand-and-stuff shells. They hold themselves upright in the pan so you’re not propping them against each other.
Can I use beef instead of chicken?
Absolutely. Seasoned ground beef works the same way, just drain it well first.
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