Crispy Baked Salsa Chicken Tacos
A quick and flavorful recipe combining tender shredded chicken with spices and salsa, baked to crispy perfection in corn tortillas. Perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner that’s easy to prepare and full of smoky, tangy flavors.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked, shredded chicken from a rotisserie or leftovers
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoons your favorite salsa
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- to taste Kosher salt and pepper
- 12 4-inch corn tortillas warmed
- 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- pickled onions for topping
- cotija cheese
- sour cream for serving
- cilantro for serving
- lime wedges for serving
- cherry tomatoes quartered (optional for fresh salsa topping)
- diced sweet onion (optional for fresh salsa topping)
- chopped cilantro (optional for fresh salsa topping)
- lime juice (optional for fresh salsa topping)
- to taste salt and pepper (optional for fresh salsa topping)
Instructions
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 4006F (2006C). This gotta be ready for the crispy bake part later.
- Mix shredded chicken with sour cream, salsa, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Get it all coated good and even.
- Warm the tortillas so they bend easy without cracking. Then lay them out on a big baking sheet.
- Spoon the chicken mixture onto the center of each tortilla, dividing it evenly. This is where your pressure cooker part shines.
- Top each one with freshly grated cheddar cheese. Don9t be shy here cause that cheese gonna bring it all together nice.
- Pop the baking sheet in your preheated oven. Bake tacos for 10-12 minutes until cheese melts and tortilla edges get golden crispy.
- When done, pull the sheet out and immediately pile on pickled onions, cotija cheese, a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Serve right away and enjoy!
- Optional: Prepare a fresh salsa topping with cherry tomatoes, diced sweet onion, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper for an extra zippy flavor.
Notes
Store leftover chicken mixture separately from tortillas and toppings. Chicken mixture keeps 3-4 days refrigerated. Warm tortillas before serving for best texture. Freeze chicken mixture if desired but avoid freezing cheese or fresh toppings to maintain quality.