This post may contain affiliate links.
Crispy Chicken Tacos are loaded with creamy salsa verde chicken, black beans, corn, and melty cheese, then baked until golden and seriously crispy. They’re cheesy, a little spicy, and proof that you don’t need a frying pan to get a really good crispy taco.
Crispy Chicken Tacos Without the Frying
The crispy shell is what makes these tacos, but I wanted the filling to be just as good. Salsa verde chicken, black beans, corn, cream cheese, and plenty of melty cheese make the inside creamy, a little spicy, and substantial enough that you don’t need much else.
Here’s why I keep making them:
- No frying required. A little oil and a hot oven give the corn tortillas those golden, crispy edges without standing over a skillet.
- The filling isn’t an afterthought. Salsa verde, cream cheese, black beans, corn, and seasoned chicken make it creamy, a little spicy, and honestly good enough to eat straight from the pan.
- Rotisserie chicken makes them ridiculously easy. It’s my favorite shortcut when I want these on the table fast, but any cooked, shredded chicken works.
- You get crispy and creamy in every bite. Crunchy tortillas, creamy chicken filling, and melted cheese give these tacos a really good mix of textures.
Ingredients Worth Talking About
The full ingredient list and measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Shredded Chicken. Rotisserie chicken is my favorite shortcut here, but any cooked, shredded chicken works. This is also a great way to use leftover chicken you already have in the fridge.
- Salsa Verde. This brings most of the flavor to the filling, so use one you really like. I prefer a salsa verde with plenty of flavor and a little heat, but you can easily choose a mild one if you’re cooking for kids or prefer less heat.
- Black Beans and Corn. These make the filling more substantial and add some texture between all that creamy chicken and cheese. Canned black beans work perfectly. Just drain and rinse them. Fresh or frozen corn both work.
- Cream Cheese. A little cream cheese makes the salsa verde filling creamy and helps everything hold together inside the tortilla. Regular or dairy-free cream cheese both work.
- Corn Tortillas. Small corn tortillas give these tacos the crispy shell I’m after. Fresh tortillas make a big difference here since they’re much easier to fold without cracking.
- Shredded Cheese. Cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend both work well. Use something that melts easily because that gooey cheese against the crispy tortilla is one of the best parts.
How To Make Crispy Chicken Tacos
Step 1. Make the chicken filling. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until softened. Add the garlic and seasonings, then stir in the shredded chicken, salsa verde, black beans, and corn. Let everything simmer together until heated through and the filling has thickened with no excess liquid in the pan.
Step 2. Add the cream cheese. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese until completely melted into the chicken mixture. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Step 3. Warm the tortillas. Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave until they’re warm and very pliable. Work in batches if needed so the tortillas don’t cool down before you have a chance to fold them.
Step 4. Fill and fold. Add a small amount of shredded cheese and chicken filling to one half of each tortilla (about 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling). Fold the other half over and gently press to close. Don’t overfill them. You want enough room for the tortilla to fold without breaking or pushing the filling out.
Step 5. Bake until crispy. Arrange the tacos in a single layer on a lightly oiled sheet pan, leaving a little space between each one. Lightly brush or spray the tops with oil, then bake until the tortillas are golden and crispy and the cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 6. Serve right away. Use a spatula to transfer the tacos to a plate and add your favorite toppings. I love avocado, cilantro, jalapeños, extra salsa verde, and a squeeze of lime.
Favorite Dips and Toppings
These tacos have plenty of flavor on their own, but something cool, creamy, or fresh on top is always a good idea. I usually add cilantro and a squeeze of lime, then pick one or two of these:
- Avocado or guacamole. The cool, creamy avocado is especially good with the crispy tortillas and salsa verde filling.
- Sour cream or lime crema. Keep it simple with sour cream, or stir in a little lime juice and zest for a quick crema.
- Extra salsa verde. Use the same salsa from the filling for dipping, especially if you like a little extra heat.
- Pico de gallo. Fresh tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lime add some freshness without competing with everything happening inside the tacos.
- Pickled jalapeños or onions. My pick if you want something tangy with a little bite.
Keep the Tortillas Crispy (and in One Piece)
Corn tortillas can be a little stubborn, but once you know how to work with them, getting them crispy without cracking is pretty simple.
- Start with fresh corn tortillas. Older, drier tortillas are much more likely to split when folded.
- Get them really warm. Wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave until hot and pliable. If they cool while you’re assembling, warm them again rather than forcing them to fold.
- Don’t overfill. About 2-3 tablespoons of filling per taco should be plenty. Too much filling makes them harder to close and adds more moisture.
- The filling shouldn’t be watery. Let it simmer until any excess liquid has cooked off before assembling. A wet filling makes it much harder for the tortillas to crisp.
- A little oil makes a big difference. Lightly oil both sides of the tortillas so they actually brown and crisp rather than simply drying out.
- Give them room. Don’t overcrowd the sheet pan. Space between the tacos allows hot air to circulate instead of trapping steam.
- Let them get golden. If the tortillas still look pale at the end of the suggested baking time, give them another few minutes.
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
These tacos are definitely at their crispiest straight from the oven, but you can do most of the work ahead of time and leftovers reheat surprisingly well.
- Make the filling ahead. Prepare the chicken filling up to 2 days in advance and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready for the tacos, warm the filling, then assemble and bake. I prefer waiting to fill the tortillas so they don’t absorb moisture and soften while they sit.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Let leftover tacos cool completely, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you’re stacking them, place a piece of parchment paper between the layers.
- Reheat them in the oven or air fryer. Skip the microwave if you want to bring back the crispy edges. Reheat the tacos at 375°F in the oven until hot and crisp, or pop them in the air fryer for a few minutes. Keep an eye on them since they can brown quickly the second time around.
Other Taco Recipes To Try
If you loved this recipe let me know! Also, follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for even more fun recipes to make you feel good from the inside out. Thanks for being here.
Crispy Chicken Tacos
Equipment
- baking sheet
- skillet
Ingredients
- 3½ cups shredded chicken , *rotisserie or homemade
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 15 oz canned black beans, drained
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cracked pepper
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1¼ cup salsa verde, use more as needed
- ⅓ cup cream cheese
- ¾ cup shredded cheese
- 8-16 fresh corn tortillas , flour will also work
- 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped , for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º Heat the oil in a skillet and add chopped onions. Sauté the onions for about 3 minutes, add in the garlic, seasoning, thawed corn, black beans and chicken. Sauté for another 4 minutes and then add in the salsa verde.
- Bring the chicken mixture to temperature on a low simmer. Add in the cream cheese and stir it in well. Once the cream cheese is nice and melted into the mixture, turn off the heat.
- Wrap the corn tortillas (6-8 at a time) in a damp paper towel on a plate and microwave them for 45 seconds. While they are hot, spray with a little oil one at a time, place 3-4 tbsp of the chicken mixture on one side of the tortilla. Add a pinch or two of cheese to the top of the mixture. Fold the tortilla in half and gently press it down. Place the tacos into the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the exterior of the tortillas are lightly browned and crispy with cheeses melted.
- Use a spatula to lift tacos to a plate, add garnish and toppings of choice and enjoy immediately or place in the microwave on a plate to keep warm if you have to make a second batch. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use fresh corn tortillas. Older tortillas crack more easily. Warm them until hot and pliable before filling.
- Don’t overfill. About 2–3 tablespoons of filling per taco makes them easier to fold and crisp.
- Keep the filling thick. Let any excess liquid cook off before assembling to prevent soggy tacos.
- Use a little oil. Lightly coating the tortillas helps them turn golden and crispy.
- Let the cheese get crispy. If a little cheese oozes out while baking, even better!
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for the best texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Are the calories per taco?
Calories are for 2-3 tacos. It will vary on how much you stuff each one 🙂 Enjoy!
I think this recipe would be better to use in a taco bowl or just make the filling and let everyone fill their own taco shells. I felt unnecessary work putting in shells and baking… my shells were fresh but still cracked and tore and never got crisp.
Hi Rose, I am so sorry to hear they cracked! Did you happen to follow my tips on making sure they don’t crack? You should always microwave them with a wet paper towel to help with this! Thanks for the feedback.
These are delicious!! I just made them tonight for my family. Everyone loved them and they were so simple.
I’m interested in trying this recipe. Can the chicken mixture be made the night before and bake everything the next day? I don’t get home until almost 5:30. So make ahead is always best for me.
Yes absolutely !
These are super good. However I never get them crispy. I tried to cook longer, but no crisp. More oil, no crisp. Any ideas?
Really enjoyed these tacos. Flavorful and easy. Lots of leftovers. My young kids inhaled them!
Looks awesome can’t wait to try
This recipe was fun to make. Easy fast and delicious!! Highly recommend if you enjoy tacos. I put mine on the top shelf of the oven for 10 minutes and they came out nice & crispy and oozing with cheese. My family loved them. Thank You! 😊 🌮
Delicious!! Thank You, Chef Bailey. I left my comment above ☝️
Looking for some advice if possible. First of all-LOVE THESE, have made them numerous times, always delish! Now here’s where I’m unsure, I really want to bring these to a party. What would be best? I know they’re delicious immediately eaten but how can/should I transfer? Would you cook them then bring? I feel like they’re good cold too lol! Would you bring assembled and stick in oven when you get there? If I made them first, would they reheat well there? Any advise on making and bringing for a party would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you in advance!
Hi! Thanks so much for the great feedback! Glad to hear you love these tacos as much as we do.
For the party, I would make the chicken mixture and either bake them first, and reheat in the ovum at the party OR make the chicken mixture and just build the tacos and bake them fresh once at the party. Both should work fine, but one will take more time.
Delicious! We have been making these almost every week! I leave them in the oven a little longer so they are extra crispy.
Easy, filling, and a BIG HIT with all 3 of my teenagers!!
Loved these. Curious about the best way to reheat since I have a lot leftover?
Altho I haven’t yet tried your recipe, I have made enough taco’s in my life of every variety, including baked to recognize a good recipe when I see it. I have printed it off and will enjoy them, of that I am sure. Thank you for sharing. Sharon
Recipe looks delisious! Do you think they could be made to step 3, (fully assembled) then frozen for a easy make ahead weeknight dinner? Would they hold up if frozen then baked?
Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tried doing it this way, I think the optimal way would be to freeze them finished and just thaw and reheat when ready OR freeze the cooked chicken mixture and make it fresh when ready with fresh tortillas. I just fear the tortillas may crack too much being frozen. Enjoy!
Delicious taste and easy to make! Unfortunately, my tacos didn’t get crisp enough at 15 min. I did put them on the middle shelf so maybe I need to do the top. We had to eat them with a fork because we couldn’t pick them up. I may have filled them too much as well and only made 8 tacos. We will definitely make again, just adjusting the oven part and maybe fill them a little less. Thank you!
Do you ever use whole wheat flour tacos?
I do at times! But they dont crisp up as good.
MADE CRISPY CHICKEN TACOS LAST WEEK AND I RATE THEM AM 5 STAR!! EVERYONE LOVED THEM AND WANTED THE RECIPE.
NOTE- DIDN’T HAVE CORN TORTILLAS SO I USED 8″ FLOUR AND THEY HAD A NICE CRISPY BOTTOM, WILL MAKE AGAIN SOON!
I’ve made these several times and they are a family favorite!