Name: Cheesy Baked Chicken Tacos for Two
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/2 tsp. Cumin; 1/2 tsp. Mexican Oregano (or Italian oregano); 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder; 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt; 1/4 tsp. Smoked Paprika; 1/4 tsp. Chili Powder; 1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional); 3 tbsp. Avocado Oil (or any neutral oil); 1/2 cup finely chopped White Onion; 1/2 cup finely chopped Roasted Red Pepper (I use jarred peppers); 8 oz. Ground Chicken; 2 tbsp. chopped Pickled Jalapeños; 2 tbsp. Chipotle Sauce (or finely chopped chipotle in adobo); 2 tbsp. Sour Cream (or Greek yogurt); 6 fajita-sized (6") Flour Tortillas; 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

Makes 6 tacos | Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 30 minutes

These cheesy baked chicken tacos are everything: crispy, spicy, cheesy, and a little smoky. The best part? This small batch recipe makes just six tacos, which is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner for two, or a cozy solo dinner with leftovers for tomorrow.

Baked tacos are kind of my jam lately. They’re so easy to make, and you can really pack some flavor into them! This baked chicken taco recipe is perfect for making ridiculously good tacos on busy nights without the mountain of dishes or leftover chicken taco meat (that somehow lasts for days).

This recipe uses 8 ounces of ground chicken, which is exactly half a standard grocery store package, so it’s budget-friendly and portioned to give you leftover ground turkey to try a different recipe (I’ve listed some ideas in the “ingredient notes” section below!). The filling has a slightly smoky flavor from chipotle sauce, a creamy texture from sour cream, and gets a little flavor boost from roasted red peppers and pickled jalapeños.

A platter full of crispy baked chicken tacos with margaritas, sour cream, and limes resting nearby.

Ingredients

Homemade Taco Seasoning: (or 2 1/2 tsp. of your favorite taco seasoning)
- ½ tsp. Cumin
- ½ tsp. Mexican Oregano (or Italian Oregano)
- ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp. Smoked Paprika
- ¼ tsp. Chili Powder
- ⅛ tsp. Cayenne Pepper (optional)
3 tbsp. Avocado Oil
1/2 cup finely chopped White Onion
1/2 cup finely chopped Roasted Red Pepper (I use jarred)
2 tbsp. chopped Pickled Jalapeños (optional)
8 oz. Ground Chicken
2 tbsp. Chipotle Sauce (or finely chopped chipotle in adobo / OR salsa)
2 tbsp. Sour Cream (or Greek yogurt)
6 Fajita-sized (6″) Flour Tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

Ingredient Notes & FAQs

Avocado Oil → Can be swapped with Olive Oil or a neutral oil (like vegetable or canola oil).

Ground Chicken → I just grab a 16 oz. (1 lb.) package of ground chicken from the store for this recipe! Because it only uses 8 oz., you can use the other 8 oz. in these Cheesy Ground Chicken + Rice Burritos, Parmesan Garlic Chicken Meatballs, OR these Cheesy Chorizo + Chicken Meatballs. OR sub in ground turkey works, too!

Roasted Red Pepper → I use one big Roasted Red Pepper from a jar of red peppers, rather than roasting them on my own. If you want to roast your own, toss a big red bell pepper under the broiler for a few minutes, or toast it over an open flame (if you have a gas oven) until the skin is charred. Let it cool, then peel the skin and remove the stem and seeds before using it for this recipe! You can use leftover roasted red peppers in these Cheesy Steak Sandwiches or this (amazing) Roasted Red Pepper + Chorizo Soup. Can I use fresh red bell pepper? Yes!

Pickled Jalapeños → Totally optional, so leave them out if you’re not feeling them. Or if you really want to fire it up, use fresh jalapeños!

Chipotle Sauce→ This brings smoky heat and awesome flavor! It’s actually cheaper than a can of chipotles in adobo, and you can divvy up the leftover sauce into an ice cube tray, freeze them, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for pre-portioned chipotle sauce for future recipes! If you can’t find chipotle sauce, snag a can of chipotles in adobo (and finely chop them) OR use your favorite red salsa or enchilada sauce instead!

Cheese → Cheddar adds great flavor, but Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a Mexican blend cheese would also work!

Tortillas → Flour tortillas develop this crispy / fluffy texture in the oven (which I LOVE), but you can try corn if you prefer! Corn tortillas are more delicate, so work carefully.

This is one of my favorite recipes for taco night, and I specifically designed it to only make six tacos. But it can easily be doubled or tripled if needed! They reheat really well in the air fryer, so if you want to have a few leftover for later in the week, scale up the recipe! There’s a slider bar down in the recipe card that allows you to adjust the amount of servings, and the ingredient amounts will automatically adjust for you, too.

Directions

Step One: Make the Taco Seasoning. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp. chili powder, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne. Set aside.

Step Two: Cook the Onions + Roasted Red Peppers. In a large nonstick pan over medium heat, add two teaspoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add 1/2 cup finely chopped white onions and 1/2 cup finely chopped roasted red bell pepper. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened.

A skillet with chopped onions and red bell pepper cooking in it.

Step Three: Add Chicken, Taco Seasoning, and Jalapeños. Add 8 oz. of ground chicken and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Stir in 2 tbsp. chopped pickled jalapenos (optional) and the taco seasoning Cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking the chicken into small pieces, until it is lightly browned and cooked through.

A skillet with cooked chopped onions and red bell peppers with ground chicken and pickled jalapenos added to it.

A skillet full of a cooked ground chicken taco mixture.

Step Four: Stir in Chipotle Sauce and Simmer. Stir in 2 tbsp. chipotle sauce (or salsa) and let the ground chicken mixture simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Step Five: Stir in Sour Cream. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 tbsp. of sour cream. Set the pan aside.

A skillet full of a cooked ground chicken taco mixture with a dollop of sour cream.

Step Six: Prep the Tortillas. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray (or brush avocado oil over the baking sheet). Lay six fajita-sized flour tortillas onto the baking sheet, just barely overlapping the tortillas if necessary. Spread 1/4 cup of shredded cheese across the surface of each tortilla, then spoon a heaping 1/4 cup of the chicken filling onto one half of each tortilla.

Six flour tortillas with cheese arranged on a large sheet pan.

Six flour tortillas with cheese and a chicken taco filling arranged on a large sheet pan.

Step Seven: Bake the Tacos. Pop the baking sheet in the oven for 1-2 minutes until the cheese on the tortillas has melted. Carefully fold them in half, then brush the tops of the tortillas with avocado oil (or spray with cooking spray), and bake for another 8-10 minutes until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy. Let them cool for a couple of minutes, then serve hot with more sour cream, salsa, or your favorite taco toppings!

Six uncooked chicken tacos resting on a baking sheet.

Six crispy baked chicken tacos resting on a baking sheet.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Line your sheet pan with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
If any of the chicken filling cooks out of the tortillas, carefully use a fork or spoon to gently push the filling back in when the tacos first come out of the oven.
Let them rest for about a minute before serving. They’re super hot right out of the oven!
Squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the tacos before serving for a fresh pop of flavor.

Ways to Customize this Recipe

Add black beans to the chicken mixture for extra protein.
Swap the pickled jalapeños with fresh jalapeños for extra heat!
Swap cheddar for pepper jack to spice it up, or chihuahua cheese for a rich, gooey cheese option.
Serve with creamy Tex-Mex sauce or cilantro sauce for dipping.
Add chopped tomatoes, red onions, green chiles, or cilantro to the taco filling.

A golden, crispy baked chicken taco resting on a sheet pan.

Just FYI, my entire website is packed with small batch recipes! If you’re often cooking for one or two people, feel free to sign up for my weekly newsletter. I only send one newsletter each week, but it’s packed with four small batch recipes, as well as a few tips and tricks for you.

How to Store Leftovers

Store in the Refrigerator: Let the tacos cool, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the Oven: Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes until hot and crispy again (the oven works way better than the microwave for these! You can reheat them in the microwave, but they won’t be crispy.)
Reheat In the Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Place tacos in a single layer (don’t stack), then air fry for 3–5 minutes, flipping halfway, until hot and crisp again. (If the tortillas look like they’re browning too fast, drop the temp to 325°F and give them another minute or two.)

More Small Batch Taco Recipes

Super popular Baked Turkey + Black Bean Tacos (makes 6 tacos)
Easy Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage Slaw (makes 2 servings)
Flavorful BLT Buffalo Shrimp Tacos with Feta Aioli (makes 4 tacos)
Pinterest-viral Shredded Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chimichurri (makes 6 tacos)
Quick + easy Hard Shell Chicken Chipotle Tacos (makes 6 tacos)

I love these oven baked chicken tacos because they’re quick, pretty simple, and super satisfying. The filling comes together in one skillet, the tortillas get super crispy in the oven, and they’re endlessly customizable depending on what you’ve got in the fridge. Plus, six tacos is the perfect amount to share, or having dinner for yourself tonight and leftovers ready for another busy weeknight later in the week. If you want to make more than 6 tacos, there is a little slider bar in the recipe card below (near “servings”). Slide that bar to adjust the amount you want to make, and the ingredients will automatically adjust for you!

If you make these tacos and love them, please leave a comment and / or star rating below! You can also share them on Instagram and tag me so we can connect and be *friends*! Also, if you have any questions about the ingredients or how to make them, send me an email so I can help out.

xx Sara