Recipe Background
Crunchy Baked Chicken Tacos bring nostalgia and new beginnings with every bite.
On the day my best friend packed up and moved across the country, I decided the occasion called for something special. We were surrounded by piles of boxes, her beloved cat watching us with disdain from the top of a stack. As I rummaged in her nearly-empty pantry, I spotted a lonely can of refried beans and an old packet of taco seasoning. Inspired, I dragged over a box and set to work crafting Crunchy Baked Chicken Tacos for our bittersweet farewell meal. The aromas of onions softened in olive oil and the simmering mix of shredded chicken with tomatoes and green chiles filled the otherwise empty apartment with warmth.
Her lone baking dish became the vehicle for these soon-to-be devoured tacos, lined with the convenience of store-bought taco shells. I smirked, remembering our late college nights when tacos were always the answer. After a quick session in the oven to crisp those shells, I spread a layer of creamy beans as the base of each taco. The trick, I whispered like a culinary secret, was not to overfill unless you wanted a hot mess on your hands. Once topped off with shredded Mexican blend cheese, they went back into the oven for a quick melt. As we crunched into those tacos, each bite melded nostalgia and a new chapter's promise.
Sitting on the floor, surrounded by memories, we toasted with our tacos to new beginnings. The unexpected charm of cilantro garnish on those crispy shells felt like an embrace, tying together our past and her future. It was a simple dish but one that left an indelible, delicious mark in the heart of our friendship.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup chicken breast boneless and skinless, cooked and shredded
- 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes drained
- 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles drained
- 10 hard taco shells preferably Old El Paso™ Stand 'N Stuff™ taco shells
- 8 ounces refried beans store-bought or homemade
- 2 cups Mexican-blend cheese shredded
- cilantro to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the oil.
- Add the onions to the heated oil and cook until they are translucent and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir the chicken, the taco seasoning, the tomatoes, and the green chiles into the sautéed onions until they are fully combined.
- Reduce the heat and simmer the chicken mixture, about 5-8 minutes.
- Place the taco shells standing up in the prepared baking dish and bake until they are slightly crisp, about 4-5 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and spoon 1 tablespoon of the refried beans into the bottom of each of the taco shells.
- Fill each of the taco shells with enough of the chicken mixture so that they are almost filled to the top.
- Generously sprinkle each of the filled taco shells with the shredded cheese.
- Bake the tacos until the cheese has fully melted and the edges of the shells are browned, about 7-10 minutes.
- Serve the tacos, garnished with the cilantro.
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