These Baked Chicken Tacos are a flavor explosion! The meat is robustly seasoned and then loaded in corn tortillas with plenty of cheese. We bake these tacos and then serve them with all the toppings including the best creamy cilantro-lime sauce.
PREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use a very large (15x21 inches) sheet pan or two smaller ones.
CILANTRO LIME SAUCE: Add all the sauce ingredients to a food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper) and blend or pulse until smooth. Transfer sauce to a Mason jar and refrigerate while preparing everything else so flavors can intensify.
CHICKEN TACO MEAT: Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the diced onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 20-30 seconds. Add in all of the seasonings: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder. Cook and stir the spices until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Nothing should be burning; reduce the heat if needed. Press everything to the sides of the skillet.
TACO MEAT CONT.: Add the ground chicken to the center of the skillet. Crumble the meat into small pieces and cook until no longer pink (but not cooked through all the way), about 4-5 minutes (this will take longer in a nonstick skillet and you may need to drain off accumulated liquid here). Add in the tomato sauce and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits (this is where the flavor is!) Let simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until fully cooked through, and then remove from heat.
BAKE TORTILLAS: Add tortilla shells to a large pan or 2 pans (I can fit 9-10 in a 9x13-inch pan and add the rest to an 8x8 pan). Bake for 5 minutes (this helps them not get soggy as quickly)
STUFF TORTILLAS: To the baked shells, add a heaping 1/4 cup of the taco meat filling and 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons cheese on top. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled with the chicken mixture and cheese mixture.
BAKE: Bake for 8-15 minutes or until shells are crispy and cheese is very melted.
SERVE: Add your favorite toppings right on top of the tacos. We love topping these tacos with a thinly sliced avocado, diced cherry tomatoes, sour cream, and lots of the cilantro-lime sauce. Enjoy right out of the oven!