I sometimes get stuck in a rut when it comes to dinner. I don’t really make the same things over and over, but I do occasionally lack inspiration. How many ways can I make tacos? One afternoon, I needed to feed my family dinner and I found myself standing in front of my pantry hoping to be inspired. I grabbed the first three things that I could find and threw them all in a slow cooker. The result – a really delicious start to dinner.
I love a crispy taco, but my husband is convinced that he doesn’t. I got the idea of a baked taco from Pinterest, and guess what? My husband does in fact love a crispy taco. Turns out, he had never actually made them crispy. He never baked them, he had been eating them straight from the package. 10 years of marriage, and he has been leaving the hard taco shells off of his plate because he did not read the instructions written on the front of the box. All these years, and he missed out.
I loved these tacos because they were easy to throw together and easy to pick up and eat. I try really hard to make what we eat from scratch, but even with my best of intentions, it doesn’t always happen. Feel free to make your own sauce or taco seasoning, but this particular combination really was delicious. These would be great for a kid’s birthday party. Or any party really. Baking tacos like this made taco night a little more inspired.
4 to 6 chicken breasts
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1 pouch Frontera Fajita Skillet Sauce
1 can diced green chiles
Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker. Add fajita skillet sauce, taco seasoning, and chiles. Cook on low for 6 hours.
Shred chicken with a fork.
Stand and Stuff taco shells
shredded cheese
diced red onion
salsa
sour cream
gaucamole
cilantro
shredded lettuce
Place taco shells in a casserole dish.
Add shredded chicken to the taco shell.
Add some red onions.
And a generous sprinkling of cheese.
Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 15 minutes. Or until the cheese is melted. Top with lettuce, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro.
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PinIngredients
- 4 to 6 chicken breasts
- 1/2 packet taco seasoning
- 1 pouch Frontera Fajita Skillet Sauce
- 1 can diced green chiles
Stand and Stuff taco shells
- shredded cheese
- diced red onion
- salsa
- sour cream
- gaucamolecilantroshredded lettuce
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker. Add fajita skillet sauce, taco seasoning, and chiles. Cook on low for 6 hours. Shred chicken with a fork.
- Place taco shells in a casserole dish. Add shredded chicken to the taco shell. Add some red onions. And a generous sprinkling of cheese. Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 15 minutes. Or until the cheese is melted. Top with lettuce, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro.
March 22nd, 2013 at 9:18 am
Delicious!
March 22nd, 2013 at 9:30 am
This is how my family does tacos! Baking them and getting the cheese all melted is the way to go!
March 31st, 2013 at 11:23 pm
I wish that I figured it out a long time ago!
March 22nd, 2013 at 10:45 am
This method looks great! Who wouldn’t like a baked taco!!!
March 31st, 2013 at 11:23 pm
I don’t know! I love a baked taco.
March 22nd, 2013 at 10:50 am
Totally need to do this sometime – even if it’s just for me and the Mr because the kids still don’t eat it with shells. Weirdos 😉
March 22nd, 2013 at 2:37 pm
I think I just found tonight’s dinner!
March 22nd, 2013 at 3:21 pm
I’ve always eaten the taco shells straight from the box. Your husband doesn’t stand alone. I have to try this if only because it never occurred to me! They look delicious!!
March 22nd, 2013 at 5:32 pm
I’ve always baked just the shells to get them warm and crispy… but, never thought to fill them first! What a great idea!
March 31st, 2013 at 11:22 pm
thanks Patsy!
March 22nd, 2013 at 9:09 pm
These look so great! And I love those OEP taco shells that actually stand up on their own! 🙂
March 31st, 2013 at 11:21 pm
That was the best idea ever.
March 23rd, 2013 at 12:00 am
Yum! Hey, what slow cooker do you have? Looks luxe.
March 31st, 2013 at 11:21 pm
It is sort of luxe. I like that you can brown in it. https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-MSC-600-Central-6-Quart-Multi-Cooker/dp/B008YEXC22/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1364786456&sr=8-2&keywords=cuisinart+slow+cooker
March 23rd, 2013 at 11:35 pm
Tacos are always a great choice for dinner. I will have to try this recipe out.
March 31st, 2013 at 11:16 pm
I hope that you like it!
March 24th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
Ohh what a good idea! I love tacos but they can be kind of time consuming… I like slow cookers whenever possible 🙂
March 31st, 2013 at 11:15 pm
You and me both. 🙂
March 24th, 2013 at 1:52 pm
A good friend of mine makes baked tacos like these – I love them! I thought about the recipe the other day as I walked thru the Old El Paso taco aisle. Thanks to your lovely post, they are back on my mind. A sign to make them?
March 31st, 2013 at 11:15 pm
A true sign!
March 25th, 2013 at 2:08 pm
What a great idea! Can’t wait to make for our boys!
-Dan from plattertalk.com
March 31st, 2013 at 11:12 pm
I hope that you do Dan!
March 25th, 2013 at 5:55 pm
Oh how I love tacos! And I love the baked version. Yummmmy!
March 31st, 2013 at 11:11 pm
Me too! I could eat them every single day.
March 27th, 2013 at 1:29 pm
No wonder he didn’t like crispy shells! Those things taste like cardboard if you don’t bake them first! I love this idea of baking them with the meat and cheese… will definitely try this! Thank you!
March 31st, 2013 at 11:08 pm
LOLOL! I know!
April 3rd, 2013 at 4:21 pm
What can you use instead of 1 pouch Frontera Fajita Skillet Sauce? They don’t have that at our store.
Thanks!
April 3rd, 2013 at 4:22 pm
You can use salsa, or enchilada sauce. Pretty much anything that is wet.
April 19th, 2013 at 4:26 pm
My chicken filling was so wet, it soaked through the taco shells while baking and they fell apart. We all loved the filling, but will probably heat the shells separately next time to avoid that problem.
April 22nd, 2013 at 6:55 pm
Sorry about that, but that didn’t happen to me.
April 29th, 2013 at 11:30 am
Bree, I’m loving the simplicity with which the meal comes together. I love cripsy tacos, but sometimes the notion of frying up the shells (and the spitter-spatter cleanup) is less than inspiring. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
April 29th, 2013 at 7:55 pm
You are very welcome Brooks!
March 13th, 2014 at 8:25 pm
Just made the chicken for these tacos, and boy is it yummy. We’ll probably make half hard shell and half soft since the kids like soft tacos. I can see the chicken being very versatile.
March 14th, 2014 at 9:34 am
Thanks! I love this for dinner. So easy and everyone lives it.
June 12th, 2014 at 10:26 am
Love a baked taco and those frontera sauces are killer!
June 16th, 2014 at 4:37 pm
Yes they are!