Quick and Crispy Chicken Tacos (Without Frying!)

My baked crispy chicken tacos have an irresistibly crisp, crunchy texture without any frying. They are filled with seasoned shredded chicken and plenty of cheese for restaurant-quality results!

Recipe: https://sugarspunrun.com/crispy-chicken-tacos/
Black Beans Recipe: https://sugarspunrun.com/cuban-style-black-bean-recipe/

Ingredients
1 ½ Tablespoons cooking oil (I use avocado or olive) + additional for brushing
1 lb chicken breast (454g)
1 batch taco seasoning (can use store-bought or click the link for my homemade taco seasoning – my preference: https://sugarspunrun.com/homemade-taco-seasoning-recipe/)
½ cup salsa (140g)
½ cup chicken broth (120ml) + additional as needed
12 corn tortillas (5-6” tortillas)
8 oz Mexican blend cheese, shredded (226g)
Favorite toppings: we like guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, and salsa

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Instructions
00:00 Introduction
00:15 Arrange your oven racks to be in the middle and upper third of your oven and preheat oven to 425F (220C).
00:37 Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Please see note if you would prefer to cook your chicken in the instant pot.
00:48 Add chicken to skillet, sprinkle top of chicken with half of your taco seasoning, and cook chicken on one side until golden (about 3-5 minutes).
01:30 Flip chicken over, add remaining taco seasoning, salsa, and chicken broth, and cover with lid. Cook, covered, until chicken is fully cooked through and easily shreddable with a pair of forks. As the chicken cooks, you can prepare your tortillas.
02:27 Heat a small skillet on medium/high and warm tortillas one at a time, about 10 seconds on each side. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm while you finish cooking your chicken.
03:30 Once chicken is fully cooked, transfer from skillet onto a plate and immediately pour/scrape the sauce from the skillet into a measuring cup. If the amount of sauce remaining doesn’t amount to ½ cup (118ml), add additional chicken broth to the measuring cup until you reach ½ cup (118ml). Stir, and set aside.
05:05 Shred the plated chicken, then assemble the tacos.
Assemble & Bake
05:28 Assemble: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange 6 warm tortillas flat on each sheet. Sprinkle about 1 Tablespoon (8g) of cheese over half of each tortilla. Evenly divide chicken over the cheese, then drizzle 2 teaspoons of the reserved sauce over each portion of chicken. Top with another 1 tablespoon (8g) of cheese, fold the tortilla over itself and lightly brush the top with oil. Repeat with all tortillas (if the tortillas don’t want to stay closed, they may have just cooled a bit too much, I’ll usually weight them with a utensil until I’m ready to put them in the oven).
08:47 Bake: Arrange tacos on prepared baking sheets and bake in preheated 425F (220C) oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating the trays and switching racks halfway through (if any of the tortillas have come open, use a spatula to gently close them again). If you are only baking one tray at a time, bake each in center rack for 15-20 minutes.
09:20 Enjoy warm, we like to serve guacamole, sour cream, and salsa on the side for dipping.

Notes
Instant pot: To prepare the chicken in an instant pot, pour ⅓ cup (80ml) chicken broth into instant pot. Add chicken, sprinkle with taco seasoning, then top with salsa. Close the instant pot and cook for 12 minutes. Once finished cooking, release the pressure, remove the chicken and shred chicken. Pour the sauce into a dish to use when assembling tacos.
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in 350F/175C oven in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet until warmed through (usually 5-10 minutes).

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