Oven Baked Tacos

This oven-baked tacos recipe is an ideal recipe for every taco lover, or, cook that has not yet made tacos.

If you’ve never cooked tacos before, you’ll never be too afraid to again.

These oven-baked tacos are easy, and delicious, and bring home that oven-baked crisp that makes this recipe a winner.

Definitely going to make these again, I love these tacos.

This is one of our favorite taco recipes!

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why I love Oven Baked Tacos?

Taco night is always a great night for so many reasons. This oven-baked tacos recipe is ideal and will meet all of those goals.

• Affordable – Purchase in bulk discount and all of the fixings for this crispy oven-baked tacos recipe can take you through two meals.
• Easy – This oven-baked tacos recipe is fast and simple, a key point in why this will soon become one of your favorite weeknight meals, or even weekend snacks.
• Delicious – Not everyone bakes their taco shells until they try it for the first time. It changes the entire taco.

Are you supposed to put taco shells in the oven?

You don’t have to put taco shells in the oven, but you won’t ever make tacos again after you try it the first time. Oven-baked taco shells get a smoky crisp to them that adds both flavor and texture to the taco.

What temp do you put taco shells in the oven?

For the most crispy oven-baked tacos, you want to put the taco shells in the oven at a fairly high temperature, but not quite broiling. You want them in there for a few minutes longer than a broil. The heat will dry out the taco shells somewhat which gives them their crisp.

How do you keep taco shells from collapsing in the oven?

The age-old question. It is all about pan selection if you are using traditional taco shells.  Standing your taco shells in a meatloaf pan, for example, will work. However, you can purchase taco shells that come with a square-shaped bottom that will stand on their own on a flat baking sheet.

How to serve Oven Baked Tacos?

Oven-baked tacos go well with traditional Mexican-style sides or short-order sides. So you may want to try these with Spanish or Mexican rice, or even a standard white long-grain rice. Elevate these tacos for a special evening with a Mexican risotto and make finger food special.

Cooking Tips:

Watch your stovetop and stirring when you are on step three of this oven-baked tacos recipe. The last thing you want is a taco that drips tomato juice, and it is so easy to rush this recipe and undercook. Tomatoes are going to be juicy and you really want to make sure the content of the taco is consistent, or the crisp on these shells will be wasted.

Variations:

The best oven-baked tacos are the ones that you like, and every good taco is all about the filling. These tacos can be changed with a vegan or seafood filling. Substitute the beef in this recipe for sauteed shrimp or fish, or your favorite grilled vegetables.

Ingredients:

• Hard taco shells
• Ground beef
• Rotel tomatoes
• Onion chopped
• Taco seasoning
• Taco blend cheese
• Toppings of choice

How to make Oven Baked Tacos:

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2. Saute the meat and onions over medium-high heat on the stove until the meat is cooked through and the onions have softened.

Step 3. Add the taco seasoning and undrained Rotel to the skillet, and cook over medium heat until all liquid is absorbed.

Step 4. Line the taco shells standing upright in a 9×13 baking dish.

Step 5. Place a layer of cheese in the bottom of each taco shell.

Step 6. Top the cheese with a layer of the prepared taco meat.

Step 7. Add a final layer of cheese to the top of each taco.

Step 8. Bake for 15 minutes.

Step 9. Remove, garnish with your toppings of choice, and serve.

Now ready to enjoy!

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How to store Oven Baked Tacos?

Store your oven-baked tacos in an airtight container in a fridge. You can use a container that is deep enough to hold them upright or lie them flat in a container.

How to reheat Oven Baked Tacos?

Cover your oven-baked tacos recipe with aluminum foil when you are reheating them in the oven. You want to bake them at no higher than 325 for about 10 minutes if you are baking with the shell on. Do not microwave taco shells, the consistency will change in seconds to a soggy wilting mess.

How much do Oven Baked Tacos last on the fridge?

Tacos can last in the fridge for approximately 3 to 4 days. If you are storing them with the filler in the taco shell, you may want to shorten the time on this to up to 2 days. The filling is going to make the shells a little moist, and it will change the texture of these crispy oven-baked tacos.

Can I make ahead Oven Baked Tacos?

You definitely can make this oven-baked tacos recipe ahead of time, but be careful how you do that. The filling is easy to make ahead of time and it can be stored for days in the fridge, and up to three months in the freezer. You don’t want to fill the shells too far in advance or they will get soggy. If you plan on making these crispy oven-baked tacos ahead, cook the shells and filling separately so that they get the crispiness they need on the day you are serving them.

Related Recipes you Might Enjoy:

Breakfast Tacos – This is a very mild breakfast taco with eggs and bacon and a smoky sausage that adds a hearty flavor. You can spice this morning meal up with salsa and taco seasoning, or make this a breakfast-for-dinner meal. This is easy and uses soft tortilla shells for the taco.

Mexican Street Tacos – A street taco is a taco that is made with a few ingredients because typical street vendors don’t have the storage or space to keep a lot of ingredients safe and accessible. Make these for the Mexican food lover on your list. They bring spice and ease to a dish that is not soon forgotten.

Philly Cheesesteak Tacos – Using soft tortilla shells, these Philly cheesesteak tacos are easier to make than they sound. You have your steak, your cheese, and your onions, and you put it all in a taco and dress it as much as you want. I want one now.