Sheet Pan Chicken Tacos

Sheet pan chicken tacos stuffed with black beans and shredded birria chicken and cheese, then baked to crispy perfection! These crispy baked chicken and black bean tacos are so easy to make, you can even peel the chicken ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer. Just pull out and heat in a saucepan when you are ready to make the tacos!

Served with a creamy birria style aioli and fresh guacamole they are a win for the whole family! Don’t have the time to make my birria chicken? Easily use a store-bought rotisserie for these tacos.  

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• How to store the Chicken Tacos
• Equipment
• FAQ
• Pro tip
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs
• Onion 
• Tomatoes 
• Quajillo chile pepper 
• Arbol chiles
• Bay leaf 
• Oregano
• Paprika 
• Garlic powder 
• Ground cinnamon
• Cumin
• Salt
• Chicken broth
• Chipotle aioli 
• Juice from chicken 
• Dairy free yogurt 

Instructions

• Remove stems/seeds from dried peppers.
• Place chicken into a pot. (If your chicken is not slightly covered with broth, add ¼ cup more). Over medium high heat, bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium and add lid. Allow to simmer for about 1 hour until chicken shreds easily with a fork. 
• Carefully remove chicken from pot and place aside. 
• Remove bay leaves and toss into the garbage. 
• Once sauce cools slightly, pour into a high speed blender and pulse until liquid forms. If sauce is too thick, slowly add greek yogurt until your desired consistency is met. 
• To assemble your tacos: 
• Preheat your oven to 425° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Layer corn tortillas on the baking pan. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush olive oil on the corn tortillas. Flip them over then place them in the oven for two minutes. 
• Remove pan from oven and layer each tortilla on one side only. Start with your black beans, then shredded chicken, red onion, and a little more cheese. Fold the other side of the tortilla over and press down on the tortilla. You can also use a toothpick if any of them will not stick.
• Once you have finished assembling your tacos, place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes until the cheese has melted and your tortillas are slightly crispy.

How to store the Chicken Tacos

To store chicken and black bean tacos, first, remove any toppings from the tacos and place them in separate containers. This will prevent the toppings from getting soggy and the tacos from becoming too moist.

Equipment

• Sheet pan: A sheet pan is used to bake the chicken tacos. It's important to choose a sheet pan that is sturdy and large enough to hold all the ingredients without overcrowding.
• Mixing bowls: You'll need mixing bowls to toss the chicken with spices and oil before cooking, and to mix any toppings.
• Blender: You will need a good blender to blend your chicken.

FAQ

How do you know when the tacos are done baking?

The edges will be a light golden brown. They will continue to crisp up once removed from the oven. 

Are these tacos healthy?

Yes! We use the oven to create a crisp instead of frying them in oil. Want to take it a step further, just leave off the cheese for a lower calorie/lower fat taco. 

The good news is these are naturally gluten-free as we are using corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. 

Looking to make this dairy-free?

Just use your favorite dairy-free shredded cheese instead of regular cheese. 

Pro tip

These crispy chicken and black bean tacos are great for a large crowd. Prepare multiple sheets of tacos and place them in the oven at once to serve a large group of people.

★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! I would love to hear back from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on  Instagram, Pinterest, Tiktok, and Facebook for more delicious recipes!

📖 Recipe