Do you love taco night but hate being the last one to sit down with a cold taco on hand? Wait until you learn how I manage to pull together the easiest taco night ever with baked tacos.

Watch the recipe video to see how they’re made and then grab the ingredients and recipe instructions below.

You should know, that I like simple meals. I’ve turned down a few cooking demonstrations (where they hire you to be a professional chef) because the menu includes gourmet food or ingredients. I don’t cook like that. I’m a mom of 3, an entrepreneur, and a home cook. I like simple and delicious meals that can be put together quickly with easy to find real food ingredients.

That’s actually the entire philosophy of my company, MOMables. My purpose is to help parents make fresh school lunches and foods their kids will love. What kid doesn’t like tacos? Ok, I can think of a couple…. but for the rest of us, there is this incredibly easy method.

How to Make Baked Tacos

Today’s post is not about giving you a precise recipe… It’s more like “this is how I do it so I don’t sit at the table and eat cold tacos.” Let’s call it a process, yes?

Don’t get me wrong, I eat cold food all the time. I am a lunch aficionado (the word expert sounds funny to me still). In case you don’t believe me, check out this last post with 75+ healthy office lunch ideas. See? I have a thing (or two) about lunch.

closeup of hard shell tacos in a baking dish. Two tacos on a plate in the background.

But today, I am here to talk dinner. If you’ve ever popped on your phone to google “Dinner Ideas for Tonight” looking for a little inspiration, this one is for you.

Instead of loading up tacos one by one only to have yours be cold by the time you’re finished making everyone else’s, try baking the tacos. There’s nothing simpler.

Preheat your oven
Cook your meat on the stove
Line your baking dish with crunchy taco shells
Fill the shells with meat and cheese
Bake for 10 minutes

When the baked tacos are finished, everyone can quickly add the rest of their toppings and enjoy perfectly hot tacos at the same time.

glass baking dish filled with baked chicken tacos next to a plate topped with two crunchy tacos.

Here are some ideas to help you make this the best taco night ever!

Best Taco Sides

You have the tacos covered, but what else are you having? Here are a couple of my favorite sides that can help you make this the best taco night ever.

Since writing this post six years ago, my taco obsession has only grown! In fact, I released the Taco Tuesday Cookbook in 2018.

This book is 52 tasty taco recipes ranging from chicken to beef, shrimp and even vegetarian! There’s lots of recipes for salsa, toppings and drizzles too. Grab your copy here.

But…back to the easiest taco night ever. This is how I make baked tacos.

Baked Tacos | The Easiest Taco Night Ever

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 5 reviews

Taco night will never be the same once you learn to bake tacos!

Author: Laura Fuentes
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
Total Time: 22 mins
Yield: 4-6

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds ground beef, chicken, or black beans, seasoned and cooked
1 ½ cups cheese
1 cup fresh salsa
1 cup guacamole
½ cup sour cream
shredded lettuce

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375F and position your oven rack in the middle of the oven (if it’s too high your tacos could get too toasty).
Cook your meat or beans with homemade taco seasoning on a skillet over medium heat. Once cooked, turn off heat and set aside.
On an oven safe baking dish, line up 12-14 hard taco shells. Stand the taco shells up so they are easier to fill. I can usually fit 14 tacos in one 9×13 inch pan. Fill with cooked meat and top with cheese.
Place your taco platter in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
This is where I gather the kids, get them to wash their hands, and get everything else ready for the table.
After 10 minutes, the taco shells should be crispy and ready to be removed from the oven. Begin stuffing your tacos with the remaining ingredients assembly line style: add shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, more cheese, and sour cream. Once you stuff the remaining tacos with the toppings your family likes, take the entire platter to the table (use pot holders). Distribute tacos and enjoy your hot tacos together!