The Easiest Taco Night Ever! – Baked Tacos

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.

Easy Taco Night Baked Tacos

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.

My family loves tacos, I’ve even quite literally written the book on tacos. But these baked tacos are always a favorite because they’re easy to make for a crowd, which means when my teens show up with a few extra kids to feed, it’s no problem!

Ingredients

Here’s what I use to fill my tacos this time, but you can use your favorite ingredients and toppings. Every bite of my taco night tastes a little bit like this:

• Ground beef: you can swap it for rotisserie chicken or seasoned and cooked black beans.
• Cheese: your favorite shredded cheese!
• Fresh salsa: homemade salsa or from the store.
• Guacamole: one of my favorite taco toppings!
• Sour cream: adds more creaminess and goodness.
• Shredded lettuce: greens are always a nutritious idea!
• Hard taco shells: the best choice for baked tacos.

How to Make Baked Tacos

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. Here’s how I make tacos for taco night:

1. Preheat the oven
   Position your oven rack in the middle; if it's too high, your tacos could get too toasty.
2. Cook the filling
   Cook your ground beef or beans on a skillet. If using rotisserie chicken, shred the meat and jump to the next step.
3. Fill the taco shells
   Place the taco shells in a baking dish, fill them with the meat or beans, and top with cheese.
4. Bake
   After 10 minutes, the taco shells should be crispy and ready to remove from the oven.
5. Toppings!
   When the baked tacos are finished, everyone can quickly add the rest of their toppings and enjoy perfectly hot tacos at the same time.

Check out this video where I show you how this epic taco night comes together:

Best Taco Sides

Here are some ideas to help you make this the best taco night ever! Here are a couple of my favorite sides and taco toppings to complete your meal.

• Homemade Guacamole
• Fresh Pico de Gallo
• Mild Salsa for Kids
• Corn & Black Bean Salsa
• Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad with Shrimp
• Southwest Quinoa Salad
• Easy Baked Nachos
• For adults, serve with a refreshing Tequila & Coke!

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.