Oven Baked Tacos in Soft or Hard Shells

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Make oven baked tacos for your next party! Whether you choose hard shells or soft shells, this guide will help you prepare an easy taco dinner.

If there is one recipe request we always receive, it is for quick and easy dinner ideas. Some of you are feeding just 2 or 3 people, and others are serving a crowd of teenagers. But either way, easy is always the best way to go!

Today we’re sharing how to make oven baked tacos in both hard or soft shells. And they are delicious!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

It’s a great grab and go dinner idea.
Perfect for parties!
Make as many or as few as you’d like.
Delicious flavored meat that you can top with just about anything.
Tips for both hard and soft shells.

taco meat in a skillet with seasoning and sauce

How to Make Oven Baked Tacos

Preheat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit.
In a skillet on the stovetop, brown and crumble the ground beef until it is no longer pink.
Drain off any fat. Make sure this is drained as much as possible so the tacos don’t get soggy.
Add the taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Mix well and let heat through for 5 minutes on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
Place the taco shells in baking pans. This can be 8×8 or 9×13 baking pans, depending on how much you are making.
Bake the empty taco shells for 5 minutes.
Divide the meat between the taco shells and top with cheese.
Bake for 5-10 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted. Watch them closely so they don’t get too brown. If they seem to be browning unevenly you can rotate the pans.

Recipe Variations

Beans are optional. If you like them, try refried or black beans.
Use shredded chicken or shredded beef.
The tomato sauce helps the filling “stick” together and be easier to fill. You can use drained canned tomatoes (or Ro*tel) if you’d like.
Make homemade tortillas for an extra special touch.

Taco Toppings

Add your favorite toppings after the tacos come out of the oven.

jalapenos
tomatoes
pico de gallo
lettuce
guacamole
salsa verde

What to Serve with Tacos

Looking for side dishes for tacos? Try one of these:

Oven Baked Tacos

4.41 from 10 votes

Make oven baked tacos for your next party! Whether you choose hard shells or soft shells, this guide will help you prepare an easy taco dinner.

Servings 12

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

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Ingredients

For the tacos:

2 pounds ground beef
3-5 tablespoons taco seasoning depending on how much flavor you like
8 ounces tomato sauce
12 taco shells hard or fajita size soft shells
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Toppings:

lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeno, salsa, etc

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit.
In a skillet on the stovetop, brown and crumble the ground beef until it is no longer pink.
Drain off any fat. Make sure this is drained as much as possible so the tacos don't get soggy.
Add the taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Mix well and let heat through for 5 minutes on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
Place the taco shells in baking pans. This can be 8×8 or 9×13 baking pans, depending on how much you are making.
Bake the empty taco shells for 5 minutes.
Divide the meat between the taco shells and top with cheese.
Bake for 5-10 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted. Watch them closely so they don’t get too brown. If they seem to be browning unevenly you can rotate the pans.
Top with any of your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!

Notes

The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 tacos with cheese, with 1 serving being 1 taco. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Author Julie Clark

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Calories 262

Keyword 30 minute dinner, easy mexican dinner, easy recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

My tacos ended up soggy. Why?

The moisture from the meat may cause the shells to get slightly soggy on the bottom. I recommend making sure the meat is drained as much as possible. Fill the tacos right before baking, and serve the tacos right when they come out of the oven.

Can I use corn tortillas?

Yes. You can use soft corn tortillas if you’d like.