These baked chicken carnitas tacos are so easy & perfect for a weeknight family dinner! Serve them with my homemade creamy avocado lime sauce for the ultimate chicken carnitas tacos! Toss your chicken in the marinade before work so all you have to do is cook the chicken and assemble your tacos!
BE SURE TO SAVE THIS RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD FOR LATER!
Reasons to Love These Tacos
- Prepare Ahead of Time: You can prepare the marinade and allow the chicken to marinate ahead of time so all you have to do is cook your chicken and assemble your tacos!
- Macros/Nutritious: These tacos are full of clean, fresh healthy ingredients and full of protein! There are 35 grams of protein per serving!
Ingredients
For the Tacos:
- Chicken Breasts – 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can also use your traditional pork, but I am keeping this meal on the lighter side! You could also use thighs.
- Orange Juice – Juice of 2 large naval oranges.
- Lime Juice – Juice of 2 limes.
- Garlic – 3 garlic cloves, minced.
- Jalapeno – 1 jalapeno, deseeded & finely chopped. I kept a few seeds for a little bit of heat.
- Cilantro – 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped cilantro.
- Olive Oil – 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Chili Powder – 1 teaspoon of chili powder.
- Oregano – 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.
- Cumin – 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.
- Salt – 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Pepper – 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
- Corn Tortillas – 8 regular corn tortillas.
- Red Onion – 1/2 of a red onion, chopped.
- Shredded Cheese – 2 cups of shredded cheese. I used a Monterey Jack, but use whichever kind you prefer!
For the Avocado Lime Sauce:
- Avocados – 2 medium hass avocados.
- Garlic– 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, about 1 clove.
- Cilantro– 1/3 cup of freshly chopped cilantro.
- Lime Juice – 1/4 cup of fresh lime juice, about 1 large lime of 2 small.
- Salt – 1/4 teaspoon, or to taste.
How To Make Them
For the Avocado Lime Sauce:
- Add all sauce ingredients to a food processor & blend until smooth. Set aside in fridge while you make your tacos.
For the chicken carnitas marinade:
- In a large bowl, mix your orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, olive oil, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt & pepper together. Add your chicken breasts. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to up to 8 hours.
- A few minutes before the chicken is done marinating, turn your oven to 400°F. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray & place chicken in the dish. Discard extra marinade. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until all the way cooked through. Shred your chicken.
To make your tacos:
- Turn your oven up to 425°F & line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lay your tortillas out on the baking sheet & spray with cooking spray. Flip them over and bake for 2-3 minutes (You just need them soft enough to fold over your filling). Layer each tortilla on one side with shredded cheese (if desired), chicken, onion (optional), & any other desired fillings. Fold the other side of the tortilla over your filling & press down gently to make it stick.
- Once all of your tacos are made, place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted & your tortillas are crispy.
- Serve immediately with your avocado sauce and enjoy!
Can I Marinate My Chicken Longer?
I would not recommend marinating your chicken for more than 8 hours. This is because the acidity in the marinade will actually start cooking your chicken! Yikes!
How To Store Leftovers
You can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you are ready to enjoy them again, reheat them in the oven at 325°F for 10 minutes wrapped in foil. This will give you those same delicious crunchy tacos!
My favorite storage containers are by the brand Razab. I have done some fun giveaways with them in the past and truly love their dishes so much. All of their containers are BPA free, oven safe, freezer safe, dishwasher save, and have steam release valves! You can find them on Amazon here if you want to check them out.
What to Serve With your Tacos
- Sour Cream/Greek Yogurt
- Pico De Gallo
- Veggies (onions, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.!)
- Additional cilantro
- Lime Juice
Check Me Out on Social Media
I post all my recipes on social media as well and you can stay up to date on what I am up to! Also, I love seeing people try my recipes! When make these, snap a picture, and share it to your socials. Tag @cookingkatielady and #cookingkatielady so I can admire your masterpiece and share with others!
Chicken Carnita Tacos
These baked chicken carnitas tacos are so easy & perfect for a weeknight family dinner! Serve them with my homemade creamy avocado lime sauce for the ultimate chicken carnitas tacos! Toss your chicken in the marinade before work so all you have to do is cook the chicken and assemble your tacos!
Ingredients
For the Tacos:
For the Avocado Lime Sauce:
Instructions
For the Avocado Lime Sauce:
-
Add all sauce ingredients to a food processor & blend until smooth. Set aside in fridge while you make your tacos.
For the chicken carnitas marinade:
-
In a large bowl, mix your orange juice, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, olive oil, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt & pepper together. Add your chicken breasts. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes to up to 8 hours.
-
A few minutes before the chicken is done marinating, turn your oven to 400°F. Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray & place chicken in the dish. Discard extra marinade. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until all the way cooked through. Shred your chicken.
To make your tacos:
-
Turn your oven up to 425°F & line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Lay your tortillas out on the baking sheet & spray with cooking spray. Flip them over and bake for 2-3 minutes (You just need them soft enough to fold over your filling). Layer each tortilla on one side with shredded cheese (if desired), chicken, onion (optional), & any other desired fillings. Fold the other side of the tortilla over your filling & press down gently to make it stick.
-
Once all of your tacos are made, place in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted & your tortillas are crispy.
-
Serve immediately with your avocado sauce and enjoy!
Servings 8
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 198kcal
Note
Did you make this recipe?
The next time you make it, snap a picture, and share it to your socials. Tag @cookingkatielady and #cookingkatielady so I can admire your masterpiece and share with others!:)
Macros do not include the tortilla. Adjust according to which type you use.
Macros for the Chicken (Per 4 oz.)
Macros for the Sauce:
Please note that my nutrition label is approximate and has slight rounding.
