These Air Fryer Tacos are incredibly addicting! A super crispy, cheesy chicken taco that’s ready in just minutes in your air fryer. Serve with our Homemade Guacamole and some fresh Pico de Gallo, a meal that’s sure to get the party started!
Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Tacos
If you don’t have an air fryer by now, this taco recipe is going to be the reason you go out and buy one. These air fryer tacos are so crispy, crunchy and satisfying you won’t believe that they aren’t fried in oil.
- Easy To Make: These air fryer tacos are ready to serving in just about 15 minutes. Perfect for busy dinner nights, parties and holidays.
- SUPER Crispy: Using an air fryer makes these tacos incredibly crispy without frying in oil. Just a thin layer of oil is brushed onto the tortillas to help them crisp up in the air fryer.
- Versatile: There’s tons of ways that we can switch up the filling for this taco recipe. See the post below for ideas.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Just a few ingredients that are really interchangeable, but we’ll get to that a little later. These mini chicken tacos can be on the table in just 15 minutes, especially if you start off with a rotisserie chicken.
- Cooked, shredded chicken: Grab a rotisserie chicken (you’ll use the whole thing, skin removed) or any leftover chicken or turkey that you have in the refrigerator. If you need to bake, poach or pan fry your chicken, no worries, we’ll wait.
- Refried beans: You can use fat free or full fat, whichever you choose.
- Salsa: Grab your favorite brand, spicy or mild. We prefer a homestyle type salsa with chunks, not a smooth restaurant style salsa, but again it’s up to you.
- Mexican blend cheese: Again, this is our go to ingredient but if you have cheddar, great. Pepper jack or Colby will work too.
- Sour cream: Sour cream adds a delicious tangy flavor to this chicken filling!
- Taco seasoning, garlic powder and salt: Taco seasoning gives these mini tacos that beloved taco flavor. We kicked that up with some garlic powder and salt and pepper.
How To Make
Because the chicken is already cooked, you’re essentially just warming it in a skillet and combining it with the rest of the filling ingredients. For complete instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Make The Filling: Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked chicken and warm through until the chicken gets slightly browned. Stir in the refried beans, sour cream, salsa, taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Char The Tortillas: (Optional) After the filling is done, we like to char the tortillas on both sides. Our gas range allows us to do that right over an open flame but if you have an electric cooktop, just heat the tortillas up in a dry skillet on both sides.
- Assemble: Lay a tortilla on a board and add approximately 1/4 heaping cup of the filling to one side. Add a couple of tablespoons of cheese (or as much as you like) on top of the filling. Fold the tortilla over to close and set aside. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Air Fry: Brush the tortillas with a thin layer of oil, or spray with cooking spray. Preheat your air fryer, if needed, to 400 degrees. Add the tacos in a single layer and cook for 4 minutes then flip the tacos over and cook another 4 minutes on the other side.
We’re using a small, 6 inch tortilla for these air fryer tacos so you should end up with about 16 mini tacos.
Oven Instructions
The oven is also a great way to make these chicken tacos if you don’t have an air fryer. But I’m telling you guys, using an air fryer will result in a crispier, crunchier tortilla, so if you can get your hands on one you should try it!
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (if you have a convection oven option, that’s the best bet). Place the tacos on parchment paper and oil the top side of the taco either with cooking spray or by brushing a thin layer of oil on top.
Bake for 5 minutes, flip, brush with oil and bake another 5 minutes on the other side. Give the tacos a few more minutes if they aren’t crisping up as much as you would like them to be.
Can I Use Something Besides Chicken In The Filling?
Of course you can swap out turkey for these tacos, too. But if poultry isn’t your thing then there are other options!
- Ground Beef: Brown 1 pound of ground beef, drain and return to the skillet. Follow the recipe as written. This will also work with ground pork, chicken or turkey.
- Leftover steak: If you have leftover steak hanging around, chop it up and add it to the skillet!
- Shrimp: Sear some shrimp in the skillet first, then remove them and give them a rough chop. If you’re on the side of people that say seafood doesn’t mix with cheese then just omit the cheese from the filling, but we think it’s totally fine.
Variations
We’ve got tons of taco topping and filling ideas for you. These air fryer tacos can definitely be a “clean out the fridge” type recipe. There are tons of vegetables and spices that are going to be super delicious in these mini chicken tacos.
- Diced green chilis: Diced green chilis will add a bit of spice to the filling, but not too much.
- Pickled or fresh jalapeños: Pickled jalapeños will be less spicy than fresh jalapeños, so do what works best for your heat level.
- Pickled red onions: Literally one of my favorite ingredients, add them to the filling or on top.
- Cooked vegetables: Get some more veggies into these taco by adding cooked vegetables like zucchini, corn, cabbage or mushrooms.
Looking For More Air Fryer Recipes?
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Shrimp
- Air Fryer General Tso’s Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Katsu
- Chinese Boneless Spare Ribs
- Air Fryer Donuts
Air Fryer Tacos
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThese Air Fryer Tacos are incredibly addicting! A super crispy, cheesy chicken taco that’s ready in just minutes in your air fryer.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado, vegetable or canola oil (can also use non-stick cooking spray)
- 4 heaping cups of cooked, shredded chicken (1 rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup refried beans (fat free or regular)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (8 ounce bag)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper to taste
- 16 small, 6 inch flour tortillas
Toppings:
- Chopped red onion
- Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Sour Cream
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat the pan. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken gets slightly browned. Stir in the refried beans, sour cream, salsa, taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper, cover to keep warm and set aside.
- After the filling is done, we like to char the tortillas on both sides. Our gas range allows us to do that right over an open flame but if you have an electric cooktop, just heat the tortillas up in a dry skillet on both sides. This step is optional but it adds a nice flavor.
- Next lay a tortilla on a board and add approximately 1/4 heaping cup of the filling to one side. Add a couple of tablespoons of cheese (or as much as you like!) on top of the filling. Fold the tortilla over to close and set aside. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. We’re using a 6 inch tortilla for these air fryer tacos, so you should end up with about 16 mini tacos.
- Brush the tortillas with a thin layer of oil, or spray with cooking spray. Preheat your air fryer, if necessary, to 400 degrees. Add the tacos in a single layer and cook for 4 minutes, then flip over and cook another 4 minutes on the other side.
- Serve immediately with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, red onion and all your favorite taco toppings.
Recipe Notes
To reheat the tacos in the air fryer: Brush the outside of the taco lightly with oil or use an oil cooking spray. Air fry at 400 for 5 minutes until brown and crispy!
To reheat the tacos in the oven: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Brush the outside of the taco lightly with oil or use an oil cooking spray. Place the tacos on a baking sheet that’s been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 7-8 minutes, flipping over if needed, until brown and crispy.
Oven instructions: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (if you have a convection oven option, that’s the best bet, but the regular oven will work, too). Place the tacos on parchment paper and oil the top side of the taco either with cooking spray or by brushing a thin layer of oil on top.
Bake for 5 minutes, flip, brush with oil and bake another 5 minutes on the other side. Give the tacos a few more minutes if they aren’t crisping up as much as you would like.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American / Tex-Mex
Just made these over the weekend, everyone loved them!