Crispy Baked Chicken Chalupas Recipe

If you love ordering chalupas from Taco Bell, then this crispy baked chicken chalupas recipe — courtesy of recipe developer Ksenia Prints — will no doubt elevate your chalupa experience. These baked chalupas feature the ultimate combination of textures, flavors, and colors in one package with a distinctly Mexican flair. Burritos, tacos, mole, even tostadas — we all know and love them, but sometimes, we just want something new and fresh when it comes to Mexican food. These unique Mexican chalupas hit just the spot: cheesy, creamy, and comforting, they taste like a taco but also have a crunch that is not normally associated with the dish. Pile them on top of each other, and you've got yourself a perfect Mexican meal like no other.

For our chalupas, we use the oven to keep things a little lighter and to avoid the need for deep-frying, while still getting those perfectly crisp tortillas that crackle when you bite into them. Hearty toppings like shredded chicken, two types of cheese, avocados, salsa, and cilantro makes for a chalupa dish that feels refreshing and filling all at once.

To make this chicken chalupa recipe, start with small corn tortillas and cooking spray or oil to brush them with. For the filling and toppings, you'll need your favorite brand of refried beans, shredded rotisserie chicken, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, crumbled queso fresco, an avocado, finely sliced red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and salsa for serving.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place tortillas flat on a baking sheet, and lightly spray or brush them with oil.

Bake 10-12 minutes until tortillas are crisp and golden, flipping once halfway.

Spread a thin layer of refried beans on each tortilla.

Top with shredded chicken and Monterey Jack cheese.

Return to oven and bake 5-8 minutes, until cheese melts and edges crisp further.

Remove the chalupas from oven and top with avocado slices, queso fresco, red onion, cilantro, and salsa.

Serve the chalupas immediately, either individually or with one stacked onto another.

• Fire-Roasted Salsa Recipe
• Creamy Salsa Verde Recipe
• Crave-Worthy Guacamole Recipe
• Cuban Black Beans Recipe

A Taco Bell Chalupa Supreme looks similar to a taco, and it features what the chain itself describes as a "warm-and-flaky flatbread shell." The Taco Bell Chalupa also features more straightforward, taco-like fillings including beef, tomato, lettuce, and sour cream. In 2024, Taco Bell introduced cheesy street chalupas, the chain's nod to Mexican street food, which contained two chalupa shells held together with melted cheese. 

Meanwhile, chalupas that you'd find in certain Mexican regions — like Hidalgo, Mexico for example — may look similar to Taco Bell's version, but often they'll look a little different. These chalupas may feature slightly thicker, smaller tortilla shells fried in lard, topped with cheese, and then piled with toppings. The toppings can vary, but they usually just involve chicken, refried beans, shredded beef and salsa, or onion and fresh cilantro. "When I tried chalupas in Mexico City, the two tortillas were also sometimes sandwiched with melted cheese in order to provide a thicker cushion for the toppings," Prints notes, adding that this preparation method is what provided inspiration for this recipe. 

Our favorite twist on this chalupa recipe is to sandwich two baked tortilla shells with cheese between them before piling on the toppings. This makes for a crisp, filling meal that ends much sooner than you'd like it to (but then you can always go in for round two). Another Mexican-inspired variation is to brush the tortillas with lard rather than oil before baking, or to fully fry the chalupas instead of baking them.

You can also get creative with the toppings you pile onto your chalupas. The crispy baked tortilla shells are particularly good with a slow cooker carnitas-type filling. Consider swapping out the rotisserie chicken in these chalupas for shredded beef, or omit the meat altogether and simply pile on fresh, veggie-forward toppings. Of course, you can also go with homemade salsa, or add a generous dollop of hot sauce, or garnish with thinly-sliced jalapeños for that added kick.

Finally, for another twist, you can swap the onions for pickled onions, which will provide a little tang. You can also use homemade gorditas in place of corn tortillas as the base, which would make this chalupa recipe a little closer Taco Bell version.

• Homemade Marinated Shrimp Crunchwrap Recipe
• Baked Chicken Fajita Bowls Recipe
• Crispy Chicken Flautas Recipe
• Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas Recipe