Start by zesting the lime with a zester to get about 1/4 teaspoon of zest. Juice the lime using a citrus juicer to extract about 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Set these aside for later.
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grab a large sheet pan or two smaller ones to prepare for the tacos.
In a food processor, add all the sauce ingredients (including the lime juice, minced garlic, and cilantro) and blend or pulse until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a Mason jar and refrigerate it while you work on the filling to let the flavors intensify.
Dice the onion and mince the garlic. In a large cast-iron pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and sauté for about 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes soft and translucent.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant. Then, add the spices: chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon powder. Stir and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn anything; reduce the heat if needed.
Push the onion and spice mixture to the sides of the pan, creating a space in the center. Add the ground chicken to the center and crumble it into small pieces. Cook until it’s no longer pink but not fully cooked, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Be cautious if you’re using a nonstick pan; you may need to drain off any accumulated liquid.
Pour in the tomato sauce and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits for extra flavor. Let it simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through, and then remove it from heat.
Prepare the tortilla shells by adding them to your baking pans. You can fit around 9 to 10 in a 9 x 13-inch pan and the rest in an 8 x 8-inch pan. Bake the tortillas for 5 minutes to keep them from getting soggy too quickly.
To the baked shells, add a heaping 1/4 cup of the taco meat filling and top it with 2 tablespoons of cheese. Repeat this process until all the shells are filled.
Bake the assembled tacos for 8 to 15 minutes until the shells are crispy and the cheese is melted. The aroma will be irresistible!
Once they’re done, add your favorite toppings on top of the tacos. I love using sliced avocado, diced cherry tomatoes, sour cream, and the cilantro-lime sauce from earlier. Enjoy them right out of the oven!
