Name: Tex-Mex Cheesy Chicken, Sweet Corn and Black Bean Tortilla Stacks
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing tortillas; 1/2 cup diced onion; 1 small jalapeno, diced; 1 cup corn; 1 cup diced tomato; 2 teaspoons cumin; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup cooked and diced chicken; 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed; 6 flour tortillas (6 inches each); 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 2 tablespoons cilantro plus more for serving; Sour cream, Pico de Gallo, avocado, lime wedges for serving

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Shake up Taco Tuesday with this recipe for tortilla stacks. They are a fun twist on soft tacos. Chicken, cheese, black beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, and Tex-Mex spices are layered between a stack of tortillas and baked to a crave worthy deliciousness. Get ready to party because this recipe is easy to make (it can even be make in advance) and super yummy.

why I love these tortilla stacks

I’ve been on a bit of a Mexican food binge lately. Enchiladas, spicy chili with butternut squash and southwest salad with chipotle chicken have been on my personal chef client menus and at our family dinner table.

tortillas stacks with chicken, beans and corn

That’s why it was only natural that I’d eventually get around to making something like these tortilla stacks. They are a taco tower loaded with sauteed chicken, black beans, sweet corn, tomatoes and Tex-Mex spices all layered between a stack of tortillas.

Super fun to serve and fun to eat for a snack, lunch or dinner. The easy to make recipe is packed with tons flavor too.

tortillas, chicken, black beans, cheese, tomato, onion, corn

gather the ingredients

extra virgin olive oil
onion
jalapeno
corn ~ either fresh corn cut from the cob, frozen or canned
tomato ~ fresh or well drained canned diced tomato
cumin
smoked paprika
kosher salt
cooked chicken ~ either cook yourself or use rotisserie chicken
black beans
flour tortillas
cheddar cheese
cilantro
sour cream, salsa or Pico de Gallo, avocado, lime wedges ~ for serving

Scroll down to the complete recipe for full ingredient quantities.

the details to make tortilla stacks

Cheesy Chicken, Sweet Corn and Black Bean Tortilla Stacks hit all the high points of a perfect meal. They are loaded with delicious and mostly healthy ingredients. And with about 30 minutes of prep and cooking times, dinner can be on the table in no time at all.

Start off by sauteing onion and jalapeno pepper. Add corn, tomato, some Tex-Mex spices and sauté a couple more minutes.

Stir in the chicken, black beans and cilantro. Remove from heat.

Next place 2 tortillas in a large baking sheet and brush with oil. Top each tortilla with a bit of shredded cheese, some of the chicken and black bean mixture and more shredded cheese.

Continue with 2 more layers of the shredded cheese, chicken and black bean mixture and more of the shredded cheese.

Bake until the cheese is melty and and stacks are heated through.

Cut each tortilla stack into wedges, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with sour cream, Pico de Gallo, diced avocado, and lime wedges.

just a few suggestions

I poach and chop a chicken breast for the recipe. You can also use leftover or rotisserie chicken. Cooked turkey, steak or pork or ground turkey, chicken or beef are delicious too. If your leftover/cooked meat isn’t in bite-sized pieces, just chop it into smaller chunks.
I always taste a tiny bit of the jalapeno before adding it to the recipe. Some are super spicy. To temper the heat of the pepper, remove the seeds and inner ribs. This will dull the spiciness.
Make the tortilla stacks vegetarian by substituting 1 cup of your favorite vegetables for the chicken. Just add them when sauteing the corn and tomatoes.

can you make tortilla stacks in advance?

Most definitely! Assemble the tortilla stacks, cover with plastic wrap and stashed in the refrigerator. Then just heat until a melty and cheesy goodness and serving. You may need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the original heating time in the recipe.

how can kids help in the kitchen to make tortilla stacks?

This is a perfect recipe to get a hand from the kids when making. Older kids can do the chopping of the onions and tomatoes, the grating of the cheese, the sautéing of the ingredients. Young ones can help with the layering of the tortilla stacks. I love that all ages of kids can learn the ins and outs of getting dinner on the table.

more Tex-Mex recipes I love

Veggie and Black Bean Enchiladas

Lime Chili Chicken with Avocado Tomato Salsa

Instant Pot Creamy Green Enchilada Soup

Bean and Avocado Texas Caviar

just one more thing

If you make this fun tortilla stacks recipe, I’d love hearing from you. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.

Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.