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Chicken Taquitos are the perfect twist on weeknight Mexican food! These pack a punch with their cheesy, creamy interior and satisfyingly crunchy exterior.
Chicken Taquitos Recipe
I love celebrating Taco Tuesday because, 1) Mexican food is delicious and 2) easy meal planning. But if we’re being honest, I get a little bored whipping up the same ground beef / tortilla meal every week. To give my kids (and taste buds) a little surprise, I’ve been adding chicken taquitos into the mix and WOW.
Cheesy, creamy, a little spicy and a lot crunchy? Easy enough for a busy Tuesday night? I have a confession: I just might be obsessed with this chicken taquito recipe.
What Ingredients are in Chicken Taquitos?
- Cream Cheese – I love the tang that the cream cheese adds to the chicken. But if you would rather, you can use sour cream instead.
- Salsa Verde – This is simply just green salsa and you can usually find it by the regular salsas at the grocery store. Don’t be confused – it is not the same as green enchilada sauce!
- Garlic Powder
- Chili Powder – If you’re looking for more (or less!) of a kick, feel free to adjust the seasonings to your liking.
- Salt
- Shredded Rotisserie Chicken – In the name of ease, I love using a rotisserie chicken. But you can of course use any type of pre-cooked chicken in this recipe.
- Shredded Cheese
- Small Corn Tortillas – I normally don’t love corn tortillas, but because we are frying them they end up more like a tortilla chip and it’s delicious.
- Oil – I use peanut oil but canola oil would work well, too.
How to Make Chicken and Cheese Taquitos
- To begin, shred your cooked chicken and set it aside.
- Now, in a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, salsa verde, garlic powder, chili powder and salt. This mixture does not have to be completely smooth.
- Add your shredded chicken to the sauce and stir until the chicken is evenly distributed.
- Once it is mixed, add in the shredded cheese to the chicken mixture and stir. Set aside.
- Place 2 or 3 of your corn tortillas in between two paper towels and microwave for 15 seconds. This allows you to bend your corn tortillas without ripping them.
- Quickly add the chicken filling to the center of each tortilla and then tightly roll up the taquito.
- Repeat this step until you have used all of your chicken filling. Once your taquitos are rolled, you will begin frying.
- In the bottom of a frying pan, pour enough oil so there is about 1/2 inch of oil covering the entire bottom of the pan.
- Heat the pan over medium heat until it reaches 350° F.
- Once the oil is hot, place taquitos seam side down and fry until golden brown. Use tongs to flip the taquitos.
- Once the taquito has been fried on all sides and is golden brown, remove from the oil and set on a cookie cooling rack that is set inside of a cookie sheet.
- Repeat until all taquitos are fried.
- Serve!
Can I bake the taquitos instead of frying them?
Yes, but I suggest frying them! The baked taquitos just don’t have that same crispy shell.
Can I make the taquitos ahead of time and reheat them later?
Yes, I like to fry them and then freeze them once they’re cooled. When you’re ready to eat them, reheat in the air fryer.
What dipping sauce pairs well with chicken taquitos?
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
- Queso
More Recipes Like Chicken Taquitos
Chicken Taquitos
Chicken Taquitos are the perfect twist on weeknight Mexican food! These pack a punch with their cheesy, creamy interior and satisfyingly crunchy exterior.
Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 12 small corn tortillas
- oil , for frying
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, salsa verde, garlic powder, chili powder and salt. It is okay if it isn’t completely smooth.
- Pour over your shredded chicken, stir until evenly distributed.
- Add the shredded cheese to the chicken mixture and stir.
- Take 2 or 3 of the corn tortillas at a time and place them in between two paper towels then microwave for 15 seconds. At this point, your corn tortillas should be able to bend without ripping.
- Quickly add the chicken filling to the center of each tortilla and then tightly roll up the taquito.
- Repeat this step until you have used all of your chicken filling.
- In the bottom of a frying pan, pour enough oil so there is about 1/2 inch of oil covering the entire bottom of the pan.
- Heat over medium heat until it reaches 350°.
- Place taquitos seam side down and fry until golden brown and then use tongs to flip the taquitos.
- Once the taquito has been fried on all sides and is golden brown, remove from the oil and set on a cookie cooling rack that is set inside of a cookie sheet.
- Repeat until all taquitos are fried.
- Serve with sour cream, salsa or you other favorite dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 347mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 251IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
These turned out sooo good!! 😋 I made half with corn tortillas and half with flour tortillas… yummmm!! They were better than the ones at our local Mexican restaurant! Thanks for another go-to recipe, Karli 🤗