Description
Chicken Taquitos are a quick and crowd-pleasing recipe featuring crispy rolled tortillas filled with flavorful shredded chicken and melty cheese. Perfect for busy weeknights or casual gatherings, these taquitos balance crunch and savory goodness, are easy to customize with your preferred spices and toppings, and can be baked or fried to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (breasts or thighs)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Tortillas
- 8 flour or corn tortillas (6–8 inch size)
Cooking
- Cooking oil or cooking spray for crisping
Optional Toppings
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken Filling: Start by shredding cooked chicken breasts or thighs, then mix with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and some shredded cheese. This creates a flavorful, moist filling for the taquitos.
- Warm the Tortillas: Gently warm the tortillas in a skillet or microwave until pliable to prevent cracking and make rolling easier.
- Roll the Taquitos: Place a spoonful of the chicken filling near the edge of each tortilla, then roll tightly to enclose the filling. Secure with a toothpick if baking.
- Cook to Crispy Perfection: Either shallow fry the taquitos in hot oil until golden and crisp or bake them on a greased baking sheet at 425°F (220°C) for 15–20 minutes, turning halfway through for even crispiness.
Notes
- Shred chicken while warm for tender pieces that mix well.
- Do not overfill tortillas to avoid bursting during cooking.
- Use cooking spray before baking to get crispy taquitos without excess oil.
- Drain fried taquitos on paper towels to reduce excess grease.
- For extra crispness, try double baking: bake once to set, flip, and bake again.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 taquitos
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
Keywords: Chicken Taquitos, Mexican appetizer, crispy taquitos, shredded chicken recipe, baked taquitos, quick dinner, party appetizers
