My baked chicken taquitos are packed with flavor and always a hit. Rolled tortillas filled with seasoned shredded chicken bake up incredibly crispy and golden. They're freezer-friendly and reheat beautifully, so make them ahead for casual get-togethers, game day, Cinco de Mayo or snacking.
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Crisp and easy
Though I think of this Mexican-inspired dish as an appetizer to mix with other Cinco de Mayo recipes, it's also perfect for game day, brunch or a light lunch, served with seasoned sour cream and quick guacamole, or a salad.
Do you have leftover chicken? Shred it and make taquitos! Do you like spicy food? You can easily up the spice level.
The baked tortillas develop a fantastic crunchy exterior that crashes when you bite and find the creamy and juicy chicken filling.
The best of two worlds, if you ask me.
Testing Notes
- Shredded works better than chopped chicken: It rolls better and holds seasoning and moisture. You can also mince it; I find it's too pasty, but that's me.
- Season the chicken filling well: it's where the flavor is, and nobody likes bland. Make it more or less spicy, but remember that you can also add heat with a dipping sauce, so don't overdo it.
- Don't make the chicken mixture too wet or the tortillas will tear.
- Warm the tortillas: Briefly microwave or heat them to prevent cracking while rolling. Corn tortillas are more fragile than flour.
- Don't overfill: Use about 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling per tortilla so they roll tightly and don't burst open. It's messy if they do, trust me.
- Baking tips: Place seams side down to help them stay closed. For crisper taquitos, lightly brush the pan and tops with oil or cooking spray before baking, but don't overdo it; we want crispy, not fried. Flip the tortillas halfway so they bake and crisp up evenly.
- Cool slightly before serving: They firm up as they cool and won't burn your fingers or fall apart.
- Make ahead: the chicken can be cooked and shredded in advance and kept for 3 days in the fridge (with some of the broth to prevent dryness) or frozen for a month, always in an airtight container. The filling can be made several hours before assembly. The taquitos can be baked up to a day before and reheated.
- Freezing taquitos: They can be frozen before baking. Arrange the assembled tortilla on a baking sheet and freeze for several hours until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. To eat, bake directly from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Chicken: You can use chicken breasts or thighs. This is great for rotisserie or grilled chicken, especially leftovers.
- Cheese: I favor cheddar and Swiss, but other melting cheeses can be used.
- Smoked paprika: I use sweet because there are other spicy ingredients, but you can use hot paprika and up the spiciness level.
- Chili sauce: Use store-bought or our homemade red chili jam.
What tortillas should you use?
They all work well for this recipe. It's just a matter of personal taste and time.
- Homemade: The dough is very easy to make and requires few ingredients, but a tortilla press comes in handy (not always a relevant expense if you don't make them regularly) unless you want to roll them by hand, and that takes a little bit more time.
- Store-bought: quick and easy and also relatively cheap.
- Flour or corn: both work well. I love my corn tortilla recipe, but sometimes I grab a packet of flour tortillas from the grocery store.
Steps to make baked taquitos
- Compact the chicken filling well. This helps the taquitos hold their shape during baking and prevents them from falling apart.
- Baking time can vary depending on your oven and the thickness of your taquitos. Check them around the 8-minute mark to ensure they're not browning too much.
Serving
On their own: Pile taquitos on a large board or tray with lime wedges and a dipping sauce. I like chili jam and garlic aioli.
With all the trimmings: Make the taquitos the centerpiece and surround them with bowls of seasoned sour cream with chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice, avocado salsa or guacamole, pico de gallo and chili sauce.
Plated: Just like you would tacos, serve them with rice and black or refried beans, corn on the cob or corn salsa, crunchy slaw and tomato salad.
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Baked Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken, breasts or thighs (or a mix) Or use shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅔ cup cheese, shredded (I use cheddar or Monterey jack cheese)
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground smoked sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 8 corn or flour tortillas, if small, you might need 10-12
- To serve, optional: avocado, sour cream, chili sauce, cilantro, hot sauce, lime wedges, refried beans and chopped green onion.
Instructions
For the shredded chicken:
- Place meat in a medium saucepan or pot and cover with broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the chicken cool completely in the broth. This will keep it juicy.
For the filling:
- Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion until translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir for a minute until softened.
- In a large bowl, mix the onion and garlic with the shredded chicken, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, spices, salt, chili sauce, lime juice, and fresh cilantro.
- Fill each tortilla with a strip of chicken mixture, making a log. The filling should be well compacted so the taquitos stay put after bake.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. Arrange the taquitos in a single layer, seam side down. The more space you leave in between, the crispier they'll get.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until nicely golden and dry.
- Serve with your favorite Mexican toppings such as guacamole or avocado, sour cream, fresh tomato, corn salsa or pico de gallo, refried black beans and lime wedges.
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