Description
Crispy “Mexican Chicken Taquitos” deliver a delightful crunch with minimal effort and maximum flavor. Packed with zesty seasoned chicken and melted cheese, these golden rolls promise a quick, satisfying meal that brings restaurant-style excitement right to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein and Cheese:
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie or leftover)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Spices and Seasonings:
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) onion powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) black pepper
Additional Ingredients:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) salsa or enchilada sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cream cheese or sour cream
- 12 small corn or flour tortillas
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil (for brushing or spraying)
- Salsa (for serving)
- Guacamole (for serving)
- Sour cream (for serving)
Instructions
- Warm the oven to a toasty 400F (200C), ensuring an ideal environment for crispy taquitos.
- Prepare a baking sheet by laying down parchment paper or applying a light coating of oil to prevent sticking.
- Shred the cooked chicken into fine, uniform pieces, creating a perfect filling texture.
- Mix the shredded chicken with cream cheese, ensuring a smooth and creamy consistency that binds the filling together.
- Fold in the shredded cheese, green onions, and jalapeños, distributing the ingredients evenly for balanced flavor in each bite.
- Season the mixture with cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, stirring thoroughly to incorporate the spices.
- Warm the tortillas briefly to make them pliable and prevent cracking during rolling.
- Place a modest portion of the chicken mixture near the edge of each tortilla, avoiding overfilling.
- Roll the tortillas tightly, creating compact cylinders that will hold their shape during baking.
- Arrange the taquitos seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they don’t touch.
- Lightly brush the exterior of each taquito with olive oil to promote a golden, crispy exterior.
- Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake until the edges turn golden brown and crisp.
- Remove from the oven and let the taquitos rest for a few minutes to set their shape.
- Serve immediately with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream for dipping.
Notes
- Warm tortillas briefly to prevent cracking when rolling, making them more pliable and easier to work with.
- Use shredded rotisserie chicken for a quick time-saving hack that adds extra flavor complexity to the filling.
- Experiment with different cheese blends like pepper jack or sharp cheddar to customize the taquitos’ taste profile.
- Freeze unbaked taquitos in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag for convenient meal prep options.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg