Description
Crispy chicken taquitos with a creamy, cheesy filling and a blend of flavorful spices. These versatile taquitos can be baked, pan-fried, or air-fried to golden perfection and served with fresh toppings like cilantro, guacamole, and sour cream for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or main dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
- ⅓ cup chunky style salsa
- ⅓ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup freshly shredded Monterey Jack, cheddar, or Mexican blend cheese
Tortillas and Cooking
- 6 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
- Olive oil spray or nonstick cooking spray or oil for frying
Toppings
- Greek yogurt or sour cream (thinned with a little milk for drizzling)
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Guacamole
- Chopped diced tomatoes or additional salsa
Instructions
- Prepare filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the shredded chicken, salsa, Greek yogurt, salt, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder until fully combined. Fold in the shredded cheese gently.
- Warm tortillas: If using corn tortillas, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Warm each tortilla on both sides for 15 to 30 seconds until soft and pliable. Flour tortillas do not require warming.
- Assemble taquitos: Working with one tortilla at a time, place about one-sixth of the filling down the center. Roll tightly and place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Secure with a toothpick if needed. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Choose cooking method: For baking, preheat oven to 425°F, lightly mist the tops with cooking spray, and bake for 18 minutes until light golden and crispy at the edges. For pan frying, heat 1½ inches of peanut or similar oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Fry taquitos in batches, turning to crisp all sides, about a few seconds per side. Drain on paper towels. For air frying, preheat air fryer to 380°F, arrange taquitos seam-side down in a single layer, mist with spray, and cook for 12 minutes until crisp. Cook in batches if needed.
- Serve: Serve hot with desired toppings such as thinned Greek yogurt or sour cream, chopped cilantro, guacamole, and diced tomatoes or additional salsa.
Notes
- Warming corn tortillas makes them pliable and prevents cracking when rolling.
- Use a toothpick to secure taquitos if they unravel during cooking.
- Choose your preferred cooking method: baking for a hands-off approach, pan frying for extra crispiness, or air frying for a healthier alternative.
- Thinning sour cream or Greek yogurt with a little milk makes a perfect drizzle topping.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, especially salt and chili powder for heat preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taquito
- Calories: 253 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 52 mg
