These chicken taquitos are stuffed with seasoned shredded chicken and cheese and then baked, fried, or air-fried until crispy, crunchy, and golden brown. Serve with shredded lettuce and your favorite Mexican toppings for an easy dinner recipe or appetizer ready in only 30 minutes!
Taquitos are one of my favorite Mexican dishes. These crispy and crunchy delights are filled with flavorful chicken or beef, and the best part is that they’re quick and easy to prepare. Whenever taquitos are on the menu, my husband never turns them down, and we rarely have any leftovers!
Taquitos are a popular Mexican dish made from rolled corn tortillas filled with meat, cheese, or beans. The tortillas are secured and closed with a toothpick and then baked, fried, or air-fried. They’re typically served with shredded lettuce and condiments like Mexican crema and pico de gallo.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Any cooked and shredded chicken will work. To save time, I like using a store-bought rotisserie chicken and shredding it at home, but you could also make your own shredded chicken if your prefer.
- Tortillas: Corn tortillas are best for making taquitos and they’re the type of tortilla that’s traditionally used, but you could also use flour tortillas if you prefer.
- Cheese: Your favorite shredded cheese works great. I like using cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey jack, or Chihuahua for a more authentic taquito.
- Seasonings: You’ll need chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder to season the shredded chicken. This is optional, but I find that it adds more flavor.
How to Make Chicken Taquitos
Prepare the chicken by shredding some cooked chicken. You can use any leftover chicken you have in the fridge, a store-bought rotisserie chicken, or you can make your own shredded chicken at home.
Next, season it by tossing it in a bowl with some easy-to-find Mexican spices like chili powder, ground cumin, and a few others. This is optional, but I like adding in some of these dry spices to give the taquitos extra flavor.
Assemble the taquitos by placing a heaping spoonful of shredded chicken and shredded cheese onto a warm tortilla.
Fold one side over the filling and tuck it in as tight as possible. Roll up the rest of the tortilla and secure the seams with a toothpick.
All that’s left to do is cook the taquitos. You can either bake, fry, or air fry them, depending on your preference. Frying is the most traditional preparation, but baking and air frying are also great options if you don’t like frying at home.
- To fry: You’ll need some canola oil or other vegetable oil. You don’t need a lot – just enough to cover about halfway up the taquito when frying. Fry in a large skillet for 1-2 minutes per side until crispy and golden brown. Place the taquitos on a large plate or baking sheet covered with paper towels to remove any excess oil.
- To bake: Brush a little olive oil or cooking spray on the tops of each taquito. Place them in a single layer on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes at 425°F. I recommend checking them at the 15-minute mark to see if they’re crispy and golden brown. If not, put them back in for a few more minutes.
- To air fry: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place the taquitos in a single layer in the basket seam side down. Spray the tops with cooking spray, air fry for 5 minutes, flip and spray again, then air fry for 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining taquitos.
Suggested Toppings
To complete the taquito eating experience, you will want to serve them with all the best Mexican toppings! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Shredded lettuced
- Chopped cilantro
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole or guacamole salsa
- Cotija cheese or more shredded cheese
- Your favorite salsa
Tips
- To keep the corn tortillas from cracking during assembly, make sure to warm them up so they become soft and pliable. The easiest way to do this is by wrapping the tortillas in a damp paper towel and heating them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to help create some steam. The steam produced by the moist paper towels helps to keep them from drying out. I then like to put them in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and place them inside a large gallon-sized plastic bag to help them retain heat and moisture.
- Make sure to place the taquitos seam side down in all the cooking methods. This will prevent the filling from falling out.
- Want it spicy? Add in 1 or 2 minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the shredded chicken mixture.
Recommended Tools
- Cast iron skillet. A heavy skillet like this one is a must-have! It holds heat well and is very versatile.
- Baking sheets. If you’ll be baking this recipe, this baking sheet set is perfect as it has multiple sizes.
- Air fryer. To save time, try making this recipe in the air fryer. This is the one I like to use at home.
Storing and Reheating
To freeze, allow the taquitos to cool completely. Place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
To reheat, place thawed taquitos on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes until warmed through.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken*
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- fine sea salt, as needed
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese*
- 18 corn tortillas
- vegetable oil, about 2 cups for frying or 1-2 tablespoons for baking and air frying
For serving
- shredded lettuce, Mexican crema or sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa
Instructions
- Toss together the shredded chicken, chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, onion powder, and salt in a large bowl. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
- Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, flipping the tortillas halfway through until all of them are warm and pliable.
- Put a spoonful of shredded chicken and cheese on each tortilla. Roll tightly and secure the seams with a toothpick. (See photo in blog post for example).
- To fry: Pour enough oil into the bottom of a deep skillet or frying pan so that the oil reaches halfway up the taquitos. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. To test, drop a small piece of tortilla in the oil. If it sizzles, it's ready. Cooking in batches, add 3-4 taquitos and fry for about 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown. Transfer them to a large plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
- To bake: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the taquitos on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Lightly brush or spray the tops with cooking oil, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until they're crispy and golden brown.
- To air fry: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Place the taquitos in a single layer in the basket seam side down. Spray the tops with cooking spray, air fry for 5 minutes, flip and spray again, then air fry for 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining taquitos.
- Remove the toothpicks from the taquitos, and serve with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, Mexican crema, and guacamole.
Isabel’s Tips:
- Chicken: Any cooked and shredded chicken will work. To save time, I like using a store-bought rotisserie chicken and shredding it at home, but you could also make your shredded chicken if you prefer.
- Cheese: Your favorite shredded cheese works great. I like using cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey jack, or Chihuahua for a more authentic taquito.
Nutrition Information
I also need a good easy Mexican rice recipe.
We have an authentic Mexican rice recipe on the blog if you wanted to check that out! 🙂