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Home » Chicken Taquitos (Baked or Fried)

Chicken Taquitos (Baked or Fried)

by Mike Hultquist · Nov 2, 2020 · 29 Comments

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Chicken Taquitos - Recipe (Fried or Baked)

This easy chicken taquitos recipe for softened corn tortillas stuffed with seasoned shredded chicken and melty cheese can be fried or baked. They're the perfect appetizers.

Chicken Taquitos - stacked on a plate with salsa

If you're looking for the perfect party food that everybody loves, look no further than Taquitos. Taquitos are simply little stuffed tacos that are made by filling softened corn tortillas, rolling them up, then either baking or frying them until they are nice and crispy. Such wonderful Mexican food.

They're always a huge hit whether I make them for a party or gathering, a game day afternoon, a holiday get together, and you know, they're always great for a personal evening snack or dinner.

Maybe that's just me! But I don't think so.

Taquitos are just crazy good because of their awesome filling, which you can control, and because of their CRUNCH factor. And, it doesn't matter whether you BAKE them or FRY them, they're crunchy either way, so the cooking method is totally up to you.

In the recipe card at the end of the post, I've included both cooking methods, with more of a discussion below. These particular homemade chicken taquitos are stuffed with shredded chicken that's been seasoned with a nice blend of spices along with cooked onion and jalapeno peppers, along with melty cheese that really satisfies. So much better than store bought.

Let's talk about how to make chicken taquitos, shall we?

Chicken Taquitos - stacked on a plate

Chicken Taquitos Ingredients

  • Chicken. Use 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breast. You can also use chicken thighs, or a combination.
  • Olive Oil. 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking the vegetables.
  • Vegetables. Use 1 medium sized onio, 1 large jalapeno pepper and 2 cloves garlic.
  • Seasonings. Use 2 tablespoons taco seasoning and Salt and pepper to taste. You can use other seasonings, like chili powder, garlic powder or your favorite blend.
  • Cheese. Use 1 cup shredded Cotija cheese or Monterrey Jack. This recipe will work with any melty cheese. Try them with cream cheese. Yum.
  • Corn Tortillas. Use 20 corn tortillas or more as needed
  • Frying Oil. 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

How to Make Chicken Taquitos - the Cooking Method

Poach the Chicken. First, cook the chicken breast by adding it to a pot. Cover it just enough with water along with a tablespoon of salt.

Poaching a chicken breast in a pan

Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Lightly poach the chicken about 20 minutes, or until it is cooked through fully. Remove from heat and set into a large bowl. Shred the chicken with forks.

Cook the Vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion and jalapeno about 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant.

Mix the Stuffing. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic to the chicken, along with a bit of salt and pepper. Mix it all together. Make sure the chicken is nice and shredded.

Shredding the poached chicken along with cooked peppers and onions

Seasonings and Cheese. Next, stir in the seasoning blend and the shredded cheese.

Mixing the seasoned shredded chicken with cheese

Stuff and Roll the Taquitos. Add a spoonful of chicken-cheese mixture to each softened tortilla and roll them up tightly.

Rolling a chicken taquito in a softened corn tortilla

Fasten. Fasten with toothpick to hold them together. See the NOTES section on how to best soften corn tortillas.

Also, check out the recipe video at the end of the recipe that more fully details the steps above, as well as both cooking methods.

Frying Your Chicken Taquitos - How To

Vegetable Oil. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot until it just starts to bubble very slightly. Test by placing a piece of tortilla in the oil. It should start to sizzle lightly.

Fried Taquitos. Add the taquitos a few at a time, careful not to overcrowd them. Fry them 4-5 minutes per side, until they are golden brown.

Frying the Chicken Taquitos in oil in a pan

Drain. Remove and set onto paper towels to drain.

Serve. Serve with your favorite dippers and enjoy! Try them with sour cream on the side or your favorite salsas. They're perfect rolled tacos, ready to go.

Chicken Taquitos - stacked on a plate

Baking Chicken Taquitos - How To

Baking Sheet. If baking, once the taquitos are rolled, place them onto lightly oiled baking sheets seam side down then spray them very lightly with cooking spray or spray oil, or just very lightly oil them.

Bake the Taquitos. Heat oven to 400 degrees F and bake them for 15-20 minutes, or until they become nice and crispy.

Baked Chicken Taquitos on a baking sheet

Serve. Serve with your favorite dippers and enjoy!

Boom! Done! Easy enough, isn't it? Making homemade taquitos is something you can do anytime. Makes 20 or more taquitos either way.

Chicken Taquitos - Frying Vs. Baking

I like to make my chicken taquitos either way, frying or baking, but you'll notice a difference in each method. Baked taquitos are a bit dryer because they do not absorb the oil from the frying process. They're also crunchy, but not quite as crispy as fried chicken taquitos.

However, fried chicken taquitos have higher calories from the frying process because of the oil, so you'll have to decide what is more important to you, crispiness vs calories.

Chicken Taquitos - Grabbing one and ready to dip it in salsa to eat

How to Soften Corn Tortillas

Corn tortillas are softened most easily in the microwave. Cover them with a damp paper towel and microwave them on high for 30-60 seconds.

This will make them more pliable and will avoid cracking as you are rolling them.

Flautas Vs. Taquitos

Is it a flauta? Or is it a taquito? There seems to be some confusion surrounding the actual name of the "taquito", and whether or not it is also called a "flauta". From my understanding, taquitos are make with corn tortillas and are made to be smaller, more bite sized.

Flautas, on the other hand, means "flutes", and are made with either flour tortillas or corn tortillas and are often made larger as part of the main course, though not always.

Some places still use the terms interchangeably, so you'll find differences from region to region, particularly in the southern U.S., where flautas and taquitos are the same thing.

Chicken Taquitos - Stacked up on a plate

Serving Your Taquitos

Taquitos are best served with dippers. Put out a variety, like a nice spicy habanero salsa, chipotle sauce, some sort of creamy dip. Consider Salsa Verde or Salsa Roja, two of my favorite salsas.

Can You Freeze Chicken Taquitos?

Yes! You can make them ahead, then freeze them for serving later. Just take them out, warm them in the oven, or microwave them about a minute or 2 until properly warmed.

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

  • Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
  • Chicken Enchiladas Rojas
  • Chilaquiles Rojos
  • Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Mexican Picadillo
  • Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Chicken Taquitos - Dipped in salsa

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS.Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Chicken Taquitos - stacked on a plate with salsa
Print

Chicken Taquitos Recipe

This easy chicken taquitos recipe for softened corn tortillas stuffed with seasoned shredded chicken and melty cheese can be fried or baked. They're the perfect appetizers.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: chicken, tacos
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Calories: 121kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 20 taquitos
Tap or hover to scale
4.93 from 13 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds chicken breast boneless
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium sized onion chopped
  • 1 large jalapeno pepper chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning use your favorite blend
  • Salt and pepper as needed
  • 1 cup shredded Cotija cheese or use Monterrey Jack
  • 20 corn tortillas or more as needed, softened
  • 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • Add the chicken breast to a pot and cover it just enough with water along with a tablespoon of salt.
  • Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Lightly poach the chicken about 20 minutes, or until it is cooked through fully.
  • Remove from heat and set into a large bowl. Shred the chicken with forks.
  • Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion and jalapeno about 5 minutes to soften.
  • Add the garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant.
  • Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic to the chicken, along with a bit of salt and pepper, taco seasoning and the shredded cheese. Mix it all together.
  • Add a spoonful of chicken-cheese mixture to each softened tortilla and roll them up tightly. Fasten with toothpick to hold them together. See the NOTES section on how to best soften corn tortillas.

FOR FRYING YOUR TAQUITOS

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot until it just starts to bubble very slightly. Test by placing a piece of tortilla in the oil. It should start to sizzle lightly.
  • Add the taquitos a few at a time, careful not to overcrowd them. Fry them 4-5 minutes per side, until they are golden.
  • Remove and set onto paper towels to drain.
  • Serve with your favorite dippers and enjoy!

FOR BAKING YOUR TAQUITOS

  • If baking, once the taquitos are rolled, place them onto lightly oiled baking sheets then spray them very lightly with spray oil.
  • Heat oven to 400 degrees F and bake them for 20 minutes, or until they become nice and crispy.
  • Serve with your favorite dippers and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Makes 20 or more taquitos.
Corn tortillas are softened most easily in the microwave. Cover them with a damp paper towel and microwave them on high for 30-60 seconds. This will make them more pliable and will avoid cracking.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 121kcal   Carbohydrates: 11g   Protein: 8g   Fat: 4g   Saturated Fat: 2g   Cholesterol: 21mg   Sodium: 71mg   Potassium: 174mg   Fiber: 1g   Vitamin A: 40IU   Vitamin C: 1.5mg   Calcium: 23mg   Iron: 0.5mg
Chicken Taquitos - stacked on a plate with salsa
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 11/2/20 to include new information. It was originally published on 12/14/18.

 

Categories: Appetizers Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, low budget/inexpensive meals, mexican, tailgating

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Sharon S. says

    May 23, 2022 at 4:50 pm

    4 stars
    I made these tonight using leftover chicken from a rotisserie chicken breast. The flavoring and spices were wonderful. I substituted 4 cheese Mexican shredded cheese as that’s what I had on hand.
    Using the tip for softening the corn tortillas, I microwaved for 30 seconds at which time they were very pliable to roll into taquitos. Then fried in my properly preheated Fry Daddy and cooked until golden brown.
    I was disappointed as they were not as crispy as I would have liked, rather were more chewy.
    Can anyone offer a suggestion as to what went wrong?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 24, 2022 at 11:51 am

      Sharon, sorry to hear. It could be for a few possible reasons. It might be that they didn't fry long enough and needed a bit more time, or the temp needs to be a bit higher. Elevation could be a factor. They also need to drain properly on paper towels or on a wire rack. I hope this helps for the next time.

      Reply
  2. Becky says

    April 30, 2022 at 7:22 pm

    5 stars
    Mike, once again a wonderful recipe. Thank you. I made this for dinner tonight and my hubs and I both loved it! I used leftover grilled chicken and it worked perfectly. Crispy and so yummy. Thank you for all of your great recipes!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 02, 2022 at 6:49 am

      Thanks, Becky!

      Reply
  3. Alexandria says

    November 19, 2021 at 3:42 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this recipe and it was phenomenal!! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 20, 2021 at 9:38 am

      Thanks, Alexandria! Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  4. Jérémie says

    November 11, 2020 at 6:11 am

    5 stars
    That is what I like and what I need! Gorgeous food! I used homemade tortillas, maybe a little too thick for the recipe, too bad- I still have to improve on this point.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 11, 2020 at 7:13 am

      Glad you enjoyed them, Jérémie!!

      Reply
  5. Candie says

    November 02, 2020 at 1:34 pm

    5 stars
    My Mom used to make something really similar to this, but only because I refused to eat meat, which I still rarely eat.
    After dipping her corn tortillas in hot oil, she'd either fill them with some refried beans with cojita cheese sprinkled on top of the beans, or use whole, roasted green chiles (like Hatch) with some queso fresco inside. They were then deep fried, and were great.

    As for flautas, we never made them with flour tortillas, just 2 overlapping corn tortillas with the green chile/cheese rolled tightly so it resembled a flute.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 02, 2020 at 2:08 pm

      Wonderful! Thanks, Candie! I love it.

      Reply
  6. Teresa says

    October 22, 2020 at 9:40 am

    Will these flavors go with shredded pork, also?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      October 22, 2020 at 11:32 am

      Teresa, absolutely. Quite delicious, actually!!

      Reply
  7. Ruth says

    May 29, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    What a wonderful surprise this recipe was! We had a few corn tortillas that I didn’t know what to do with. I found this and we were both delighted! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 29, 2020 at 7:36 pm

      Thanks, Ruth! I'm glad you enjoyed them! Happy to surprise! Take care...

      Reply
  8. Stephanie Charles says

    May 24, 2020 at 10:23 am

    5 stars
    Do you have, or can you suggest, a recipe for the green avocado sauce served at taco stands with the taquitos? It's not salsa verde, it's something else. It also used to come with the box of frozen taquitos you would buy at the supermarket, but is no longer included. I love that stuff. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 25, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Stephanie, you can try this Avocado-Salsa Verde Recipe (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-recipes/sauces/avocado-tomatillo-salsa-verde-mexican-green-table-sauce/), or maybe try this Creamy Jalapeno Sauce recipe, which does not use avocado, but it is SO good - https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/creamy-jalapeno-sauce/.

      Reply
  9. Elaine Benoit says

    December 18, 2018 at 9:52 am

    5 stars
    When I see taquitos, I always think of my best friend who used to eat them all the time. She got me addicted but I've never made them at home! Your chicken taquitos look so perfectly crispy and delicious!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 18, 2018 at 10:13 am

      They are quite addictive!

      Reply
  10. Rebecca says

    December 18, 2018 at 9:45 am

    5 stars
    I want these right now! they look so easy & comforting

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 18, 2018 at 10:13 am

      Thanks, Rebecca. On the way!

      Reply
  11. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

    December 18, 2018 at 9:42 am

    5 stars
    I've never made taquitos myself before, but the recipe looks pretty straightforward. I think I could do this for game day for my husband. I know he'd love it. Thanks for the snacking inspiration!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 18, 2018 at 10:13 am

      Of course! They are perfect for game day.

      Reply
  12. Lauren @ A Nerd Cooks says

    December 18, 2018 at 9:39 am

    5 stars
    Taquitos may be a perfect food. There, I said it. I love that your recipe includes instructions for baking AND frying, too!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 18, 2018 at 10:12 am

      Yes! I agree, Lauren. 100%.

      Reply
  13. Jessica Formicola says

    December 18, 2018 at 8:36 am

    5 stars
    My family loves taquitos! I can't wait to try this recipe!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 18, 2018 at 8:39 am

      Excellent!

      Reply
  14. Natasha says

    December 17, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    5 stars
    These look so easy... and sooo tasty!!

    Reply
  15. Jeremie says

    December 15, 2018 at 1:54 pm

    5 stars
    Hmmmm that’s look just delicious, Mike! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 16, 2018 at 2:57 pm

      I appreciate it, Jeremie!

      Reply

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