Chicken Taquitos (Baked or Fried)

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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