Chicken Taquitos

Crispy, crunchy chicken taquitos! They’re so delicious and easy to make. Add them to your family’s meal-plan rotation. It’s an ideal way to use leftover rotisserie chicken.

Homemade taquitos can be baked or fried. The chicken filling can be tinged with a light kick of heat, or kept mild for the kiddos. As a meal, serve rolled chicken tacos in sets of 3. As appetizers, serve them sliced in half with fresh salsa verde. I’ll show you how to make this chicken taquitos recipe the way my Grandma did, authentically Mexican. 

PIN CHICKEN TAQUITOS NOW TO MAKE THEM LATER!

WHAT IS A TAQUITO?

A taquito is a tightly-rolled “little taco” with a savory filling. In Mexican restaurants they’re commonly served in beef, chicken or pork. Held together with toothpicks, they’re deep fried until golden and crisp. Taquitos are made with corn tortillas. When assembled with flour tortillas, they’re called flautas.

CHICKEN TAQUITOS INGREDIENTS

For mild chicken taquitos, skip the serrano chiles. Instead, substitute diced celery plus dried oregano for the peppers. Either way, the filling is absolutely delicious! Over the years, these crunchy little tacos have delighted more than 4 generations of our family.

Here’s what you’ll need to prepare this authentic Mexican recipe:

TAQUITOS

• Rotisserie chicken, shredded
• Yellow or white onion
• Garlic clove
• Serrano chiles
• Sea Salt
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• Corn tortillas
• Cooking oil

GARNISHES

• Romaine lettuce
• Shredded medium cheddar cheese
• Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• Green salsa or authentic guacamole
• Sour cream or Mexican crema
• Bottled hot sauce
• Lime slices

CHEESE GARNISH IDEAS: Mix things up! Skip the cheddar cheese. Instead, roll hot taquitos in grated Parmesan cheese. You can also garnish with an authentic Mexican cheese like cotija or crumbled queso fresco.

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HOW TO MAKE TAQUITOS

When we were young, Grandma was always willing to alter her favorite Mexican recipes for the grandkids. It took more time, but she did it with love. She’d make a separate non-spicy version for us kids, and the standard version for the rest of the family. Here’s how to satisfy the tastebuds of both children and adults!

KID-FRIENDLY TAQUITOS: Omit the peppers. Instead, add 1/4 cup diced celery to the onions and garlic. Sauté them together. Later, when adding shredded chicken to the pan, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon dried oregano that’s been crumbled between your fingers.

Here’s how to make authentic chicken taquitos for adults:

• STEP 1: Shred chicken into very thin strips.
• STEP 2: Dice onion. Press or mince garlic.
• STEP 3: Remove stems from serrano peppers. Slice them in half. The veins and seeds are where the primary heat of a chile resides. Remove the veins and seeds to keep this recipe with just a hint of heat.
• STEP 4: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and peppers to the pan.

KITCHEN TIP: Serrano chiles have oil that can irritate and burn skin and eyes for several hours. When handling chiles, use disposable kitchen gloves or two plastic produce bags. Afterward, wash hands and nails with warm water. Place cutting board and knife in the dishwasher to prevent transfer of oil to other surfaces. If eyes become irritated, flush them with cool water.

CHICKEN TAQUITOS RECIPE

When rolling taquitos, the corn tortillas must be flexible enough so they don’t tear. Many recipes call for the brief dipping of each tortilla into hot oil to soften them up. However, I prefer not working with oily tortillas when rolling taquitos. I use an alternate method described below.

• STEP 1: Sauté onion, garlic and serrano chiles until tender.
• STEP 2: Add chicken to the pan. Drizzle water or chicken broth over filling to keep things moist. Toss chicken with sautéd ingredients until nice and warm. Add more liquid as needed for hydration. But the filling for chicken taquitos should be tender, not wet or dry.
• STEP 3: Season the filling with salt and pepper to taste. That’s all you need! If you’d like a little more Mexican flavor, sprinkle in some ground cumin and dried oregano.
• STEP 4: Wet a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze out the water. Lay a small stack of corn tortillas in the middle of the damp towel and wrap them in it. Microwave on high for up to 2 minutes until tortillas are warm, soft and flexible, but not damp. This will allow the tortillas to be tightly rolled without tearing.

BEST CHICKEN TAQUITOS

For rolling and frying chicken taquitos, follow these easy step-by-step instructions. If you prefer baked taquitos, refer to the instructions outlined in the “Expert Tips” section of this post.

RECIPE PREP: Line a plate with paper towels.

• STEP 1: Place 2 tablespoons of chicken filling at the end of the corn tortilla. Roll the tortilla tightly and secure the little taco with a wooden toothpick.
• STEP 2: As you work, transfer the rolled tacos to a platter.
• STEP 3: Add 1 inch cooking oil to a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium to medium-high heat. If using a thermometer, the oil should should be heated to 350°F. Grandma used about 3 inches of oil for deep frying taquitos. The tacos cooked in 1 1/2 minutes without being turned over. But during these stay-at-home times, I prefer to conserve my cooking oil.
• STEP 4: Fry the taquitos in batches of 3. After 1 minute, flip the tacos over with a pair of tongs. Continue cooking another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until crisp and golden. Transfer fried chicken tacos to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove and discard the toothpicks.

HOW TO GARNISH ROLLED TACOS

Enjoy taquitos immediately after cooking, while still crisp and hot. After removing the toothpicks, here’s how to garnish this authentic Mexican recipe:

1. Arrange thinly-shredded lettuce on individual serving plates.
2. Drizzle sour cream and green salsa in a diagonal pattern across the tacos.
3. Sprinkle shredded cheese and tomatoes over the top.
4. Serve with wedges of lime and bottled hot sauce.

EXPERT TIPS

• BAKED TAQUITOS: Preheat oven to 425°F. Prep a baking tray with cooking spray. Place rolled tacos on the tray, seam side down. Spray taquitos with cooking oil. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden and crisp.
• AIR FRYER TAQUITOS: This is an ideal air fryer recipe! Spray air fryer basket and chicken taquitos with cooking oil. Arrange tacos in a single layer. Air fry at 400°F for about 6-8 minutes until golden and crispy.
• MAKE-AHEAD TAQUITOS: This is the perfect make-ahead recipe! Assemble and cook the rolled tacos per recipe instructions. Place taquitos on a baking tray lined with a silicone baking mat. Freeze until solid. Transfer chicken taquitos to a zip-top freezer bag. Remove excess air. Seal tightly. Freeze up to 3 weeks.

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HOMEMADE TAQUITOS > RATE THIS RECIPE! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the best chicken taquitos recipe! They rival those served at your favorite Mexican restaurant. If you agree, give this crunchy chicken tacos a 5-star rating in the comments!

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