These chicken taquitos are stuffed with seasoned shredded chicken and cheese, then baked or fried to crispy perfection. Serve these taquitos with your favorite dipping sauces for a fun party snack or meal!
Chicken taquitos are an easy yet unexpected appetizer that’s perfect to feed a crowd – I’ve included instructions for both baking and frying these crispy bites of goodness!
I have to admit, for the longest time I thought of chicken taquitos only as a food you buy in the freezer section of the grocery store for a quick snack. Homemade chicken taquitos are SO much better than the store bought frozen kind, and they’re fun to assemble too!
How to make chicken taquitos
The first thing you’ll need to make chicken taquitos is cooked shredded chicken. You can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, whatever you have on hand is fine! The chicken is mixed with spices and a blend of cheeses to make the filling for your tortillas.
After your filling is ready, it’s time to stuff the tortillas! You’ll want to put a few tablespoons of the meat mixture on one end of each tortilla, roll them tightly, then secure them with a toothpick. The toothpicks ensure that the taquitos won’t unroll during the baking or frying process.
The final step is to cook them up! You can either bake or fry these chicken taquitos. Baking the taquitos is healthier and less messy, but you won’t get the same deep golden crispy crust as you will with frying. The taquitos take just 4-5 minutes to fry up in oil, but if you choose the baking route it will take more like 15-20 minutes before they’re ready to eat.
The taquitos shown in these pictures were fried, although I’ve made this recipe both ways so it’s really up to your personal preference! You’ll want to remove the toothpicks before you serve them, and you can add any variety of toppings and dipping sauces.
I like to add a drizzle of sour cream and some fresh pico de gallo to my chicken taquitos. Other great options are ranch, guacamole, grated cotija cheese, chopped cilantro leaves, there are so many possibilities!
I also love that these taquitos make great leftovers; simply warm them in the oven or toaster oven until hot and crispy. My kids adore these chicken taquitos so I make them quite frequently. No need to buy the frozen version when you can have fresh, hot taquitos any time!
More mexican favorites
Chicken Taquitos (Baked or Fried)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 12 small corn tortillas
- oil if frying
- cooking spray if baking
Instructions
- Place the chicken, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese in a bowl. Stir until combined.
- Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and place on a plate. Microwave for 1 minute or until tortillas are warm and pliable.
- Lay out the tortillas on a flat surface and divide the chicken and cheese mixture among the 12 tortillas. Roll up each tortilla tightly and secure with a toothpick.
- To fry the taquitos: Heat 3/4 inch of oil in a deep pan to 350 degrees F. Add 3-4 taquitos and fry until crisp and golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Repeat with remaining taquitos.
- To bake the taquitos: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the taquitos in a single layer on a sheet pan coated with cooking spray. Spray the tops of the taquitos with the cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
- Remove toothpicks, then serve.
Notes
- Nutritional information is for the baked taquitos as it is difficult to determine how much oil the taquitos will absorb during the frying process.
Shaqwete says
May 9, 2019 at 4:28 pmDo you fry them with the toothpick in?
Sara says
May 9, 2019 at 10:07 pmYes you do!
Debbie says
April 27, 2019 at 11:09 amI made them and baked them on foil. I served them with some ranch dip and even the fussy granddaughters ate them!
Beth says
April 5, 2019 at 3:00 pmThese are so good! It was the first time I had made taquitos and had never had them before. I baked them, and they turned out perfectly crispy! They were a hit with my family! I definitely plan to make them again! Thank you!
SandyToes says
November 2, 2018 at 7:13 pmWhat is the best way to reheat these so they’re nice and crispy? Would you recommend par-frying, then frying them from frozen to finish them? Or is it better to fry them completely before freezing?
Maggie Unzueta says
October 2, 2018 at 2:50 amGreat food photos. It looks so good.
AnnMarie John says
January 18, 2018 at 8:18 amTalk about a recipe that my kids will enjoy, especially my two growing boys! I think this is something that I’d love to prepare for them for lunch or as an after school snack!
Our Family World says
January 17, 2018 at 10:51 pmThis is one delicious meal that would make my family go for seconds (and thirds). We love Mexican food and we love it spicy ho! I am saving the recipe and including this in our meal plan for next week. Can’t wait!
Kita Bryant says
January 17, 2018 at 9:06 pmI must say I have never made these home made before. This recipe is easily one of the best I have seen for taquitos.
Heather says
January 17, 2018 at 8:07 pmMy goal for 2018 is to spend more time in the kitchen, so I’m so glad I came across this recipe! Having two ways to prepare them means I can choose based on how much time I’ve got to prep dinner.
brianne says
January 17, 2018 at 5:30 pmMy mouth is watering, I love taquitos. These look so delicious, I’m trying this recipe!
Pam says
January 17, 2018 at 4:50 pmI love taquitos. I haven’t made them in quite a while though, I need to put them on the meal plan.
Theresa says
January 17, 2018 at 1:08 pmI love that you included a baked and fried version since my husband is trying to eat healthier, baked would be his preference. These would be great to make ahead of time and freeze for a quick meal solution too, I would think.
Colleen says
January 17, 2018 at 8:56 amWoo hoo! Since we moved to the southwest, I’ve become a huge fan of Mexican and southwestern flavors. Taquitos are a family favorite, and I can’t wait to make this recipe!
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
January 17, 2018 at 8:07 amI am going to have a family of happy campers very soon! We all love taquitos, and I’m sure this homemade variety is goign to be so much better than the frozen ones I always buy.
Melissa Chapman says
January 17, 2018 at 7:26 amThese taquitos look like a great snack or even for dinner or lunch. The big game is coming up and I am gathering up recipes like this to serve at aparty.