Homemade Taquitos
Homemade Mexican Taquitos are crunchy on the outside with a tender shredded chicken and cheese filling - you’ll love making and eating these chicken taquitos! They also keep well in the fridge and freezer, which is perfect for meal prep. They re-crisp beautifully so you can make them ahead for the perfect Super Bowl or game day party appetizer.Makes 14-16 Taquitos, depending on how you fill them.
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken, light or dark meat chicken
- 4 oz cream cheese, diced
- 1 1/2 cups Mexican shredded cheese, or Colby Jack cheese
- 2 tsp taco seasoning, to taste
- ½ cup salsa verde, or green enchilada sauce
- 16 small corn tortillas, 6-inch, white or yellow corn
- neutral high-heat cooking oil, for frying
Instructions
- Make the filling - In a large mixing bowl, add rotisserie chicken, diced cream cheese, shredded cheese, salsa verde, and taco seasoning.
- Warm the tortillas - Corn tortillas must be warmed before rolling, so they don’t crack. Set a medium skillet over medium heat and warm the tortillas one at a time. Don’t brown them, just warm them for 15-30 seconds per side, or until they are pliable and easily rolled up. I do them one at a time and add the next one while I'm rolling up a taquito to keep the assembly line moving. You can also stack warmed tortillas in a kitchen towel to keep them soft and pliable.
- Assemble - Spread 3 Tbsp of chicken mixture onto each tortilla and spread it out in the center. Avoid having it hang over the side, or the filling will fall out while frying. Roll the tortilla over the filling.
- Heat the oil - Fill a saucepan or heavy skillet with ½ inch of oil and heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F on a thermometer. The taquitos should sizzle when placed in oil.
- Fry taquitos - Place filled tortillas seam-side down first, using tongs to initially hold them down in hot oil so they don’t roll and open up. Once they are steady, add more to the pan. Fry 3-4 at a time until golden brown, then flip and fry the other side, about 2-3 minutes per side. The oil only needs to come about halfway up the taquitos while frying. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then serve warm with your desired toppings.
Notes
Optional Toppings to serve:
- Sauces: Sour cream or Mexican crema, Salsa verde, Homemade Salsa, Hot sauce, Guacamole
- Veggies: Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and avocados, Pico de Gallo, cilantro
- Cheese: Mexican cheese, Cotija cheese
- Prep Ahead: Roll, cover in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before frying.
- To store leftovers in the Fridge/ Freezer: Cool the fried taquites then transfer to a freezer-safe zip-top bag or an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat from frozen.
- Reheating taquitos: You can re-crisp taquitos in an air fryer at 350°F for 5-10 minutes, or in an oiled skillet.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Taquitos
Amount per Serving
Calories
197
% Daily Value*
Fat
12
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
5
g
Cholesterol
37
mg
12
%
Sodium
169
mg
7
%
Potassium
141
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
13
g
4
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
1
g
1
%
Protein
11
g
22
%
Vitamin A
221
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
0.3
mg
0
%
Calcium
100
mg
10
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
