These chicken taquitos are baked (not fried), with a crispy corn tortilla shell and a flavor-packed, shredded chicken filling. They’re easy to whip up for an appetizer or dinner any day of the week!
Yup, I said it. These baked chicken taquitos are CRISPY without frying. No mess, no crazy amounts of oil…just delicious, restaurant-style chicken taquitos to satisfy all of your Mexican food cravings!
These serving suggestions will help you create a fun toppings bar to pair with your taquitos! Perhaps I can suggest making these Healthy Baked Tortilla Chips on the side, too?
Chicken Taquitos Ingredients
- Cooked, shredded chicken – you can either buy rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it, removing the skin; or you can buy boneless skinless chicken thighs and bake them at 400 degrees for 30 minutes! You’ll need to buy about 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs to make 2 cups of shredded chicken.
- Corn tortillas – corn tortillas are classically used for taquitos! Depending on how large (stuffed) you make your taquitos, this recipe requires 8-12 tortillas.
- Sour cream – you can use light or regular sour cream to moisten your chicken and add flavor. You can also sub Greek yogurt if preferred.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – I like sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, but Monterey Jack or another shredded Mexican cheese blend also works.
- Chili powder – chili powder (the blend), not Chile powder! Chili powder adds all those amazing Mexican flavors.
- Chipotle powder – chipotle powder adds rich flavor and smokiness.
- Garlic – garlic…because garlic.
- Lime – fresh lime juice adds tanginess and moistness.
- Vegetable oil – vegetable oil is used to brush our taquitos before baking, to make them extra crispy. You can also use canola oil.
- Toppings of choice (optional) – see the section “What to Serve With Chicken Taquitos” to give you some fun ideas for toppings and side dishes!
How to Make Chicken Taquitos
These baked chicken taquitos are crispy and easy to make without the mess of frying!
- Preheat.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and grease a large baking sheet.
- Combine.
In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, sour cream, chili powder, chipotle powder, garlic, cheddar cheese, and lime juice.
- Warm.
On a microwave-safe plate, wrap half of the corn tortillas in damp paper towels. Microwave wrapped tortillas for about 20 seconds until they’re hot and malleable.
- Stuff.
On a working surface, lay a tortilla flat and add a scoop of chicken mixture to the lower third of the tortilla, spreading it out across the entire lower third. You can add as much chicken mixture as will fit in the lower third, without being too much to roll into a spiral!
- Roll.
Gently roll your tortilla into a spiral so that the filling is tucked inside. Place rolled taquito seam-side down on the baking sheet.
- Repeat.
Continue process of rolling taquitos and heating tortillas in batches, so that they stay hot and malleable. If tortillas are too cool, they’ll break when rolling!
- Brush.
Once all the chicken mixture is gone (8-12 taquitos depending on how stuffed each taquito is), use a basting brush to brush each taquito with oil. The taquitos should be shiny but not dripping.
- Bake.
Bake for 15 minutes until crispy and golden. At 15 minutes, add a sprinkle of cheese (if desired) and bake for an additional minute until melted. Serve right away with your favorite toppings.
Helpful Tips
- Warm tortillas in batches between damp paper towels in the microwave for 20 seconds per batch. Tortillas will come out of the microwave hot and malleable, so they don’t break when rolling the taquitos!
- There’s two options for shredded chicken. The first is to buy rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it, removing the skin. Or you can buy boneless skinless chicken thighs and bake them at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes until chicken registers 165 degrees! You’ll need to buy about 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs to make 2 cups.
- Baked chicken taquitos are best enjoyed hot out of the oven. They’ll be the crispiest and freshest!
What to Serve With Chicken Taquitos
There’s so many ways to serve baked chicken taquitos. Here are a few serving suggestions and toppings. Serve them with:
- Chopped scallions
- Guacamole
- Sliced iceberg lettuce
- Diced tomato or sliced cherry tomatoes
- Salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or your favorite Mexican cheese!)
- Lime wedges
- Chipotle Corn Salsa
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The basic difference is that taquitos are made with small corn tortillas and flautas are made with larger flour tortillas.
These baked chicken taquitos are best enjoyed right away, hot out of the oven and extra crispy. Although they’re best served immediately, you can make them up to 3 days in advance, reheating them in the oven at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes until hot.
Freeze unbaked chicken taquitos for up to 3 months in a container using parchment paper to separate the layers of taquitos. When ready to bake, place them on a greased baking sheet, brush them with oil, and bake them at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes until hot inside, and crispy and golden on the outside.
More Mexican Recipes You’ll Love!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken see notes below for tips
- 8-12 corn tortillas depending on how large you make your taquitos
- ½ cup sour cream light or regular
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese plus more for garnishing
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon chipotle powder
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 lime juiced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil roughly
- Salt to taste
- Toppings of choice see notes below for ideas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F, and grease a large baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, sour cream, chili powder, chipotle powder, garlic, cheddar cheese, lime juice, and salt to taste.
- On a microwave-safe plate, wrap half of the corn tortillas in damp paper towels. Microwave wrapped tortillas for about 20 seconds until they’re hot and malleable.
- On a working surface, lay a tortilla flat and add a scoop of chicken mixture to the lower third of the tortilla, spreading it out across the entire lower third. You can add as much chicken mixture as will fit in the lower third, without being too much to roll into a spiral!
- Gently roll your tortilla into a spiral so that the filling is tucked inside. Place rolled taquito seam-side down on the baking sheet.
- Continue process of rolling taquitos and heating tortillas in batches, so that they stay hot and malleable. If tortillas are too cool, they’ll break when rolling!
- Once all the mixture is gone (8-12 taquitos depending on how stuffed each taquito is), use a basting brush to brush each taquito with oil. The taquitos should be shiny but not dripping.
- Bake for 15 minutes until crispy and golden. At 15 minutes, add a sprinkle of cheese (if desired) and bake for an additional minute until melted. Serve right away with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- What to use for shredded chicken: the first option is to buy rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it, removing the skin. The second option is to buy boneless skinless chicken thighs, and bake them at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes until chicken registers 165 degrees. You’ll need about 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs to make 2 cups.
- Need serving suggestions? Here’s What to Serve With Chicken Taquitos.
