This Chicken Taquito recipe is one of the all-time most popular recipes on Our Best Bites. The story behind it is interesting, too. I was actually making something entirely different that I planned on entering into a recipe contest. That recipe was somewhat of a flop, but the filling I came up with was amazing and I thought it would make an incredible filling for a crispy taquito. So I said forget-it to the recipe contest, and re-worked the filling in these crispy oven-baked taquitos, and turns out it was one of the best decisions ever, as this recipe has become a beloved family favorite all over the country.
These come together fairly quickly, and an awesome bonus is that these freeze (unbaked) beautifully so you can make extra and have a meal for later.
You’ll need some cooked, shredded or diced chicken for this recipe. You can use a mix of dark and/or white meat, or whatever is easiest. For me, easiest is often a rotisserie chicken from Costco.
The “creamy” component in this recipe comes from a couple of things. For starters, I use a little bit of cream cheese. It melts together with the shredded jack cheese to make an awesome creamy texture that coats the chicken.
You can use either plain Jack cheese, or pepper jack if you’d like a little more heat.
Some other things go in there for tons of flavor, like some green salsa,
green onions, fresh lime juice, and plenty of seasonings.
Just mix it all up and your filling is done.
You’ll place a few tablespoons on small flour, or corn tortillas and roll them up tight. You’ll want to keep your filling about an inch away from both ends because it will leak out the ends. Another trick is to roll them tight. Don’t be loosey-goosey or they’ll fall apart.
Once you get them all rolled up, you can either bake them immediately, OR
save them for later. I’ve taken these to friends in a bag like this one below. They’re great in the fridge for a few days and you can bake them up as needed. Or you can freeze them and bake them straight from the freezer. It’s totally worth it to make a double batch so you can pop one in the freezer!
To bake them immediately, lightly spray a foil-lined baking sheet with non-stick spray, or brush lightly with oil. Place the taquitos in a single layer, not touching each other, and then lightly brush the tops with olive oil, or give them a quick spray of non-stick spray and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
Bake them in the oven until they turn golden brown, especially on the edges.
You can see how the bottoms totally crisp up
and while that outside tortilla is perfectly crisp, the inside layers are soft and awesome.
These are seriously amazing.
It is absolutely mandatory to serve them with our Creamy Lime-Cilantro dressing for dipping, but they’re also good with good ol’ salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
If you’ve seriously never tried these, today is your day. Put them on your menu plan!
Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup 3 oz cream cheese (low fat is fine, avoid fat free)
- 1/4 cup green salsa
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 3 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 Tablespoon sliced green onions
- 2 C shredded cooked chicken for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!
- 1 C grated pepperjack or plain jack cheese
- small flour or corn tortillas
- kosher salt
- cooking spray or olive oil
Instructions
For the filling
- Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir.
- Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic.
- Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions.
- Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
- (You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.)
For the taquitos
- Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- If using corn tortillas, work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If using flour tortillas straight from the fridge, it helps to warm them in the microwave so they're easier to roll.
- Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges. Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another. Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Dip in sour cream, or our favorite: Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch.
For the freezer instructions
- Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Wanna make it a meal?
Serve with a side of Black Beans and a simple green salad with Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing. Wash it down with some Brazilian Lemonade!
Looking for the beef version? It’s right here!
Lastly, recently this recipe was noted in an article in the Chicago Sun-Times where the author noted that they were “some of the best taquitos I’ve ever had”
I’ll take it!
Questions & Reviews
These are, without a doubt, wonderful. I used both corn and flour tortillas and prefer the flour. Loved the creamy cilantro dip but just used bottled ranch dressing and added all the other ingredients, except mayo and milk. Delicious!
Can’t wait to try this out on company. I know they will be a huge hit!
Made these tonight. I’ve made them before and loved them but this time I tried regular salsa and colby jack cheese because that’s what I had. They were still delicious! My 6 year old said they are now one of her favorite foods.
I love these. I really really do. I find myself craving them and wishing I still had some in the freezer. I think I need to put together a big batch every other week just to freeze. Oh – and you absolutely 100% HAVE TO make the taco chicken for these.
Yum, Yum, Yum. Even my picky husband and son ate them up! You are my new fav blog! 🙂
just made these…delicious!!!! Thank you for the amazing recipe!!! 😀
When using the Costco unbaked tortillas, do you suggest cooking the tortilla before assembling them or assemble them raw and bake the tortilla?
I’d cook them first 🙂
What is grilled taco chicken that you mentioned in your recipe? Is it a seasoning packet?
Seriously so good! You girls have not let me down once! I also just used my kitchenaid to shred my chicken for the very first time and I feel like my world has changed : ) Thanks for helping us have a happy home with happy tummies.
Thanks! I really like taquitos but avoiding deep fried food or pan fried food with too much oil. Really good, really like fried taquitos minus the bad feeling after eating them!!
i made these tonight for dinner, but substituted the green salsa with a sofrito tomato base sauce. and oh my god. these are legitimately some of the best things i have EVER tasted. i have never been so excited about making somthing for dinner before lol. my whole family loves them, my mom is already talking about making them for future family gatherings. absolutely incredible recipe, thank you so much for sharing! <33
Wow! Everyone in my family loved these. Made with flour tortillas and they were fantastic. Made the filling a few days before, made dinner time so easy. Definitely a keeper.
One of my favorite recipes ever.My family thanks you and my dinner club group! 🙂
These turned out better than I was expecting. I even omitted the cilantro (because when I glanced in my fridge before my grocery shopping trip, I mistook the parsley for it), but they were still really great. The whole family loved them. Dipped them in your homemade guac. Definitely going to be a repeat for us!
Love these taquitos! I was wondering if you think the filling would work as well in soft tacos? Or do I have to cook the filling?
You don’t have to cook it, but it’s probably better warm. But you could try it!
I make these all the time and everyone loves them! The are so easy to make and I love how crispy they get without having to fry them! I like to dip them in the leftover green salsa, so yummy!
Made these again this weekend for company – also the veggie/black bean option from the cookbook – along with the cilantro lime dip…rave reviews! SO GOOD! Can’t wait for your new cookbook!
These were wildly popular at my family’s reunion yesterday! It’s a little feather in your cap when you take home an empty dish. 🙂
These are probably my very favorite things on your blog! Yum Yum Yum!!! I love them so much! I’ve made them twice and everybody loves them! Even my 3 yr old brother! =)
Hey Sara!
I am pretty new to Our Best Bites but I can’t even begin to tell you how it has changed my outlook on cooking! For the past 6 years of my marriage I have cooked like once a week (If I am lucky), but now I can’t stop and I am cooking 4-5 times a week for a few months now. The only issue I have is I can’t get these to not burn. I burnt these, the beef once and the breakfast taquitos. Do you think my pan is too close to the burners in the oven, or maybe I am using the wrong kind of spray. What are some suggestions on better cooking these? Thanks so much!
Hi Laura! I’m so glad you’re enjoying our food! It sounds like your oven might be hotter than it says it is. Make sure your pan is in the middle rack of the oven as well and that should help.
We had these at my friend’s house last night. They were delicious and a hit with my 9 year old. So easy and delicious! I’m bookmarking this entry and making them for dinner, at our house, soon! Yum!
I really want to make these today, but I don’t have any tortillas. I do have some wonton wrappers, do you think those would work? Would I still bake them or fry them instead?
I’d just go buy some tortillas 🙂
Quick question– are these freezer friendly the way the breakfast taquitos are? I want to make these and the black beans for a freezer food exchange. I loove looove looooove the breakfast taquitos–make them every conference sunday 🙂
Yep, definitely! 🙂
Love it! Making them tonight! Also, just WHERE in the South do you live where they don’t have good Mexican? That sounds impossible!
Made these AGAIN tonight but used your cilantro lime vinagrette instead of the green salsa-SOOOO yummy.
My hubby does not like sour cream… do you think I could use some cream of chicken soup instead to make it more moist? I know, I have made these before and they are delish made just as instructed, I just thought I would try to be nice this time. ha ha.
Sure, cream of chicken would work great!
HI I just got done making this tonight and as a mistake I added 1 Tbsp Paprika thinking it was the chili powder. I noticed what I did and added the chili like normal and did everyting like normal. I cannot believe the awesome spice it gives the mixture and from now on I’m going to add Paprika everytime 😀 Love this dish and always will!
I found this recipe from ifIcould-ifIcould….they were so YUMMY!!! I loved them. Thanks for sharing. I’m definitely making them again—-and often. I’ve been looking around your blog and I’m a fan. I’ll definitely be trying more.
Hey! I made these last night and they were DELISH… but I couldn’t get them to stay closed. I tried using toothpicks but I ended up having to settle with them looking terrible. Any thoughts on how I can make them stay round without breaking??
Have to comment because these saved my life tonight. My night became something from “Dinner Disasters.” (Is there such thing? Should be.) It involved massive amounts of dough, an absent husband, a screaming baby . . . then I remembered I had a bunch of these in the freezer. Popped them in the oven, made a quick salad and dipping sauce, and there you go, miracle dinner my kids LOVED. It was good enough to ignore the fact the smoke alarm woke up the baby and my kids subsequently sang, “Fire Burning” variations all through the meal. (Nothing was burning, my smoke alarm just doesn’t like it when I open the oven. Another story.) So, yes, thanks!
If anyone ever reads this comment looking for tips, when they come from the freezer they don’t turn out looking all lovely like pictured. I don’t care, but just in case you do. Also, this is obvious, but a while back I cooked some from the freezer and forgot to put the seam sides down. Tostadas!
Made these last night, and found out while preparing them that I had run out of chili powder so I used Chipotle chili powder- it’s all I had, and they were heavenly! Everyone raved about them. Thanks for sharing!