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Crispy chicken taquitos are the ultimate finger food with only 15 minutes of prep!

Taquitos stacked on top of each other and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and more.
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A Family Favorite

We have Mexican food EVERY week! And being Hispanic, we did the same thing growing up. Now, we are just getting our own kids to love these recipe too, like today’s Taquitos recipe (which is a family fav). But, what are they?

Taquitos are a Mexican dish consisting of a small tortilla that is rolled around a filling of meat and cheese and then deep-fried (“small tacos”). They are similar to Flautas and are so incredibly yummy we know you’ll love them as well.

We love to serve these with: Homemade Salsa, Guacamole, Queso Blanco.

Why We love them!

  • For any meal. These chicken taquitos are so great as appetizers or as a Mexican dinner.
  • Simple + Quick. Not only are minimal ingredients needed, but they are also quick to make.
  • Change it up. The filling can be easily adapted to suit different tastes, from using different meats to adding various spices and toppings.

Ingredients

  • vegetable oil canola oil, peanut oil, or olive oil labeled for frying
  • 3 cups shredded cooked chicken shredded beef and pork are also great options. I like to have Shredded Chicken in the freezer to use in recipes like this one. You can also bake up some chicken to shred or use a rotisserie chicken.
  • 6 ounces cream cheese the creamy texture adds flavor and binds the chicken mixture
  • 1ยฝ cups baby spinach – for added flavor, texture, and color
  • 1ยฝ cups shredded colby jack cheese Mexican blend cheese is another great choice, or cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, or pepper jack cheese also works.
  • ยฝ cup salsa Change the salsa to change the flavor – Sweet Salsa Verde or Tomatillo Salsa are both great!
  • โ…“ cup sour cream helps create a smooth filling as well as adds a tangy twist
  • salt and black pepper – change up the flavor using cumin, garlic powder, garlic pepper, taco seasoning, or chili powder
  • 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas classic taquitos use corn tortillas, but you can use a similarly sized Flour Tortillas
  • toppings (optional) shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, Red Salsa, Salsa Verde, Cafe Rio Dressing, Pico de Gallo, jalapeรฑos, Guacamole, or Queso Blanco

How to Make Taquitos

  1. PREP. Fill a saucepan with ยฝ inch of oil and heat over medium heat to 350ยฐF.
  2. FILLING. Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix 3 cups chicken, 6ย ouncesย  cream cheese, 1ยฝย cups spinach, 1ยฝย cups Colby Jack cheese, ยฝย cup salsa, and โ…“ย cup sour cream. Add salt and pepper.
  3. FRY. Once oil is hot enough, add a few tablespoons of chicken/cream cheese mixture to the center of a tortilla and spread out. Roll the tortilla and use tongs to place it seam-side down in hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides, 2โ€“3 minutes per side. Set on paper towels to drain.
    • Repeat until all 12ย (6-inch) tortillas have been filled, rolled, and fried.
  4. SERVE. Serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Pro Tip!

To prevent cracked tortillas, wrap a stack of corn tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 15-30 seconds until warmed up. Many tortillas crack or break because they are not warm enough.

Alternative Cooking Methods

  • Oven baked. Check out our Baked Taquitos recipe.
  • Air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400ยฐF. Place the taquitos, seem side down, in the air fryer basket. Make sure they are not touching and spray with a light coating of cooking spray. Cook for about 3 minutes flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until lightly brown and crisp.
Taquitos stacked on top of each other and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and more.
5 from 925 votes

Taquitos Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Everyone loves these classic taquitos! They're fried to golden perfection and are great as appetizers or even a main dish.
Servings: 12
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients 

  • vegetable or canola oil, for frying
  • 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1ยฝ cups baby spinach, stems removed and chopped
  • 1ยฝ cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, or Mexican blend cheese
  • ยฝ cup salsa, store-bought or homemade
  • โ…“ cup sour cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)

Toppings

  • shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, Pico de Gallo

Instructions 

  • Fill a saucepan with ยฝ inch of oil and heat over medium heat to 350ยฐF.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix 3 cups chicken, 6ย ounces cream cheese, 1ยฝย cups spinach, 1ยฝย cups Colby Jack cheese, ยฝย cup salsa, and โ…“ย cup sour cream. Add salt and pepper.
  • Once oil is hot enough, add a few tablespoons of chicken/cream cheese mixture to the center of a tortilla and spread out. Roll the tortilla and use tongs to place it seam-side down in hot oil.
  • Cook until golden brown on both sides, 2โ€“3 minutes per side. Set on paper towels to drain. Repeat until all 12ย (6-inch) tortillas have been filled, rolled, and fried.
  • Serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Video

Notes

Variations.ย Change it up by using shredded beef or pork. You can also use a different salsa to change the flavors.
Make ahead of time.ย You can mix the filling as described in Step 2 up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cracked corn tortillas.ย If your corn tortillas are cracking when you roll them, wrap a stack of corn tortillas in some damp paper towels and microwave for 15โ€“30 seconds until warmed up. The reason many tortillas crack or break is because they are not warm enough.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 126kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 213mg, Potassium: 88mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 775IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 128mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

RECIPE FAQ

  • Add your mix, roll, and then use metal tongs to hold the taquitos in the oil with the seam-side down until they stay rolled. You can also add toothpicks to the center of each taquito before frying to keep in place.
  • The oil should immediately begin to bubble when the taquitos are placed in and each side should take about 1 minute to fry. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to help drain the oil.
  • While I don’t recommend fully frying these chicken and cheese taquitos up ahead of time, you can prepare the ingredients beforehand so that all you have to do is roll and fry.
  • The cream cheese chicken filling can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and stored in a container in the fridge, or the freezer for 6-8 weeks.
  • Leftover cream cheese taquitos can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on a baking sheet in the oven, in a warm skillet with olive oil on the stove, or in the microwave.

For Mexican Dips and Salsas:

Recipe adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

So Easy & So Yummy

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5 from 925 votes (677 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




617 Comments

  1. Jessica says:

    5 stars
    I made these and they are sooooooooooooooooooooo good!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Thanks for stopping by, Jessica! SO glad you liked them. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      1. Ale says:

        Hi, what kind of salsa? You see im mexican and we have a lot of salsas Jejejeje

  2. Michelle says:

    How do you recommend I cook the chicken (boil, sautee,bake). What method did you use?

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      There are a few ways I do. I usually buy some chicken breast and immediately stick it in the crock pot on HIGH for 4 hours. I take it out, let it cool and then I shred it. I usually bag it and then freeze it so I can just pull it out the morning of and let it de-thaw. The other option I use if I’m in a hurry is I’ll line a baking sheet with foil. I place the chicken breast on it and drizzle a little bit of olive oil and lemon pepper and bake it at 400 for 40-50 minutes. Then, I let it cool and shred. Hope that helps. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    2. Samantha says:

      You can just get a rotisserie chicken from the store. That worked great for me.

      1. Kristyn Merkley says:

        Totally can ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Titan says:

    Getting ready to make these and was just wondering did you freeze them after deep frying them, or froze them just rolled and then pulled them out and fried them? Thanks. Love you site and recipes.

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Just now seeing this… sorry! If I have some of the chicken/cream cheese mixture left over that is what I freeze. The day I want to use them, I take it out of the freezer to un-thaw and then put them in the tortillas to fry. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      1. Barbara says:

        Thank you!

  4. Ne' Ne' says:

    Would it be possible to “bake” these in a casserole dish, rather than fry them?

    1. Ne' Ne' says:

      Never mind. I just saw that someone baked them at 425 degrees for 15 min. Can’t wait to try it ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. Amanda O. says:

    This looks great! One question though – do you season the chicken with anything when you cook it first (before you shred)?

  6. Paula says:

    These look fantastic can’t wait to make them!
    Paula

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Hope you enjoy them as much as we do. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      1. Abril says:

        Hi!
        What kind of salsa you used?

      2. Lil' Luna says:

        I like to make it..I have a few recipes on the site. If I’m in a hurry..I just get store bought. No particular one..I’ve tried many. Hope that helps ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Jenny says:

    5 stars
    I made these for dinner tonight and my husband and I both loved them! Since we’re vegetarian, I swapped 8 oz of freshly sliced, sauteed mushrooms and a can of black beans for the chicken. I also used flour instead of corn tortillas and baked them at 425 for 15 minutes instead of frying them. They turned out great! We’ll definitely be making them again. Thanks for a delicious recipe!

    1. Crystal says:

      Were they crispy baked like that?

    2. Lisa says:

      Then you made vegetarian Flautas not chicken Taquitos, totally different recipe!

    3. Donna says:

      Thank you I was wondering if you could bake them instead of frying them.

      1. Hailey says:

        5 stars
        I usually bake them instead of frying. I hate frying things. I put them in the over at 350 and cook for 10 to 15 depending upon the oven. I also spray them down with a little bit of olive oil spray. That gets them nice and crispy. Hopes this helps!

        I love this recipe I normally make it once or twice a month!

      2. Lil' Luna says:

        Thanks Hailey for sharing! These are great baked, too!

    4. Samantha says:

      Great idea, the corn tortillas are annoying to work with.

      1. Rhonda says:

        Everyone I tried rolling would crack down the sides and the mixture would fall out. Not sure if there are any tricks but mine looked horrible! Tasted good, liked the filling but not too crazy about corn tortilla.

      2. Kristyn Merkley says:

        Unfortunately, they do crack sometimes. One way, is to not over stuff the taquitos..not saying you did, but I have found that helpful. I am glad you still liked them!

      3. Nadia says:

        it helps to microwave corn torTillas first so they are soft Enough to roll. They wont crack if you do thIs first. Just dont Overheat them in the microwave or they will get too soft and Rip.