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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 926 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 926 votes (677 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




618 Comments

  1. G says:

    5 stars
    These were good the same day AND the day after. Nice!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Thanks for stopping by. Glad these were a hit!

  2. Natalie says:

    5 stars
    Just made these tonight and they were perfect! Kids loved them. Thanks for the tip about freezing the mixture. I will definitely do that!

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      YAY!!! So glad they were a hit. They are so simple and definitely delicious. Have a great day. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  3. Tamela says:

    5 stars
    My family LOVED these last night!!! We have a household of teenagers who CAN eat and they devoured all of them!! I loved the whole combination and added sweet corn & black beans then used flour tortillas (wanted them bigger for a main meal!) Oh soooo yummy!!!
    Thank you so much, definitely going in my rotation of menus!! :o)

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Ooooh, adding corn and black beans with flour tortillas sounds great. I’ll have to try that myself!

      1. Desiree says:

        These sound yummy but just wondering I LOVE BEEF! Can I use chopmeat instead of chicken?? Has anyone tried that and I too would want to bake them to keep them less oily and more healthy (if that is even possible…lol)

      2. Lil' Luna says:

        I love beef too and think these would be great with them. I would probably cook a pot roast in the crock pot and then shred it to use in the taquitos. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      3. Dan Leeder says:

        I think it would be awesome with ground beef. I would brown the beef and drain, then add a package of Taco Seasoning and about a cup of Taco Sauce (or Enchilada Sauce). Heat and reduce just a little (till it’s not too runny). I would mix all the other ingredients together to make that awesome paste and spread it on the tortilla and then run a thick line of the beef mixture on top.

  4. Lisa says:

    I made these tonight and they fell all apart. How do you keep the corn tortillas from splitting and falling apart

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Were the tortillas old? If they’re fresh they should be fine and have no problems rolling. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  5. melissa says:

    Do you seal them in any way before you fry them? Seems like they’d just fall apart.

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      No. I just hold it with the seam side down for a few seconds in the oil with the tongs and it’s enough to keep the shape and hold it in. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  6. Emily says:

    How long do these take to make?

  7. JIMBO says:

    what kind of salsa?

  8. Cathy says:

    Can i make one day before warm the next and will taste good…

  9. Dee says:

    Thanks for sharing this recipe, it sounds delish. I’m planning to make them soon. One question, cans they be bake instead of fried? Thank you.

  10. Terry says:

    5 stars
    Tried these tonight, very good. Only problem is mine fell apart. How to you keep the tortilla from breaking and coming apart.

    1. aguilar says:

      You can heat about 6 tortillas in microwave oven in a ziplock bag about 50 seconds, then roll them, or u can put tortilla in frying oil just for about 3 seconds then cool tortilla and then add mix roll & fry taquitos. This is the way I do my flautas

      1. Lil' Luna says:

        Great ideas – THANKS! ๐Ÿ˜€