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Crispy chicken taquitos are the ultimate finger food with only 15 minutes of prep!
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
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutes
- 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
- 1½ cups baby spinach – for added flavor, texture, and color
- 1½ cups shredded colby jack cheese – Mexican blend cheese is another great choice, or cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, or pepper jack cheese also works.
- ½ cup salsa – Change the salsa to change the flavor – Sweet Salsa Verde or Tomatillo Salsa are both great!
- ⅓ 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, jalapeños, Guacamole, or Queso Blanco
How to Make Taquitos
- PREP. Fill a saucepan with ½ inch of oil and heat over medium heat to 350°F.
- FILLING. Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix 3 cups chicken, 6 ounces cream cheese, 1½ cups spinach, 1½ cups Colby Jack cheese, ½ cup salsa, and ⅓ cup sour cream. Add salt and pepper.
- 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, 2–3 minutes per side. Set on paper towels to drain.
- Repeat until all 12 (6-inch) tortillas have been filled, rolled, and fried.
- 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 400°F. 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.
Complete the Meal
- SIDE DISHES: Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe, Canned Refried Beans, Cilantro Lime Rice, Cheese Enchiladas, Esquites, or Homemade Tortilla Chips.
- DESSERTS: Sopapilla, Arroz con Leche, Mexican Fried Ice Cream Recipe, Tres Leches or Flan.
- MORE MEXICAN MAIN DISHES: Cheese Enchiladas, Flautas, Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken Tacos
MORE COLLECTIONS: Mexican Dinner Ideas, Mexican Chicken Recipes, Mexican Appetizers
Taquitos Recipe
Everyone loves these classic taquitos! They're fried to golden perfection and are great as appetizers or even a main dish.
Equipment
Ingredients
- vegetable or canola oil, for frying
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1½ cups baby spinach, stems removed and chopped
- 1½ cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, or Mexican blend cheese
- ½ cup salsa, store-bought or homemade
- ⅓ 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 ½ inch of oil and heat over medium heat to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix 3 cups chicken, 6 ounces cream cheese, 1½ cups spinach, 1½ cups Colby Jack cheese, ½ cup salsa, and ⅓ 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, 2–3 minutes per side. Set on paper towels to drain. Repeat until all 12 (6-inch) tortillas have been filled, rolled, and fried.
- Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
Variations. Change it up by using shredded beef or pork. You can also use a different salsa to change the flavors.
Make ahead of time. 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. If your corn tortillas are cracking when you roll them, wrap a stack of corn tortillas in some damp paper towels and microwave for 15–30 seconds until warmed up. The reason many tortillas crack or break is because they are not warm enough.
Make ahead of time. 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. If your corn tortillas are cracking when you roll them, wrap a stack of corn tortillas in some damp paper towels and microwave for 15–30 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
Keep tortillas rolled?
- 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.
Is the Oil Hot Enough?
- 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.
How to Make These Ahead of time?
- 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.
How to Store Tortillas?
- 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
Oh no! Wish I’d seen this a few hours earlier 😪 I t was trying to do something with some left over roast chook. This looks so much delicious than my rice and chicken was. I will make them next time. Thankyou for sharing.
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy the recipe when you give it a try!
I have made these several times,delicious of course but on a lighter note. Bake tortillas on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil and spray each side of tortilla with Avocado oil Bake a few minutes til pliable fill each tortilla with mixture,roll tortilla up. Bake another few minutes til crispy,no frying. Enjoy!!
That’s a great way to cook them as well. Thanks for sharing!
Can you cook them in a air fryer
Yes you can!
Followed the recipe and they turned out great! Excellent addition for cocktail night, and super easy to make.
Yay! So glad to hear that they were a hit!
This looks delicious! I’m wondering if it were possible to make a variation of this with lump crab meat similar to crab ragoons? What are your thoughts?
I have never tried with crab, but I imagine it would be tasty! If you swap the chicken for crab, you’ll have to let us know how they turn out!
My family loves this recipe. They requested it again tonight. I don’t put spinach in mine. I was thinking it would be good.with black beans, corn or chili’s even. I realized the last time I used to much oil in the pan so this time I had no accidents.
Ooh I bet black beans, corn and chilis would be delicious in there! You could certainly give it a try!
Yummy 🤤
How do i make it without the corn tortilla cracking
Preheat the oven to 400º F. Place the corn tortillas (single layer) on a sheet pan. Lightly brush oil over the top side. Heat 4 minutes.
Remove from oven. Stack them on a plate so they don’t dry out and cover. Roll up individually and place them back on the same sheet pan, seam side down. Lightly brush tops with oil and bake at 400º F between 12-15 minutes, turning mid-way to crisp up the bottom side.
I find this is a lot less messier than frying in a skillet and dealing with splattering oil–and my tortillas always broke when I fried them. Hope this helps.
The whole family loves it including a very picky one! Great recipe!
I am so glad I found your recipe! Your taquito recipe is one of the best foods that I have ever made. Since I made it, my husband and son have raved about how great your recipe is. In fact, they loved it so much that they are begging me to make it again ASAP! My only variation was that I used flour tortilla shells instead of corn! Absolutely amazing! I highly recommend it. 🙂