This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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
Do you boil the chicken?
You can cook your chicken how ever you like to cook it. I like to cook up some chicken in my crockpot, then shred it and keep it in the freezer or fridge, so it’s ready when I’m cooking. Whatever you like:)
I made these for a work potluck & they were a hit! I added the mexicorn and I think next time will add some sautéed onion & peppers and taco seasoning to the mix.
I made them the night before & my husband had a suggestion to heat them & still keep them crisp. I put them in the crockpot & kept the lid cock-eyed & heated on low for a few hours & they were perfect! Thanks so much!
Great ideas!! So glad they were a hit. 😀
Made these tonight, they were amazing! Wanted to ask though, my tortillas were tearing after I rolled them and placed them in the oil, which resulted in the chicken leaking out and grease popping all over while I was cooking. Grr! Any suggestions? I think perhaps I over stuffed them a bit, and planned on trying less next time. Generally how many tablespoons do you spoon in them?
I usually only use a few tablespoons. I’ve had this happen before but either the tortillas are the cheapest quality or they are a bit older. If And I make sure I fold them the natural direction of the tortillas (if that makes sense since they tend to fold around easier one way than the other). Hope that helps. 😀
How do I keep them together when they are frying? Mine didnt come out the way it’s on the photo? Do U use toothpicks to hold?
Wonderful
I am going to make those for dinner today. Do you know the serving size of this recipe
I made these Saturday night for my kids and their friends and they were a huge hit! A few tips:
1) Take your stack of corn tortillas, place them on a microwave safe plate, and microwave for 30 seconds or so to soften them up. Leave them in the microwave and pull one out at a time.
2) Fill, and roll, and then grab with long handled tongs.
3) Place hold with tongs in oil for a few seconds until the taquito has fried enough to hold it’s shape. Then let go with the tongs.
4) Allow to fry for a few more seconds then roll/turn with the tongs so other side cooks. About 20 seconds or so.
5) Remove from the oil before you think they need to come out to prevent over cooking.
I tried rolling a few before frying and found that the corn tortillas would crack. This “microwave to soften, then roll and fry one at a time” method worked like a champ. The leftovers were fought over for lunch the following day.
I made these & they were delicious! I used fresh yellow corn tortillas but also had trouble with the tortillas crumbling during rolling & then completely coming apart in the oil! I ended up using toothpicks to secure them. How much oil (depth) do you use? I think next time I would either pass them through oil for a few seconds to soften before rolling (I do this for enchiladas) or just bake them.
very good! but the corn tortillas were very fragile, you cant keep flipping them- they were falling apart. What kind of tortillas are best? yellow white or blue i wonder? I used frozen grilled chicken strips and think flavored rotisserie chicken would be better, tc thanks! my 12 yr old nephew said we must make it friday night tradition!!-lol
I like ARIZONA brand corn tortillas but most any work. Making sure they are fresh helps because if they are old they tend to crack. 😉
I used homemade corn tortillas from the Supermercado Monterrey store (Longview, Texas). I didn’t have a problem with tearing or cracking. I also used a rotisserie chicken and shredded it in my kitchen aid mixer. Very tasty, thanks for the recipe!
What great ideas, Susie!! I’ll have to try shredding in my mixer! I bet that saves time! Thanks!
Can these be baked instead of fried?
I haven’t tried baking them, but I’m sure you could. I would put them seam side down in a pan and then lightly spray with cooking spray and then cook for 15-20 minutes… but I’d watch them closely since I’m unsure on the time. 😉