These baked chicken taquitos are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and full of fabulous flavor. An easy and delicious dinner recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
Table of Contents
Baked Chicken Taquitos
If you’re a fan of Mexican food, you’re going to love these homemade taquitos. They’re similar to chicken enchiladas, but aren’t covered in sauce which allows the outside of the tortillas to get nice and crispy similar to chicken flautas. They are so yummy!
I love all types of Mexican food, but taquitos have to be one of my favorites! They are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and have such great flavor. Plus they taste amazing loaded with ALL the toppings, like guacamole, pico de gallo, cilantro and sour cream.
We make these baked chicken taquitos quite often at my house and they are always a big hit! Everyone in the family loves them and gets so excited when it’s taquito night. They taste great served with beans or Mexican rice. So, so delicious!
How to Make Chicken Taquitos
- FILLING. Stir together cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, cumin and garlic powder. Then add in cheese, cilantro and chicken and mix until combined.
- ROLL. Heat the tortillas in the microwave (to enhance flexibility), then add about 3 Tablespoons of the chicken filling to the center of each tortilla. Fold one side of the tortilla over on top of the chicken mixture and tightly roll all the way through. Then place the rolled taquito seam side down on your baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt for more flavor.
- BAKE. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 13-15 minutes until lightly browned. Then add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Cooking Tips + Variations
- Preventing tortillas from breaking. Heat the tortillas in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds between damp paper towels. This helps them steam and keeps them flexible so that they don’t break from the weight of the chicken mixture when rolling. I’ve found flour tortillas crack less.
- Chicken. You can use a rotisserie chicken to make this recipe even easier. Or make shredded chicken in the instant pot or crockpot.
- Spice. For more heat, try adding a dash of your favorite hot sauce or a sprinkle of cayenne.
- Variation. For a fun variation, use leftover buffalo chicken dip to make taquitos. Simply use the dip to fill the tortillas and bake as directed.
- Frying the taquitos. You can also fry your taquitos as well (use corn tortillas if frying). Heat 3/4″ vegetable oil in a deep large skillet to 350°F. Add 4 taquitos (seams down) at a time and fry 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Place on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Make ahead. You can prepare the chicken filling a day or so in advance if preferred. Then simply roll up the taquitos when ready to bake.
Freezer Instructions
Taquitos make a great freezer meal. You can freeze them baked or unbaked. Simply place seam side down on a freezer safe baking dish and cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap/foil. Place in freezer (make sure they are leveled) for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, preheat oven and add frozen taquitos to a foil lined baking sheet. Spray with nonstick spray, then bake in oven until warmed throughout, about 15-20 minutes.
Craving more Mexican inspired dinner recipes? Try this sheet pan quesadilla recipe, it’s fun and easy to make!
More Mexican Dinner Ideas
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Chicken Taquitos
Video
Ingredients
- 3-4 ounces cream cheese , softened
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup red or green salsa
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ cup shredded monterey or pepper jack cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken , I like to use rotisserie chicken
- 12 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
S&P, to taste; Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Optional toppings & sides: Mexican rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Stir together the cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, cumin and garlic powder. Then add the cheese, cilantro and chicken.
- Place 3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and roll up. Place seam of tortilla on pan. Lightly brush the tortillas with olive oil and sprinkle salt on top if desired.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Appetizers, Chicken, Cinco De Mayo, Dinner, Freezer-Friendly, Freezer-Friendly, Mexican, Reader Favorites
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
We love these. You can’t go wrong with this recipe. Super yummy and comes together so fast if you have all the ingredients. It’s easy to make and tastes great.
My family really enjoyed this quick easy dinner and they were great for leftovers for my teens on the go!
The absolute best! Comes together so quick especially using rotisserie chicken and my kids love them as much as I do. They also made for a great leftovers lunch the next day. Definitely a go to choice for me.
Glad to hear the recipe is a family favorite, Mary! Thank you for your comment and review :)
I’m not seeing where the 1/4 cup of sour cream goes in the recipe? Is it just for toppings?
Woops! It gets mixed in with the other ingredients in step #2. Just updated the recipe!
No worries, I actually made it without the sour cream and they were still delish! Will have to make them again next week WITH the sour cream!
Oh, good! Enjoy:)
One of my families favorites! Taste so yummy and easy to prepare.
I’m so happy to hear that this dish is a family favorite, Michelle! :)
One of my families favorites 💕
Yay! So happy to hear that :)
These turned out great! The kids really loved them for lunch!
Yum! I love taquitos, this was my first time making them at home and they turned out wonderful!
These came out SO yummy!!! Great flavor! And just so quick and easy to put together. I made them for lunch and both my teenagers (Distance Learning at home) loved them. My picky eater asked if I could make them for tomorrow’s lunch too so yay! Making a second batch…
I can only imagine how much flavor these taquitos have! It’s been a while since I last made them, so it is time to do it again – with your delicious recipe!
Hope you enjoy!!
Delicious and full of flavour – something for the whole family to enjoy. YUM!
haha. You sound like me. I like EVERY kind of Mexican food. And I too love taquitos. So wonderful to have a recipe that’s freezer friendly too!!
Hope you enjoy!!
My family loved them. I also love how these are baked instead of fried to keep them on the healthier side!
I’m so glad your family enjoyed them! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Definitely! Sounds delicious!
What brand of green salsa do you use? These sound so delicious…can’t wait to make them.
We make these taquitos ALL the time and they are amazing! We double the batch and freeze them for easy dinners!
Sounds great! I love taquitos, but they’re usually fried and unhealthy.