These Crispy Baked Chicken Taquitos are the perfect quick and easy dinner for busy weeknights. Shredded rotisserie chicken is tossed in Mexican inspired spices, rolled up in corn tortillas, and baked in the oven until golden brown and crispy.
Chicken taquitos are basically open-ended crunchy chicken and cheese burritos that are healthier than your traditional taquito because they are not deep fried! Even though they are baked, they are just as crispy on the outside, with juicy flavorful chicken on the inside.
If you enjoy these homemade crispy baked chicken taquitos, I highly recommend you also check out a few more of my reader’s favorites such as Crispy Baked Chicken Tacos, Crispy Beef Tacos and Chipotle Chicken Tacos!
Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Taquitos
Taquito is a Mexican dish where a rolled-up tortilla is stuffed with meat (in this case, chicken) and cheese. They are typically made with corn tortillas but the Americanized version sometimes uses flour tortillas.
Traditionally taquitos are deep fried but by baking them in the oven, we get much healthier chicken taquitos. They also crisp up really well (and even more) in the the air fryer, so I’ve included air fryer instructions as well.
To make these homemade baked chicken taquitos, we first season shredded rotisserie chicken with chili powder, ground cumin, and paprika seasonings, and combine it with shredded cheese to make the filling. We will fill and roll the filling into the corn tortillas
In order to make taquitos crispy, make sure to brush tortillas with cooking oil, and also spray the baking sheet generously with cooking oil before sending them into the oven to make. Chicken taquitos should come out crispy on the outside and chicken is juicy and flavorful on the inside.
The truth is, baked chicken taquitos are not only healthier, but are also much easier, less messy, and requires much less time in the kitchen than the fried variation.
Drizzle baked chicken taquitos with some sour cream, queso or avocado crema, and dip it in some salsa or guacamole. Serve with some Mexican Rice or tortilla chips. If I have a rule about taquitos, it would be it should never be served alone. It needs all the toppings to get the full experience.
Baked chicken taquitos serve as a fun appetizer for game day, Cinco de mayo, etc but they also make a quick dinner you can make in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
This Baked Chicken Taquito recipe requires minimal ingredients:
- Rotisserie chicken – or any cooked chicken that you have on hand. Chop or shred into smaller pieces. This is also a great way to use up leftover chicken!
- Corn tortillas – corn tortillas are used traditionally for chicken taquitos. However, if you are not a fan of corn tortillas, try flour tortillas. They have a different texture but works just fine!
- Rotel – this is canned item that is a combination of tomatoes with green chilis.
- chili powder – A warm, mildly spicy spice blend typically made from ground dried chilies. It adds smoky heat and depth of flavor to Mexican/Mexican inspired dishes like elote pasta salad, cheesy Mexican chicken and rice etc.
- Paprika – another popular Mexican spice – it adds color and a subtle peppery sweetness without much heat.
- Ground cumin – another aromatic spice made from dried cumin seeds with a warm, slightly nutty flavor.
- Salt – used to open up the flavors for the taquito stuffing.
- Monterey Jack cheese – has a mild, buttery flavor and is added to the filling mixture as well. You can also use any soft cheese that melts easily, such as pepper jack cheese, cheddar cheese, etc.
- Neutral oil of choice – I use a lot of olive oil and avocado oil in my cooking but feel free to use coconut oil, canola oil, vegetable oil etc.
Equipment
There’s a good chance you already have all the equipment to make this baked chicken taquito recipe in your kitchen!
- baking dish – to bake the taquitos!
- mixing bowl – to mix the taquito filling
- cooking brush – to brush cooking oil onto the taquitos
Let’s Bake Some Chicken Taquitos!
That’s right, we are baking these taquitos, MEANING, we are NOT deep frying these taquitos in an inch of oil.
Make Filling Mixture
First, let’s make the filling for our baked chicken taquito.
We’ll start with bringing flavors to that shredded cooked chicken by mixing it with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and rotel (canned tomatoes with green chilies). Then add the shredded Monterey jack cheese.
Fold to combine.
Once that is done, it’s time to assemble them!
Assemble Taquitos
Grease baking sheet well with baking spray or vegetable oil. We want to make sure the pan is greased so that baked taquitos don’t stick to it, and it’ll also help it be crispy!
Microwaving corn tortillas in batches (with wet paper towel on top) to soften the tortillas so they are more pliable and prevent breakage when rolling into taquitos.
Place chicken and cheese mixture on one side of a corn tortilla, then roll it up tightly. Place it on the greased baking sheet. Repeat until you are done with all of the mixture.
Once you’ve filled and rolled all the chicken taquitos, brush rolled taquitos with cooking oil so that the tops crisp up as well.
Bake Taquitos
Bake in the oven at 400 ℉ for 13-14 minutes, or until they are crispy.
Some of them might tear slightly, that is ok! Corn tortillas are delicate and will tear a bit, but warming them up earlier helps with that a bit.
Serve these crispy, juicy chicken taquitos hot with lettuce, salsa, guacamole, queso, etc…and enjoy!
They never fail to be a hit whenever I make it!
Air Fryer Instructions
To make chicken and cheese taquitos in the air fryer, simply follow the preparation and assembly instructions, and air fry for 7-8 minutes at 400ºF.
Avoid overcrowding air fryer and cook in a few batches. If air fryer is too crowded, taquitos will not crisp up, or/and you will need to cook for longer.
Serving Chicken Taquitos
Personally, when it comes to chicken taquitos, the garnishes and sauces are key to really taking it from good to amazing.
Serve it with some or all of the following…really dress it up! Trust me, it’s worth it.
- herbs/vegetables: cilantro, avocado, jalapeno, lettuce, lime/ lime juice)
- sauces and dips: guacamole, queso, salsa, avocado crema, sour cream, pico de gallo
- sides: tortilla chips, Mexican rice, beans
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Baked chicken taquitos can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freezer for up to 2 months. Taquitos can be made ahead and freeze prior to baking as well.
Reheating: Taquitos can be reheated directly from frozen or from refrigerator. Reheat in the oven at 400ºF for 10-11 minutes, or 400ºF for 7-8 minutes in the air fryer. If reheating from frozen, it may require longer bake time.
Tips and Tricks
Here are a few tips to take your taquito game to the next level!
- Greased sheet pan well. This ensures that the corn taquitos don’t stick to the baking sheet and makes the clean up process easier.
- Try not to overfill the taquitos. Roll them tightly and place them seam side down to prevent them from unrolling during baking.
- Use warm tortillas: Heat corn tortillas in the microwave wedged between wet paper towels for 30 seconds on high or until they are soft to prevent taquitos from breaking when rolling them. If you’re still having trouble rolling the corn tortillas without the tortillas breaking and/or filling staying in, try toothpicking the taquitos.
- Crank up the heat: For crispier taquitos, broil taquitos at the last two minutes of bake time, or flip them halfway through baking, or both!
- Cool them: Let the taquitos cool a few minutes for a crispier exterior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally, taquitos are made with corn tortillas. However, when I’m in a pinch I sometimes use flour tortillas or even whole wheat tortillas! Note that they will take a bit longer time in the oven to crisp up.
I love that the spice level on this dish is so versatile! If you love heat, add some freshly chopped jalapenos, or serrano to the mixture before rolling it up. You can also add more chili powder, paprika, or cayenne to the mixture to up the spice level.
You can add cream cheese or sour cream to the filling mixture, or simply add more cheese
Heat corn tortillas in the microwave so it is warm before rolling. This will make it more pliable and will help prevent breakage. Also, make sure you are using fresh corn tortillas. Older corn tortillas tend to be dry so they break more easily and are harder to roll.
Yes! In fact, this recipe is versatile! You can prep the chicken mixture ahead of time, roll them out and wrap them (unbaked) and freeze them too. If you are freezing rolled out taquitos before baking or when saving leftovers, wrap them in saran wrap and foil for extra freezer protection.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
More Mexican inspired meals!
- Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice
- Mexican Breakfast Bowl
- Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl
Baked Chicken Taquitos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
- 10 oz rotel
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups monterey jack cheese shredded
- 25 corn tortillas
- cooking oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Add chicken, rotel, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, and cheese to a medium mixing bowl. Toss until well combined.
- Prepare a sheet pan by spraying with cooking oil. Set aside.
- Working in batches, cover corn tortillas with a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
- Place approximately 2 tsp of the chicken mixture near the edge of the corn tortilla. Roll tightly. Place on sheet pan seam side down.
- Repeat until all of the chicken mixture and tortillas are used.
- Brush each taquito with cooking oil.
- Bake for 13-14 minutes or until crispy.
- Serve and enjoy!
I’m going to try
Can’t wait to hear how it goes! <3
I don’t really like corn tortillas. Do you think I could use flour tortillas instead?
Yes! Flour tortillas work great as well! You may need to bake it for a bit longer as it usually takes a few more minutes to crisp up! Please let me know how this goes 🙂