Chicken Taquitos are full of flavor and surprisingly easy to make at a home. We’re sharing all the keys to success, including how to keep the corn tortillas from cracking when you roll up taquitos!
We love to make taquitos for dinner on the nights where we’ve made a fresh batch of Salsa Chicken in the Instant Pot.
You can make the chicken in the Crock-Pot too.
Salsa Chicken is made from chicken breasts and salsa that are cooked together until the chicken is pull-apart tender.
The Salsa Chicken is great in these taquitos.
You can also use it in Chicken Enchiladas or Chicken Nachos.
I’m a big fan of foods that can be used in multiple ways.
I think that adds variety to your menu.
We’ll often have taquitos one night and then Chicken Nachos or Enchiladas the next.
So simple.
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Key to Success #1 – Warm Up the Tortillas for Easy Rolling
One of the complaints I hear about making taquitos at home is that the corn tortillas often crack when you’re rolling up the taquitos.
I have a simple tip that will prevent the tracks.
To prevent the corn tortillas from cracking when rolling up taquitos, warm up the tortillas in the microwave for about 20 seconds before you start.
Warming the corn tortillas will soften them up and make them much easier to roll.
I keep my warmed tortillas in a tortilla warmer so that they’ll stay warm while I’m rolling up the taquitos. It works great!
Key to Success #2 – Use Only a Tablespoon of Filling
It’s important to limit the amount of filling that you put inside the chicken taquitos.
About 1 tablespoon of filling is the correct amount so that the mixture won’t fall out while the chicken taquitos are frying.
Place the chicken mixture in a vertical line about 1/3 of the way over on your corn tortilla.
I put mine on the left side of the tortilla then start rolling from the left.
But you can roll from the right if that feels more natural for you.
I wish I’d remembered to take a picture of where I place the filling on the corn tortilla for you.
It may seem like there is a lot of your tortilla that does not have chicken filling in it but it works out perfectly.
Key to Success #3 – Fry Seam-side Down First
After you roll your chicken taquitos, lay them seam-side down on waxed paper until you are ready to fry.
You only need about a half-inch of oil in your skillet to fry the taquitos.
When the oil is hot, place the taquitos seam-side down in the hot oil.
I have a 10-inch stainless steel skillet and it will easily fry about 4 taquitos at a time.
You don’t want to crowd them much more than that.
Use a pair of tongs to flip the chicken taquitos halfway through cooking.
And be sure to have a paper towel-lined plate to drain the taquitos while you are cooking the rest of the batch.
We love to serve these chicken taquitos with cheese dip and sour cream. Guacamole would be fantastic too!
How do you like to eat your chicken taquitos?
Let us know in the comments!
Save this Chicken Taquitos recipe to your favorite Mexican Food board or your Easy Chicken Dinners board.
Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded chicken or salsa chicken
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups Mexican blend cheese
- 1/3 cup salsa
- 12 corn tortillas
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil.
- In medium bowl, mix together shredded chicken, cream cheese, shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
- Heat corn tortilla until warmed slightly to make rolling easier. (About 30 seconds in the microwave.)
- Place about 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture onto each corn tortilla. Tightly roll up.
- Place filled tortilla seam side down in hot oil. Fry 1-2 minutes then turn over and fry another 1-2 minutes.
- Remove to a paper towel-covered plate to drain.
Notes
- Can substitute 2 cans of Tyson Chunk White Chicken Breast for the chicken in this recipe. Drain chicken well.