Homemade Chicken Taquitos. They’re crunchy and full of wonderfully creamy chicken seasoned with warm taco spices and store bought enchilada sauce. These taquitos crisp up in the oven or the air fryer. No deep frying needed! And, the Avocado Jalapeño Ranch? Out. Of. This. World.
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When you make this chicken taquito recipe, you are gonna have so many happy customers. Everyone, and I mean everyone, will love this recipe. And, what’s not to love? They’re crunchy handheld taco rolls that are flavorful and wonderful. And, don’t forget about that avocado jalapeño ranch! It really does send these taquitos over the top!
chicken taquitos ingredients
- shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
- taco seasoning
- cream cheese
- red enchilada sauce
- monterey jack cheese
- avocado oil spray
- white corn tortillas
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
- buttermilk
- green onions
- avocado
- jalapeño, optional
- cilantro, optional
- granulated garlic
- dried dill weed
- limes
- kosher salt
- black pepper
let’s roll a taquito, shall we?
how to make a homemade chicken taquito
The chicken
Not only is this chicken taquito recipe super easy, but its also really fun to make. I always let my girls get in the kitchen when make this. They are veteran taquito rollers from way back!
I will forever sing the praises of a rotisserie chicken. They’re delicious, cut down on prep time, and I save the carcasses for bone broth. It’s a poultry win-win.
To begin, debone and shred the rotisserie chicken. I like to do this when the chicken is still warm. It’s sooooo much easier. We’ll only need about half for this recipe, so save the other half for things like chicken salad!
The mixture
Next, sauté the chopped tops of the green onion in a little avocado oil for just a few minutes. Then toss the chicken with a bit of taco seasoning, cream cheese, and red enchilada sauce and warm through. I told you it was easy!
This mixture is good enough to eat on its own, but just wait until you have it in a crispy corn tortillas oozing with melted cheese.
the tortillas
Now, this is very important. Before we roll the taquitos, the corn tortillas need to be warmed – this makes them pliable and less likely to crack or tear.
I love, love, love our insulated tortilla warmer. They are super affordable and work so well! I even give these as gifts!
Also, after you have warmed the corn tortillas, you need to coat both sides in a little bit of avocado oil. This will help them get crispy. If you don’t do this, you don’t get crispy chicken taquitos. And, no one wants that!
I use a little bit of avocado oil spray and just spritzed both sides of the tortilla. Use your fingers to spread the oil evenly and all over the tortilla. Now, time to roll!
Rolling
To roll the taquitos, add about a tablespoon of the chicken mixture to the warmed, oiled tortilla and spread in long thin line along the bottom third. Add a little cheese and carefully roll. Roll and repeat. Repeat and roll until you run out of the chicken mixture.
Place these seam side down for the first 10 minutes of cook time. About halfway through the cooking time carefully turn them over so the other side can get crispy. That’s it!
Now, on to the ranch!
the avocado jalapeño ranch dressing
This avocado jalapeño ranch dressing is possibly one of my favorite dressings ever. You have to make this. You are required to make this. Even if you don’t want a taquito and you just need a good salad dressing for the week, you have to make this.
What’s even better, all you have to do is throw everything into a food processor and blitz it up! That’s it!
And, as always, if you don’t like cilantro, leave it out. You’ll still end up with a fantastic dressing!
For the jalapeño, if you don’t like heat, leave it out. Or just remove the ribs and seeds.
But, whatever you do. Make this. It would make cat food taste good. I said it.
recipe frequently asked questions
As written, this chicken taquito recipe is completely gluten-free.
I will forever tell you to make my recipes your own. You do you. If you like flour tortillas, use those! Almond flour, cassava flour, you can even use wonton wrapper! Just use what you have and what you love!
Speaking of wonton wrappers, this recipe would make a fantastic egg roll! Just follow the instructions for my Cheeseburger Eggrolls and swap the filling and dipping sauces!
Either one! I’ve made this recipe in both the oven and the air fryer. The result is fantastic no matter what you choose!
For the oven: The taquitos need 20-25 minutes on 425°, turning half way.
For the air-fryer: Cook the taquitos 10-15 minutes on 400°, turning those halfway.
This recipe would be such a good one to double and freeze for easy meals in the future. To freeze, I would make the taquitos as instructed, but do not cook them. Place them seam side down on a baking sheet and let them freeze. Once frozen, store them in the freezer in a zip top bag.
To cook from frozen, simply add a few minutes of cooking time! That’s it!
My Instant Pot Taco Chicken recipe would also make a wonderful filling for these Crispy Chicken Taquitos!
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Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
The Taquitos
- 1-1½ lbs cooked chicken, shredded I used half of a rotisserie chicken
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 bunch green onions, whites separated and chopped reserve the green parts for the ranch
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup red enchilada sauce I used a mild one
- 1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 16-20 white corn tortillas
- avocado oil spray
The Avocado Jalapeño Ranch
- 1 avocado, cut into chunks
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp dried dill weed
- 2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1-2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed optional
- ¼-½ cup fresh cilantro, rough chopped optional
- tops of the green onion, rough chopped
- juice of 1 lime
Instructions
The Taquitos
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- In a large skillet, sauté the chopped, white part of the green onions in a little avocado oil for a few minutes.
- Add the chicken, taco seasoning, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce. Stir until combined and warmed through. Set aside.
- Warm the corn tortillas to prevent cracking. Using a little avocado oil spray, coat each side of the tortilla. Add 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture to the bottom third of the tortilla. Top with a little shredded cheese and carefully roll the tortilla.
- Place the taquito seam side down on a baking sheet and into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes and carefully turn the taquitos over. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until crispy.
- Dip into that lovely ranch dressing and enjoy!
The Avocado Jalapeño Ranch
- Put all of the ranch ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Check for salt and pepper. Add any if necessary. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Dip away and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Homemade Chicken Taquitos recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or review. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
–Rufus
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These are BOMB! And that avacado ranch would taste good on a flip-flop!
Thank you so much!