Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Taquitos (Air Fryer, Baked or Fried)

Crispy cheesy chicken taquitos loaded with a cream cheese chipotle filling. Air fry, bake or fry for the perfect golden crunch. The best flavour-packed way to use up leftover chicken!

I’ve been making this recipe on repeat now for many years (6 to be precise). Along the way, I’ve acquired some game-changing tips for making the best chicken taquitos. Plus, I’ve perfected 3 different ways to cook them too! Follow me…

Chicken Taquito Filling

What sets these taquitos apart from the rest is all in the filling. It’s extra cheesy and has a lovely rich, spicy flavour. Here’s what’s going on:

• Chicken – The heart and soul of these taquitos are indeed the chicken. Leftover rotisserie chicken works perfectly here; alternatively, you can cook up some chicken breast and shred it.
• Cheese – Cream cheese is a classic addition to taquitos; it makes a perfect base, not only for added flavour, but more so because it keeps everything moist without dampening the tortillas too much. I also love adding a hefty amount of Cheddar for a punch of flavour and extra gooey, cheesy goodness (they are cheese and chicken taquitos after all).
• Chipotle – I love the flavour of chipotle so much, and it works perfectly in this context. If you’re in the UK, you’ll find Chipotle paste in most supermarkets, and if you’re in the US and can get your hands on Chipotle paste use that. If not, you can mash Chipotle peppers in adobo, or use Chipotle powder.
• Lime – A good squeeze of lime juice really brightens up the filling and ensures it doesn’t end up too heavy. Plus lime and Chipotle are a match made in heaven.
• Seasoning – To take the filling up a notch, you’ll want to add some simple, store-bought seasoning (smoked paprika, onion & garlic powder, salt & pepper).

Process shots: warm cream cheese in microwave (photo 1), add seasoning, chipotle and lime juice (photo 2), mash with a fork (photo 3), fold in cheese and chicken (photo 4).

How to roll Taquitos

To make taquitos, you can use either flour or corn tortillas. Most recipes use corn, but personally, I feel flour works just as well. In fact, flour tortillas are easier to roll, so that’s something to consider. In all cases, you’ll want them quite small – around 6-7″ works best.

How do you roll tight taquitos?

Place the filling in a line towards one side of the centre, fold over the short side to cover the filling, then tightly roll until you reach the other end.

How do you keep corn tortillas from cracking when making taquitos?

As I mentioned, corn tortillas are slightly drier than flour, so they can sometimes crack when rolling into taquitos. A tip that will help you with this is to place a damp towel over the wraps and microwave until they soften. This will make them more pliable when rolling.

How do you make taquitos stay together?

First thing you’ll want to do is ensure you cook them seam-side down. This will help ‘glue’ the opening shut as they cook. Also, if you need to, don’t be afraid to seal the opening shut with toothpicks/cocktail sticks.

How to cook Taquitos

This is one of those ‘I’ve done the testing so you don’t have to’ situations. I have tested taquitos in the oven, in the air fryer and in a pan. All 3 methods are perfectly viable. They do however have their strengths and weaknesses.

Pan-Fried Taquitos (option 1)

To do this, you’ll need to heat up around 1/2″ of oil in a pan, then add the taquitos and rotate until golden all around. This is the quickest method, and the taquitos end up beautifully golden and crisp. It does bring with it the obvious hassle of shallow frying. If you’re not confident with this, you might want to consider baking or air frying.

Baked Taquitos (option 2)

This is a low-maintenance option because you can throw them all in the oven and not have to think about it. You also use a lot less oil than pan-frying This is however the longest option. I find the longer cooking time also means the filling is prone to seeping out too.

Air-Fried Taquitos (option 3)

This is a great option because it’s quick and they come out nice and crispy. The only downside of this is that you might need to work in batches, depending on how big your air fryer is.

(Air-fried taquitos look similar to the baked ones below)

How to serve Taquitos

I usually serve these in an appetizer context, sometimes at a dinner party, or even just as Finger Food at a potluck or gameday scenario. To go alongside, I recommend Tomato Salsa and Creamy Avocado Dip.

If you like the sound of these Chipotle taquitos then definitely check out my Chipotle Mac and Cheese!

For more similar recipes check out these beauties too:

• Ground Beef Tacos
• Buffalo Chicken Crunchwraps
• Avocado Chicken Roll Ups
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these chicken taquitos shall we?!

How to make Chicken Taquitos (Full Recipe & Video)

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