Description
These cheesy, crispy homemade chicken taquitos are stuffed with juicy cumin-garlic shredded chicken thighs and melty cheese. They can be oven-baked or fried and served with a trio of Mexican-style homemade sauces: garlic crema, smoky chipotle aioli, and avocado-cilantro lime crema. This recipe offers a restaurant-quality crunch without deep-frying, making it perfect for game day or casual entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Garlic Crema Sauce: 1 cup Mexican crema or sour cream, 6 cloves garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 medium lime juice, salt to taste
- For the Chipotle Aioli: ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo (adjust to spice tolerance), 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, 1 medium lime juice, 2 cloves garlic finely minced, pinch salt
- For the Avocado Cilantro-Lime Crema: ½ ripe avocado, ½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream, ½ cup cilantro, 1 small lime juice and zest, 2 cloves garlic, Water if needed for thinning, salt to taste
- For the Chicken: 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (pat dry), 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- For the Taquito Filling: Cooked shredded chicken (from above), 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend, pepper jack, or monterey jack cheese)
- 16 corn tortillas
- Toothpicks to secure taquitos while baking
- Garnish: cilantro (whole leaves and/or chopped), lime wedges, salsa fresca (pico de Gallo), Cotija cheese or crumbled queso fresco
Instructions
- Prepare the Garlic Crema Sauce: In a tall container using an immersion blender (or standard blender), blend together Mexican crema (or sour cream), garlic, garlic powder, lime juice, and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a bowl or squeeze bottle and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Prepare the Chipotle Aioli: In a tall container using an immersion blender (or standard blender), blend the mayonnaise, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic, and salt until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Transfer to a bowl or squeeze bottle and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Prepare the Avocado Cilantro-Lime Crema: In a tall container using an immersion blender (or standard blender), blend the avocado, Mexican crema, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, and salt. If needed, add water gradually to thin to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a bowl or squeeze bottle and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Cook the Chicken: In a large bowl, season the chicken thighs evenly with garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper until the chicken is fully coated. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer (in batches if needed). Sear for 4-5 minutes per side, or until fully cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for at least 5 minutes before shredding with two forks.
- Assemble the Taquitos: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray or brush with oil. Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds or until pliable. Place about 2 ounces of shredded chicken and a small handful of shredded cheese near one edge of each tortilla. Roll tightly, secure with a toothpick, and place seam-side down on the baking sheet.
- Bake Chicken Taquitos: Lightly brush or spray the tops of the taquitos with oil and bake for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy.
- Serve: Remove the toothpicks and serve the taquitos warm, drizzled with all three sauces. Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges, salsa, and top with Cotija or queso fresco. You can also serve the taquitos with some classic sides such as Mexican rice, black or refried beans, or cabbage slaw.
- Alternative Cooking Methods (Frying):
- Shallow-fry: Fill and roll as directed, securing each taquito with a toothpick. Heat ~¼ inch neutral oil in a wide skillet to 350–365°F (a tortilla scrap should sizzle). Fry taquitos seam-side down in batches 1–2 minutes per side until golden and crisp, adjusting heat to maintain temp. Transfer to a wire rack to drain, pull the toothpicks, and keep warm in a 200°F oven. If they want to unroll, keep the seam side down a bit longer before turning.
- Deep-fry: In a Dutch oven, heat 2–3 inches of neutral oil to 350°F. Fry 3–5 taquitos at a time for 2–3 minutes total, turning once, until uniformly golden and blistered. Drain on a rack, remove toothpicks, and hold in a 200°F oven between batches. Lightly salt while hot, and serve with garlic crema, chipotle aioli, and avocado–cilantro–lime crema.
Notes
- Warm tortillas before using to prevent cracking. Microwave 6-8 at a time in a damp paper towel, keeping them covered.
- Rest cooked chicken for 5 minutes before shredding for a moist filling and to ensure crisp taquito shells.
- Do not overfill tortillas (about 2 oz chicken and a small handful of cheese per taquito) to prevent blow-outs.
- High-heat baking (450°F) with oil helps achieve a fried look. Flip halfway for even color.
- Use neutral cooking oil on the baking sheet and taquitos for crisping.
- Baking seam-side down and flipping ensures they stay rolled and brown evenly. Minor cracking is normal.
- For less cracking, wrap taquitos tightly in oiled foil before baking, increasing bake time.
- Nutritional information excludes garnishes.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooked taquitos and sauces separately for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Air fryer 375°F for 4-6 min or oven 400°F for 8-10 min until crisp. Microwave for 45-60 sec, then re-crisp in a hot skillet for 2-3 min.
- Freezing (unbaked or baked): Freeze rolled taquitos on a sheet tray until firm, then bag for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 425°F for 20-25 min, flipping once. Baked leftovers reheat at 400°F for 12-15 min.
- Make-ahead: Cook and shred chicken and blend sauces 1-2 days ahead. Roll taquitos the morning of and bake just before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking or Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taquito
- Calories: 274 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 518 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.03 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 77 mg
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