Cheesy Chicken Taquitos
Tender roasted chicken, sauteed onions, and lots of cheese tightly wrapped in a corn tortilla then pan-fried until crispy.
We had leftover roasted chicken in the fridge, a bit of Oaxaca cheese, and an avocado that was overly ripe so I grabbed them along with a few other ingredients and threw these super tasty cheesy chicken taquitos together for a recent lunch. After rolling them into taquitos, I shallow-fried them in a small skillet but you can also deep fry them if you prefer or bake them in the oven for a healthier option. I topped these crunchy beauties with homemade salsa, guacamole, tomatoes, cilantro, cotija cheese, and a sour cream drizzle to make them extra special. We all loved them.
How to Make Cheesy Chicken Taquitos
Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and season with a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Set aside to cool.
Chop the leftover roasted chicken into small bits and place it into a bowl. Add the cooled onions, Oaxaca cheese, salsa, and fresh cilantro then season with a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; toss to mix thoroughly.
Fill a small skillet with vegetable oil until it is 1/2 inch up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, about 7-10 minutes. Test the oil by putting the tip of a corn tortilla in the oil, if it bubbles a lot, it’s ready. Side Note: Make sure the oil is hot enough or the taquitos won’t be as crispy.
Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and place them on a plate. Microwave for 30-45 seconds or until the tortillas are warm and pliable.
Lay the tortillas out on a flat surface and spread a small spoonful of the chicken mixture down the center. Roll up each tortilla tightly and secure it with half of a toothpick.
Once the oil is very hot and ready, add 3-4 taquitos and fry, flipping as needed to brown evenly, until crispy and golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Using tongs, remove the taquitos to a wire cooling rack or a paper towel lined plate.
How to Bake Cheesy Chicken Taquitos
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Place the taquitos in a single layer on a sheet pan coated with cooking spray. Spray the tops of the taquitos with the cooking spray. Bake the taquitos, flipping them over halfway through cooking, for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
Remove the toothpicks.
Serve immediately with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro, cotija cheese, and hot sauce, if desired.
Equipment
Ingredients
Cheesy Chicken Taquitos:
- 2 tsp butter
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 2 cups roasted chicken, chopped
- ¾ cup Oaxaca cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp salsa (Click the link up above for the recipe)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- Vegetable oil **(Amount depends on skillet size)
- 13-15 corn tortillas
For Serving:
- Salsa (Click the link up above for the recipe)
- Guacamole (Click the link up above for the recipe)
- Sour cream
- Grape tomatoes, quartered
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Cotija cheese, crumbled
- Hot sauce, if desired
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and season with a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Set aside to cool.
- Chop the leftover roasted chicken into small bits and place it into a bowl. Add the cooled onions, Oaxaca cheese, salsa, and fresh cilantro then season with a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; toss to mix thoroughly.
- Fill a small skillet with vegetable oil until it is 1/2 inch up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot, about 7-10 minutes. Test the oil by putting the tip of a corn tortilla in the oil, if it bubbles a lot, it’s ready. Side Note: Make sure the oil is hot enough or the taquitos won't be as crispy.
- Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and place them on a plate. Microwave for 30-45 seconds or until the tortillas are warm and pliable.
- Lay the tortillas out on a flat surface and spread a small spoonful of the chicken mixture down the center. Roll up each tortilla tightly and secure it with half of a toothpick.
- Once the oil is very hot and ready, add 3-4 taquitos and fry, flipping as needed to brown evenly, until crispy and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, remove the taquitos to a wire cooling rack or a paper towel lined plate.
How to Bake the Cheesy Chicken Taquitos
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the taquitos in a single layer on a sheet pan coated with olive oil cooking spray. Spray the tops of the taquitos well with olive oil cooking spray.
- Bake the taquitos, flipping them over halfway through cooking, for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown.
- Remove the toothpicks.
- Serve immediately with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, cotija cheese, and hot sauce, if desired.
They look mouthwatering! Love the cheesy chicken filling a lot.
una ricetta buonissima, mi piace tanto, non vedo l’ora di provarla! Grazie!
This recipe looks delicious. Light and not heavy.
Look so scrumptious! Can’t wait to give it a try!