These crunchy, chicken and cheese taquitos are a perfect weekday meal you can prepare in 3 easy steps, and under 30 minutes! And with my secret ingredient, it's a recipe you'll go to time and again.
Why This Recipe Works
These crunchy chicken and cheese taquitos are the perfect easy yet impressive dinner dish.
- They will satisfy those salt cravings whilst packing in protein and healthy antioxidants from the garlic, cilantro and fresh lime.
- The creamy melted cheese is balanced perfectly by the fragrant cilantro and zesty lime whilst the chicken soaks up the spices to create a flavorful and filling base.
- These spicy sensations can be made in just 25 minutes and contain just over 300 calories so you’ll rarely find a reason not to make them.
- You can cook the chicken in advance if you prefer, or you can just buy a rotisserie chicken to save some time. I tend to cook mine beforehand so I can control what goes into it, but a rotisserie chicken is a great option if you're pressed for time.
- Enjoy as a main, side dish or starter for a crunchy, mouthwatering meal.
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What Ingredients Go In This Recipe
Including your spices, only 13 ingredients go into this recipe and all are easy to find at any supermarket.
- HeluvaGood dip - you can’t enjoy these tasty chicken and cheese taquitos without a rich creamy dip! This adds contrast between hot and cold, as well as between spicy and creamy, to offer the perfect balance. My favorite dip for this recipe is the french onion one by Heluva Good!® Dips but they also have cheesy options, ranch and even a bacon flavor.
- Monterey Jack cheese - I love shredded Jack cheese for this recipe as it is mild yet flavorful. It’s one of the creamier cheeses that gives you that stringy melty goodness with each bite and it also has a slight tang which adds dimension above standard mozzarella. To make this recipe vegan you can easily replace the chicken and cheese with your favorite substitutes so don’t be deterred!.
- Corn tortillas - I use corn tortillas for added authenticity to this Mexican meal, however they also benefit from being gluten free and rich in fiber compared to their flour equivalent. You can easily switch them out if you prefer, just be aware this will vary the amount of taquitos you end up with and will mean the recipe is no longer gluten free.
How to Make This Recipe
Here's a walkthrough of how to make this recipe in 3 easy steps. Exact measurements of ingredients are included in the recipe card at the bottom.
Start by making the taquito filling. Add the HeluvaGood dip to a large bowl with all the spices, lime juice and cilantro. Mix until everything is all thoroughly combined.
Then, add the shredded chicken and cheese to the bowl. Mix again until thoroughly combined.
Now it's time to assemble the taquitos. You'll want to heat the tortillas slightly so they're easy to fold, so start by place 3-4 tortillas between two paper towels and lightly dampen each side. Microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Scoop about 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll tightly. Try to leave a little bit of space (about ½ inch) on the edges so that the mixture doesn't ooze out when cooking. Place tortillas seam side down on the greased baking sheet.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes and you're home free!
FAQs
Whilst often enjoyed as a stand-alone snack, these taquitos go great with rice or refried beans. Don’t forget to serve with some dips! Salsa, french onion and guacamole are always winners with this recipe.
Absolutely! And that's actually one of the best parts...you can prepare these ahead of time and store them in the freezer for up to a month.
For this recipe we baked the taquitos, however you could also fry them in a pan or airfryer. Simply add some vegetable oil and fry until golden and crispy. Be wary though that frying will add calories to this dish.
If you don't have Monterey jack cheese to hand then mozzarella or cheddar is an appropriate substitute. Mozzarella will give you a milder creamier flavor whilst cheddar is better if you want to keep that tangy taste.
Absolutely! They are made from corn whilst their flour alternative is made from wheat meaning they will contain gluten. So keep this in mind if you choose to substitute.
This recipe contains just 339 calories for a portion, making it a great snack when you feel like some guilt-free grub.
Tips and tricks
- Buy or use a leftover rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken yourself if you're in a pinch.
- Don't forget to microwave the tortillas...DON'T SKIP THIS STEP! Corn tortillas have a tendency to rip and warming them will help prevent this.
- Make sure to place them seem-side down so they stay together. You don't want them unrolling in the middle of baking.
- Don't overfill the tortillas. Leave an inch or so on the sides to prevent oozing out.
- You can use small flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas if you prefer. Just know that you'll yield less taquitos and have to put 2-3 scoops of the mixture in each tortilla.
- These make a great, quick dinner or snack. Serve them with your favorite toppings including sour cream, guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese.
- You can freeze these taquitos! After you roll them up, place them on a baking sheet and put them right in a freezer. After they freeze, take them off the baking sheet and put them in a freezer bag. You can store them for about a month. To reheat, preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes until warm inside.
- Not going the rotisserie route? Learn how to boil chicken from this blog post by Holly at Spend with Pennies. It's an easy way to precook your chicken for recipes that call for "cooked chicken".
Related Recipes
So, how were they? If you tried this recipe, I would much appreciate if you leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. And don't worry I'm an Italian from New Jersey...I got thick skin!
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Recipe
Chicken and Cheese Taquitos
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup HeluvaGood French Onion dip can use any flavor of dip
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 cup boneless skinless chicken breast shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 12-15 small corn tortillas can use small flour tortillas as well
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 and spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Set the baking sheet aside.
Make the taquito filling
- Add the HeluvaGood dip to a large bowl with all the spices, lime juice and cilantro. Mix until everything is all thoroughly combined.¼ cup HeluvaGood French Onion dip, 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp oregano, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, 3 tbsp fresh cilantro
- Add the shredded chicken and cheese to the bowl. Mix again until thoroughly combined.2 cup boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
Assemble the taquitos
- Heat the tortillas slightly so they're easy to fold. Place a group of 3-4 tortillas between two paper towels and lightly dampen each side. Microwave for 20-30 seconds.
- Scoop about 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll tightly. Try to leave a little bit of space (about ½ inch) on the edges so that the mixture doesn't ooze out when cooking. Place tortillas seam-side down on the greased baking sheet.12-15 small corn tortillas
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how crunch you like them.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 12 taquitos using corn tortillas.
- Buy a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the chicken yourself if you're in a pinch.
- Don't forget to microwave the tortillas...DON'T SKIP THIS STEP! Corn tortillas have a tendency to rip and warming them will help prevent this.
- Make sure to place them seem-side down so they stay together. You don't want them unrolling in the middle of baking.
- Don't overfill the tortillas. Leave an inch or so on the sides to prevent oozing out.
- You can use small flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas if you prefer. Just know that you'll yield less taquitos and have to put 2-3 scoops of the mixture in each tortilla.
- These make a great, quick dinner or snack. Serve them with your favorite toppings including sour cream, guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese.
- You can freeze these taquitos! After you roll them up, place them on a baking sheet and put them right in a freezer. After they freeze, take them off the baking sheet and put them in a freezer bag. You can store them for about a month. To reheat, preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes until warm inside.
- Nutritional information provided is based on a best guess-timate and will vary depending on the brands you use and other variations you take with this recipe. It is recommended you check your exact measurements to come up with your own figures.
Nutrition
About The Skinny Guinea
Hey...how you doin'? I'm Tommy, The Skinny Guinea…just a busy dad who loves to cook. Offering easy to cook dinners and family friendly recipes, while always staying true to my Italian roots!
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