When my husband and I were first married (before I was cooking on a regular basis), my husband asked me to buy some frozen taquitos. He assured me that they were a great little snack. Well, while he enjoyed them, I most certainly did not (and I never did buy them again). In fact, even though he likes them, my husband has even described them as “a salty greasy meat snack”. Ish.
Fast forward five years on Cinco de Mayo and I have found a recipe for baked taquitos. My husband’s response when I told him about the recipe “I can’t believe you’re making something you hate! Thanks!”
He need not have worried! These taquitos were fantastic! A little bit salty, a little bit crunchy, and a whole lot of flavor…they had all the great flavors of their frozen counterparts but without the greasy mystery meat! In fact, I like these so much that I plan to make a batch for a friend who recently had a baby!
Note that these do call for a sprinkling of coarse salt at the end. I find it to be a bit excessive (thankfully it brushes off easily), but my husband thought it was perfect!
Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Recipe Adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Our Best Bites
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 cups cooked)
3 oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
¼ cup salsa
Juice from 1 lime (about 1 tbsp)
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp onion, finely diced
1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese
12 flour tortillas, 6-inch fajita size
Cooking spray
Coarse salt
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large skillet, cook the chicken breasts until done. Shred or finely dice the chicken.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic, onion, and cheese. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Heat the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds to make them pliable. If the tortillas are a bit dry or not rolling easily, place a damp paper towel on a plate under the tortillas and top with a second damp paper towel before microwaving.
Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla. Carefully roll the tortilla tightly around the filling. Place each rolled tortilla, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet, placing the tortillas 1 ½ inches apart.
Spray the tops of the tortillas lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned.
Enjoy!
Amy