Chicken Taquitos

I unabashedly love Mexican chain restaurants. Give me a a bottomless basket of tortilla chips and salsa, and then a flaming cast iron skillet of chicken fajitas and I am the happiest camper. Lone Star has been my go to for so many years; at my first job after university it’s where I bonded with my co-workers over slushy margaritas. It was also one of my last pre-pandemic dinners out with Heather and Jenny.  Whenever we would road trip to Buffalo, another classic Mexican chain was always our lunch destination: Chili’s.

Kristine and I also used to LOVE Mexicali Rosa’s when it was still around and we would go there all time in the early-mid 2000s. They had Flautas on the menu which we would order as an app; little tortillas stuffed with chicken, cheese and spices and deep fried with salsa and sour cream for dipping. I MISS RESTAURANTS SO MUCH.

Since we’re now living that #lockdownlife once again, I’ve been trying to make some fun things at home. I’ve actually made these taquitos a few times over the years, but for whatever reason they never made it to the blog. I think I made them for an Emmys or Golden Globes party one year, along with some Mexican meatballs and a 7-layer dip. They’re pretty similar to those flautas from so many years ago, except they get baked instead of fried, but still end up so nice and crispy.

I always use a rotisserie chicken when I make these, which makes life so much easier. I also purchased a bag of a shredded Mexican cheese blend, and you know what? It was pretty good! I normally avoid those bags because I thought they had weird preservatives and coatings in them, but I probably haven’t bought one since 2001 and I guess things have come a long way. Anyway, with those two shortcuts, I made these in no time, and snacked on them while watching NFL one Sunday night. Your dipping sauce options are endless here; I went with the greek yogurt ranch from this recipe, but you could also do a lime crema, salsa, guac or whatever your heart desires.

Crispy Baked Chicken Taquitos

Source: Smells Like Home

Ingredients

  • 4oz cream cheese (1/2 pkg) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • juice of a lime
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, jack, or a Mexican blend)
  • 1-2 green onions, chopped
  • 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 10 x 6″ flour tortillas

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°, line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese until smooth (if you don’t do this first, you’ll get little chunks of cream cheese which are not okay). Add the salsa, lime juice, chili powder, cumin and onion powder and blend again until combined.
  3. Stir in the chicken, cheese, green onions and cilantro until everything is combined.
  4. Lay the tortillas out on your work surface and evenly divide the filling onto each one in a line down the middle of the tortilla (probably about 2-3 tbsp of filling per tortilla. Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling and place it seam side down on the baking sheet.
  5. Spray the tops of the taquitos lightly with non-stick spray (this will help them get crispy) and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Let cool a bit before serving.