I am a huge fan of Mexican classics. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas… I’m in, but what if you are craving those flavors on a smaller scale? Well, this is where taquitos shine…
Translating to “little taco“, taquitos are tortillas filled with meat, cheese and occasionally other taco fillings, wrapped up tightly and baked or fried until golden brown and crispy. They are perfect appetizers, game night fare or afternoon snacks.
Let’s get started…
Taquitos are a wonderful way to use leftovers and they can be filled in so many delicious ways. Let’s talk about the filling options…
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- Meat: I am using leftover chicken tinga today, but ground beef or turkey, rotisserie chicken or shredded pork will all work great as taquito filling.
- Cheese: a cheese that melts well is the best choice to add to your taquito filling. Sharp cheddar, mozzarella, colby, monterey jack and queso asadero are some of the best options.
- Other Add-ins: whatever you love on your tacos can be added into a taquito. Sour cream, hot sauce, jalapeño, onions… if you love it, toss it in.
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Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Taquitos can be fried, but I have always had more success with baking them, so why go through the whole frying process?
For todays filling, I am combining 2 cups of shredded chicken tinga with 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1-2 tablespoons of finely minced pickled jalapeños, a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh cilantro and a splash of my favorite hot sauce in a bowl.
Once the filling is ready to go, wrap 10 small tortillas (corn or flour) in a damp paper towel and heat them in the microwave for 20-25 seconds to soften them. Tortillas tend to crack if they are rolled tightly when cold, so warming them up will soften them enough to make them pliable and easy to roll.
There is no exact science to the amount of filling that should be in a taquito, so I just eye ball it. It is usually around 3-4 tablespoons.
Add the filling in a thin line across each tortilla and wrap them tightly leaving the ends open.
Place each taquito seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and press down a bit to settle them. You can use a toothpick to keep them closed, but the sour cream in the filling will help to keep things together if rolled tightly.
Spray each taquito with cooking spray or brush with a neutral oil and bake them in a 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and really crisp.
Once your taquitos are nice and crisp, transfer them onto plate and dig in!
I like serving them over some finely shredded lettuce with pico de gallo, sour cream and my favorite cilantro lime crema.
Pro tip: Shredded lettuce is the perfect base to catch any filling that may have escaped.
I LOVE taquitos. Whether you are making delicious appetizers for game day, game night or a casual get together or you are simply looking for a fabulous way to use leftovers, taquitos may be exactly what you need.
Even though there are some taco fillings in our filling, feel free to add more over your taquitos too. As far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as too many garnishes.
I added pickled jalapeño and hot sauce into my taquitos today, so I ended up drizzling sour cream over them and dipping them into cilantro lime cream to balance things out perfectly.
Taquitos
Ingredients
- 2 cup of leftover shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken or ground beef
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheese
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream
- 1-2 tablespoons of pickled jalapeños, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- a splash of hot sauce (optional)
- 10 small tortillas (corn or flour)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
- Combine 2 cups of shredded chicken tinga with 1/2 cup of shredded sharp cheddar, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1-2 tablespoons of finely minced pickled jalapeños, a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh cilantro and a splash of hot sauce in a large bowl
- Wrap 10 small tortillas (corn or flour) in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20-25 seconds to soften
- Add a thin line of filling into each softened tortilla and roll tightly leaving the ends open
- Place the taquitos seam side down onto a parchment lined baking sheet and press down slightly to secure
- Repeat until all of the filing has been used
- Spray each taquito with cooking spray
- Bake in a 425 degree oven until golden brown and crisp (about 15 minutes)
- Serve over shredded lettuce with salsa, sour cream or your favorite dipping sauce
