Baked Chicken Taquitos

Name: Baked Chicken Taquitos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp oil; 2 chicken breasts; 1/3 C chicken broth (I used low sodium); 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat); 1/3 C sour cream (I used light); 1/2 C salsa; 1 C shredded cheddar cheese; 1 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp cumin; 1/4 tsp paprika; Fresh ground black pepper to taste; 18 corn tortillas; Favorite Mexican toppings such as guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, jalapeños, or cilantro.

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A flavorful, cheesy Mexican chicken blend stuffed into corn tortillas and baked until crispy perfection! Top these taquitos with your favorite Mexican toppings for a low calorie lunch or dinner! Only 129 calories per taquito!

Baked Chicken Taquitos with title written on chalkboard

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Why Make This Recipe?
Ingredient Notes
Step by Step Photos
FAQs and Expert Tips
Related Recipes
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Why Make This Recipe?

Baked Chicken Taquitos with toppings ready to be served close up

These easy baked chicken taquitos are perfect for meal prepping. You can make them over the weekend then quickly reheat them throughout the week for a simple lunch or filling dinner!
This recipe is totally customizable for different diet restrictions. As is, these taquitos are already low carb and gluten free, and if you want to make them vegetarian you can simply swap out the chicken for beans.
I love these taquitos because they help curb my Mexican cravings but they're healthier because they're baked and not deep fried. Plus, each taquito is only 129 calories!
This recipe is so simple that anyone can do it. Even kids can help out and then they can go crazy customizing with any toppings they like!
Finally, they're just freakin' delicious, guys.

Ingredient Notes

ingredients for baked chicken taquitos on black chalkboard

You can use any type of chicken, but I prefer to use chicken breasts. Just make sure you get boneless since you'll be shredding it!
You'll need about 18 corn tortillas for this recipe. You can use flour tortillas if you prefer, but technically that would make it a flauta, not a taquito. I prefer using corn tortillas since they're healthier.
Feel free to use your favorite type of salsa for these taquitos.
I almost always use ⅓ low fat Philadelphia cream cheese and low fat Daisy sour cream in my recipes but any kind will work.
You'll need 1 C of shredded cheddar cheese. Freshly shredded is always best, but honestly I mostly use pre-shredded to save time. I prefer Tillamook brand.
For this (and most) recipes I used low sodium chicken broth to help cut down on our sodium intake.
You'll also need olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and garlic powder. Plus any toppings you prefer such as guacamole, pico de Gallo, shredded lettuce, sour cream, diced tomatoes, jalapeños or cilantro.

Step by Step Photos

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 chicken breasts. Cook for 5 minutes without touching, then flip. Add in ⅓ C of chicken broth (I used low sodium), lower the heat and cover. Continue to cook until internal temperature of chicken reads 165 with a meat thermometer. (About 8-10 minutes.) Once the chicken is done, remove from pan and shred, using two forks, shredder claws, or the flat beater Kitchenmaid attachment.
In a large mixing bowl, soften 8 oz of cream cheese then add in the shredded chicken, ⅓ C sour cream, ½ C salsa, 1 C shredded cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon paprika and fresh black pepper to taste. Mix to combine all ingredients.
Microwave 3-4 corn tortillas at a time, separated with a damp paper towel. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees so it is ready to go, then spoon the chicken mixture into each tortilla, spread to edges, and roll tight.
Place the taquitos seam side down on a foil lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Liberally spray the tops off the taquitos. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until crispy. If the tortillas begin to crack, spray with additional cooking spray.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Shopping: The nutritional information for these baked chicken taquitos include low sodium and low fat options of chicken broth, cream cheese and sour cream. Also, taquitos call for corn tortillas but if you decide to use flour I'd recommend getting the street taco size.
Substitutions: Other than swapping for flour tortillas, you can also use a different type of cheese (such as "Mexican" or Colby jack), or ground beef, ground turkey or beans instead of chicken.
Prep: The two most important parts of the prep work is making sure you shred the chicken well (I find it easiest to use the flat beater Kitchenmaid attachment) and making sure you microwave the tortillas in a damp paper towel before filling. I recommend doing this in batches of 3-4 so you have time to fill and roll before they cool. If they are not warm enough, the corn tortillas will crack apart, making them pretty impossible to work with!
Cooking: Be sure to check on your taquitos a few times during their 25 minute cook. If they begin to burn or crack, spray with additional cooking spray.
Storage: Leftover taquitos can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: To freeze leftover taquitos, place them on a parchment lined plate and freeze then transfer to an airtight bag or container. Frozen chicken taquitos are good for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Reheating:
- If fresh: Place your taquitos on a foil lined baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Reheat at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, flipping halfway. Alternatively, you can reheat the taquitos in an air fryer at 375 for about 8 minutes, flipping halfway. If you're short on time, place the taquitos on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 minute, flipping halfway.
- If frozen: You can reheat frozen taquitos in the oven just as if they were fresh but for an additional 5 minutes. You can also air fry frozen taquitos at 375 for about 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway. To microwave frozen taquitos, place on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 1.5 minutes, flipping every 30 seconds.

Can I make these in advance?

Yes! That's one of the best things about this baked chicken taquito recipe! You can make a whole batch (or even double batch) to eat throughout the week or you can freeze them for up to 2 months to use for a quick lunch or dinner!

How do I reheat frozen taquitos?

It's super simple to reheat frozen taquitos. The fastest way to reheat them is to place the frozen taquitos on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for about 1.5 minutes, flipping every 30 seconds.

A better way to reheat your frozen taquitos is to place them on a foil lined baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway.

My favorite way is to air fry frozen taquitos at 375 for about 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway. I prefer this method because it is a little faster and requires no extra spray!

What's the difference between a taquito and a flauta?

The word taquito means "little tacos" and consist of corn tortillas filled with beef or chicken and cheese then deep fried until crisp.

Flautas are very similar to taquitos but they are made with flour tortillas. Flour tortillas are typically larger than corn tortillas, which creates a longer, more cylindrical appearance than a taquito.

Although they are technically two different dishes, you may see these terms used interchangeably at Mexican restaurants depending on your location!

What do you think? Did this recipe make the cut for you or did it crumble? What would you do differently? Leave a comment below! 🙂

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