Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos

These Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos have been floating around the blogopshere for awhile now. I finally got around to making them this past weekend and like everyone always says, I can't believe I waited this long.


Not only were they easy to make, the flavor is outstanding. SP was a little disappointed that I wasn't deep-frying them but we both thought the tortillas had great crunch just from baking. The only change I made to the original recipe was to use flour tortillas instead of corn because SP isn't a big corn tortilla fan.

I HIGHLY recommend doubling the recipe and freezing half. It takes almost no effort to double all the ingredients and now I have a nice bag full of taquitos to bake up one night when I don't feel like doing anything too involved for dinner. I also recommend making these on a weekend day if you are planning to roast your own chicken for the filling. I bought bone-in, skin-on breasts, seasoned them simply with salt and pepper and roasted them for an hour. The meat was so tender and juicy (recipe below).


I served them with yellow rice and a mix of sour cream and leftover salsa verde to dip. SP did straight sour cream. I think taco sauce or a thinned out guacamole would also be good, but use whatever you like.

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos
Pink Parsley

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup salsa verde
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 scallions, chopped
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken*
1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, onion powder, garlic, cilantro, scallions, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Fold in the chicken and cheeses. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Working 3 tortillas at a time, stack them on a microwave-safe plate and cover with plastic wrap. Cook 30 seconds, or until tortillas are soft and pliable.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of filling onto the lower third of each tortilla, and roll tightly. Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the tortillas are crisp and golden-brown. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

*To roast chicken - Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread a piece of aluminum foil across a baking sheet, and arrange bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts in a single layer in the center. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, or season as you wish. Bake for 1 hour, or until it is cooked through. Allow to cool and then remove meat from the bones, discarding skin.

**To freeze, prepare the taquitos, but before baking, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until the taquitos are completely cold. Wrap each taquito in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and freeze. To bake, unwrap the taquitos and cook in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes (no need to thaw first).