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What’s better than a delicious chicken taco? Lots of chicken tacos…rolled up…filled with cheese…and super crispy! That’s right, taquitos are everything we love about a taco, but even more hand held and dip-able. And these baked chicken tacos might even give my breakfast taquitos a run for their money. Enjoy the crispy, cheesy, spicy deliciousness of rolled chicken taquitos, but lightened up. Bake these hand held snacks for none of the guilt but all of the taste.
Cooked Chicken Breast
Anything great involving a tortilla usually has a killer filling to go with it! And for these baked taquitos, the filling is a super simple and gooey cheesy chipotle chicken combo! Tastes like its cooked all day long, this filling comes together in just a few minutes with some shortcut steps that still pack a punch with flavor.
To begin, take one 1lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast and drop it into a pot of boiling water. WHAT? Boiled, unseasoned chicken breast? That is so, well, shameful! Hear me out! The flavor will come from the sauce, okay?! Keep in mind, we just want a quick way to cook the chicken thoroughly, but it will go back in a pan and get tossed with flavor bombs later, so there is no need to overwhelm it with flavor now.
Alternatively, you can toss the chicken breast into your instant pot with 1/2 a cup of water or stock for about 8 minutes with a slow release at the end. Either works, the idea is just to get that chicken up to at least 165 degrees. Once it is cooked, use two forks to shred the chicken into thin pieces, and set aside. Want an even easier shortcut? Remove the skin and shred up a rotisserie chicken!
Cheesy Chicken Filling
Now that you have you (bland!) chicken breast ready, let’s build some flavor! In a large saute pan over medium heat with a few drizzles of olive oil, add in 1/2 cup of diced white onion and 2-3 minced garlic cloves. Cook that down for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are tender and fragrant. Add the shredded chicken directly into the pan, along with with two tbsp of pre-made taco seasoning, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 can of chipotle sauce (about 4 oz), and 1/4 cup of chicken stock. Mix and let this simmer for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is coated and the sauce thickens slightly.
Give that a taste and you’ll see why seasoning that chicken before hand DID NOT matter! Next, remove the pan from the heat and add in 2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite shredded blend). Stir and allow the residual heat to melt the cheese.
To assemble, you will want to start by microwaving 20-25 taco sized tortillas under a damp towel or cloth for 30 seconds, to make them pliable. Spoon 1-1½ heaping tablespoons of the chicken and cheese filling onto the far side of a tortilla and roll it tightly towards you like a cigar. Place the taquito seam side down on a lined baking sheet, and repeat with remaining filling and tortillas, leaving about 1in of space between each taquito. You don’t want them to overcrowd each other or steam otherwise they wont crisp, so I ended up using multiple baking sheets.
Once all of the taquitos are rolled, spray generously with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.Serve immediately topped with your favorite garnishes like shredded lettuce, avocado, or red onions. And since these were made for dipping, some queso, ranch, or salsa on the side seals the deal! Enjoy these lighter, but equally satisfying baked chicken tacos as a snack, or even the main attraction on Taco Tuesday!
Want More Tex Mex Recipes?
- Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos
- Fiesta Dip
- Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
- Mexican Eggs Benedict
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Chipotle Shrimp Cauliflower Bowl
Baked Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ cup white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 oz chipotle sauce about ½ small can
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or mexican blend
- 20-25 flour tortillas regular taco sized, not street taco sized
Garnish (Option)
- melted queso
- sour cream
- salsa/pico de gallo
- shredded lettuce
- avocado
- ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° (can use an air fryer as well, same temperature)
- In a medium pot of boiling water, drop in the chicken breast and poach for about 10 minutes until cooked through (internal temperature of 165°). ALTERNATIVELY: place chicken breast in an instant pot with ½ cup of water or broth and cook for 8-10 minutes. Slow release the steam. Set aside
- In a large saute pan coated with a drizzle of cooking oil, saute the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until tender and fragrant.
- While the onions cook, take two forks and shred the chicken breasts into thin pieces.
- Add the chicken to the saute pan along with the taco seasoning, salt, chipotle sauce, and stock. Mix and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is coated and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in all of the shredded cheese. Stir and allow the residual heat to melt the cheese.
- Microwave the tortillas under a damp towel or cloth for 30 seconds to make them pliable
- Spoon 1-1½ heaping tablespoons of the chicken and cheese filling onto the far side of a tortilla and roll it tightly towards you like a cigar.
- Place the taquito seam side down on a baking sheet, and repeat with remaining filling and tortillas, leaving about 1in of space between each taquito. (Use multiple baking sheets as needed)
- Once all of the taquitos are rolled, spray generously with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve immediately topped with the garnishes of your choice and queso, ranch, or salsa on the side to dip.
