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I can’t believe it is almost football season, and you know what that means?! Tailgate snacks! That’s right, dips, sliders, and all the snacks you can hold in one hand while holding a beer in the other. One of the best of which, that is basically synonymous with tailgates and summer-time entertaining is the jalapeño popper! We all know it, a halved jalapeño stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon! Well what if we took that delicious snack and mashed it up with a hand-held Tex Mex fave, the taquito? That’s right, jalapeño popper taquitos with chicken are the perfect marriage of that spicy, savory, cheesy snack we love, in a new form!
Chicken Jalapeño Popper Filling
These yummy taquitos are SO beyond simple to make. And the thing I love about them, is unlike a traditional jalapeño popper, the assembly is a little bit easier (just a simple scoop and roll, not a carefully stuffing and then wrapping). The filling is so easy to assemble, just think “what are all of the ingredients in a jalapeño popper?”, mix them together, and viola! In this case, I wanted to add a little bit more body to the filling, so I added a few fun surprises, but sticking to the basics is totally fine too!
Start with 6oz of softened cream cheese. To that, add in about 1/2 cup of seeded and diced jalapeños (I used about 3-4 large ones), or more if you love the spice. Next, throw in 8 strips of cooked, crumbled bacon, and 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar or Colby jack cheese. That checks off all of the boxes in terms of jalapeño popper ingredients, but why stop there?
To give the filling a little more volume, and also make it feel a little more hearty (and not like dip inside a tortilla!), let’s add in a few surprises. To the same bowl as the cream cheese mix, add 2 cups of shredded boneless skinless chicken breast. I used 1 1/2 large breasts and poached them in chicken broth for 8 minutes, but feel free to cook the chicken how you’d like, or use rotisserie! I also added in 3/4 cup of corn kernels for a pop of sweetness, and 1/4 cup of diced cilantro for some freshness.
Finally, add in a 1/2 cup of sour cream to thin the mixture out a tad. At this point, you can easily pop this into a casserole dish, top with another cup or two of cheese, and bake it for 20 minutes to make a delicious jalapeño popper dip! In fact, I’d suggest doubling the batch and using half to do just that! But alas, we are on a taquito mission today, so let’s assemble.
Baked Taquitos
Now that we have a killer filling ready, it is time to bake these bad boys up. Take 12-14 fajita sized tortillas and warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds under a damp paper towel to help make them pliable. Spoon 2 heaping tbsp of the chicken cheese filling onto the side of the tortilla closest to you. Gently roll the tortilla away from you, pressing gently to spread the filling out end to end. Seal with a toothpick if needed.
Repeat until you are out of filling (feel free to use additional tortillas if you have left over filling). Place the rolled tortillas on a lined baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart, and spray with cooking spray (this helps them become golden and crispy). Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown with melty cheese. You may need to flip halfway through to get even browning.
Serve these immediately with the garnishes and dips of your choice. I love to top these with some additional sliced jalapeños, half an avocado, and even some chopped cilantro and crumbled cotija cheese. And of course you need a dip! These jalapeño popper chicken taquitos are great with salsa roja, salsa verde, or even ranch. Jazz it up by blending your ranch with a bunch of cilantro, lime juice, a clove of garlic, and half a jalapeño! No matter how you serve these, this mash up of appetizers is sure to be a winner.
Want More Tailgate Appetizers?
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Smoked Queso
- Cilantro Lime Grilled Wings
- Guacamole
- Fiesta Dip
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded boneless skinless chicken breast about 1½ large breast, shredded
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- 8 strips bacon crumbled
- ½ cup jalapeños about 3-4 large jalapeños seeded and diced
- ¾ cup corn kernels
- ¼ cup cilantro minced
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar or Colby jack
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 12 fajita sized flour tortillas
- salt and pepper to taste
- diced avocado for garnish
- cilantro for garnish
- sour cream for garnish
- cotija cheese for garnish
- salsa or ranch for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- In a bowl, add shredded chicken, cream cheese, bacon, jalapeños, corn, shredded cheese, cilantro, and sour cream. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
- Microwave the tortillas under a damp paper towel for 30 seconds-1 minute to make soft and pliable.
- Spoon 1½-2 tbsp of the chicken and cheese mixture onto the side of the tortilla closest to you, and gently roll the tortilla away from you, pressing gently to spread the filling out end to end. Seal with a toothpick if needed
- Repeat until you are out of filling (feel free to use additional tortillas if you have left over filling).
- Place the rolled tortillas on a lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart, and spray with cooking spray (this helps them become golden and crispy).
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown with melty cheese.
- Serve immediately with the garnishes and dips of your choice.
