Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos

November 19, 2022

Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos

Taquitos are small tortillas rolled tightly around a filling and cooked until the outside turns crisp — the name means “little tacos,” and they’re also called tacos dorados, “golden tacos.” This version rolls shredded chicken into a soft cream cheese filling with salsa, chili powder and cumin, folded through with a shredded Mexican cheese blend. The air fryer stands in for a pot of frying oil, so the tortillas still brown and crisp with just a light spray of oil.

Taquitos started as Mexican street food, part of the antojito tradition of small snacks sold from carts and stalls. In Mexican-American cooking the name has settled specifically on the corn-tortilla version — roll the same filling in a large flour tortilla and it’s properly a flauta. Corn is also the tortilla that crisps best in the air fryer, though it needs a good warm-through first so it doesn’t crack when rolled tight.

The filling works like a warm dip stuffed into a tortilla: cream cheese beaten smooth with salsa and spices, then bulked out with shredded chicken and melting cheese. Keep the filling to around 2 tablespoons per tortilla — much more than that and the roll won’t seal properly or crisp evenly all the way through.

Serve the taquitos hot, straight from the basket, with salsa, guacamole and sour cream or Mexican crema for dipping, and rice or beans alongside to round it out into a full meal.

Ingredients

Serves 6 (12 taquitos)

350 g shredded cooked chicken (poached or rotisserie)
170 g full-fat cream cheese, softened
120 g mild red tomato salsa
170 g shredded Mexican cheese blend (or Monterey Jack and cheddar)
1½ tsp chili powder (US-style blend, not pure ground chile)
¾ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
12 small (15 cm) corn tortillas
olive or avocado oil spray
salsa, to serve
guacamole, to serve
sour cream or Mexican crema, to serve

Directions

Beat the softened cream cheese together with the salsa, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt until smooth. Fold in the shredded cheese and shredded chicken, mixing until everything is evenly combined.

Stack 4-6 corn tortillas between damp paper towels and microwave for about 30 seconds, until soft and pliable. Keep them covered as you work so they don’t dry out and crack — corn tortillas split easily if they cool down before rolling.

Spread about 2 tablespoons of filling in a line across the lower third of each tortilla, then roll it up tightly and set it seam-side down. If a roll wants to spring back open, dab a little water on the seam to help it stick, or secure it with a toothpick.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (204°C). Lightly spray the rolled taquitos with oil and arrange them seam-side down in a single layer, working in batches so they aren’t crowded. Air-fry for 5 minutes, flip, spray again, and cook 2-3 minutes more, until golden and crisp all over.

Serve the taquitos hot, with salsa, guacamole and sour cream or crema for dipping.

Notes

For a smokier, spicier version, swap the salsa and chili powder for 1 tbsp chipotle sauce (or 2 chopped chipotles in adobo) plus 1 tsp smoked paprika, keeping the cumin and garlic powder as they are.

Corn tortillas are the traditional choice and crisp better, but they need a thorough warm-through or they’ll tear when rolled. Flour tortillas are easier to roll and more forgiving, though the result is technically a flauta rather than a taquito.

Don’t overfill the tortillas — about 2 tablespoons of filling per taquito is the point where the roll stays tight and crisps evenly. Too much filling and they won’t seal or brown properly.

To make ahead, roll the taquitos but don’t cook them. Freeze seam-side down on a tray until solid, then transfer to a bag — they’ll keep for up to 3 months. Cook straight from frozen at 350°F (177°C) for 12-15 minutes.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. Re-crisp them in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes at 400°F (204°C) rather than the microwave, which leaves them soft instead of crisp.

Without an air fryer, bake the taquitos at 400°F (204°C) for 15-20 minutes on a sprayed tray, or deep-fry corn tortillas in 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil at 350°F (177°C) for 3-5 minutes.