Baked Chicken and Cheese Taquitos

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These easy homemade Chicken and Cheese Taquitos are baked, not fried and are ready in less than 30 minutes. Corn or flour tortillas are stuffed with a creamy chicken filling, lots of cheese, and spice. Serve these up for a quick weeknight dinner or snack!

PIN these Chicken and Cheese Taquitos to try later!

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Baked Chicken and Cheese Taquitos

These Cheesy Chicken Taquitos will easily become a new family favorite. Each taquito is stuffed with a cream cheese, shredded cheese, and chicken filling and baked until crispy. You don’t have to feel bad for indulging in this popular dish because they are BAKED, not fried!

Since this taquitos recipe take less than 30 minutes to make, you’ll be wanting to make these on repeat every week. You can prep these ahead of time so all you have to do is bake them when you’re ready.

These come in handy if you’re a busy mom like me or if you don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen.

I love dipping these Chicken and Cheese Taquitos into some of my favorite dips such as homemade Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, salsa verde, and sour cream. Serve them with a side of refried beans, rice, or any of your favorite Mexican appetizers or meals. 

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Key Ingredients

• Tortillas: Use either corn or flour tortillas. The taco-sized tortillas work best and are about 5-6 inches in diameter. You could use smaller or larger tortillas if you prefer, however the yield will be different.
• Chicken: Make it easy and use a rotisserie chicken! You can also cook your own chicken breast and shred it yourself, use leftover chicken, or store bought cooked chicken. 
• Cheese: I love the combination of cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese but you can use your favorites. 
• Cream cheese: Make sure the cream cheese is softened at room temperature so it blends together well. 
• Green onions: Adds a mild spicy flavor. You could also use chives instead. 
• Salsa: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade salsa recipe. Alternatively you could use tomato juice if you don’t have salsa.
• Spices: Ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. 

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How To Make Baked Chicken AND cheese Taquitos

Make chicken mixture: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, shredded cheeses, green onions, salsa, and spices. Mix together with a spoon or fork until the cream cheese is smooth and all the ingredients are mixed in. Add in chicken and stir to combine.

Warm tortillas: Place tortillas between a damp paper towel and warm for 15 seconds in the microwave. This will help them be pliable and not rip when rolling.

Fill and roll taquitos: Add about 3 tablespoons of the chicken and cheese mixture in a long line in the middle of each tortilla and roll tightly.

Bake: Place rolled taquitos on prepared baking sheet with the seam side down. Lightly spray the tops of the taquitos with cooking spray or brush with olive oil, and bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving. Top or serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. Garnish with fresh cilantro (optional) and enjoy!

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Recipe Tips

• Shred your own cheese: This is highly recommended! Pre-shredded cheese will NOT melt the same way as freshly grated or shredded cheese because store bought pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking agent that prevents the cheese from sticking together when packaged. Shredding the cheese yourself will make the cheese extra melty and gooey.
• Warm tortillas: This is an essential step because the tortillas need to warmed to be pliable enough to roll. If you don’t warm them, they will rip and tear.
• Add spice: Add diced jalapeños, red chili flakes, or spicy salsa to the chicken mixture to add heat. You can make these as spicy as you want.

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Variations

• Protein: Swap the chicken for shredded or ground beef, taco meat, pork, or carne asada.
• Cheese: Use all shredded cheddar or all Monterey Jack cheese. Other alternatives are a Mexican blend or Colby Jack cheese. 
• Add-ins: Add chopped spinach, bell peppers, avocado, diced onions, tomatoes, or corn.
• Vegetarian: Make these taquitos completely vegetarian by using refried beans, black beans, or pinto beans instead of meat.

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Leftovers & Storage

To-store: Place any leftover taquitos in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of each layer. To reheat, place the taquitos on a baking sheet and broil them on high for a few minutes just until warmed and crispy on the outside.

To-freeze: Be sure to let the taquitos cool completely. Transfer them to a cookie sheet and flash freeze them for about 30 minutes or until hardened. This will help prevent the taquitos from sticking to each other. Place them in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F until warm and crispy.

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make ahead

Make life extra easy and make these ahead of time. They are so easy and take minutes to prepare especially if you use a rotisserie chicken.

You can prepare the chicken filling ahead of time so all you have to do is roll it up into the tortillas later, or you can prep the taquitos completely by rolling them and placing them in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

These can be prepped 1-2 days ahead of time. Be sure to store them in an airtight container or covered dish with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Bake according to recipe and enjoy!

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