Hands down, this is one of my all time favorite ways of using leftover slow cooker shedded chicken meat from our Taco Tuesday meals, but you can certainly use leftover rotisserie chicken if that’s what you happen to have on hand. These tasty taquitos are so good it’s definitely worth the extra effort it takes to poach some chicken breasts just so you have the cooked meat for this recipe. This easy technique for poaching chicken breasts produces juicy, flavorful meat to use in recipes just like this one for taquitos. Adults love these tempting morsels as much as the kiddos do! Not only do they make an absolutely fantastic appetizer that everyone at a party always seems to gravitate to, but if you add a tasty Mexican inspired side, they are hearty enough to serve as the main dish for dinner. They come together in just a few quick minutes, and baking them makes them a tasty and healthy option. Did someone say there’s taquitos for dinner on the menu tonight?!?! Keep reading to find out just how easy it is to make them.
How To Make The Best Oven Baked Chicken Taquitos
Start by preheating the oven to 375℉. Place a baking rack on the baking sheet. Set aside.
These Baking and Cooling Racks are perfect for cooking up crispy oven baked taquitos. Placing them on a baking rack while they cook allows the air to circulate around each taquito so they crisp up nicely for you in the oven.
Place shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl.
Add salsa to the shredded chicken meat.
Add salt, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Stir to combine.
Add softened cream cheese and shredded Pepper Jack cheese. Stir to combine.
Place 4-5 corn tortillas between wet paper towels and microwave for 15-20 seconds until the tortillas are soft. Heating them up a little will prevent them from splitting and cracking as you roll them around the filling.
Place about 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling onto each tortilla.
Roll the tortillas tightly around the filling.
Place tortillas seam side down on baking rack.
Spray tortillas lightly with cooking spray.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the the tortillas are golden brown and the filling is hot.
Remove from oven and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Return to the oven and heat for an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheddar cheese is melted. Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream on top and some homemade salsa on the side for dipping if desired.
Serve with a side of The Best Restaurant Style Spanish Rice to round out the meal if you are serving these taquitos as the main dish on a busy weeknight. Get the Spanish Rice going and you’ll be pulling these taquitos out of the oven, piping hot just as the rice finishes cooking on the stovetop.
Cook up chicken breasts in your slow cooker. It takes less than five minutes and three ingredients to get the chicken going in your slow cooker. A Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos dinner will be a snap to get on the table on a busy weeknight and leftovers are perfect for making chicken taquitos later on in the week! You can easily get two delicious meals out of one batch of chicken meat. Who says frugal can’t be delicious too?
Don’t forget the salsa! These taquitos are even better when served with a side of the World’s Best Salsa. You can whip up a batch in just a few quick minutes. It makes everything it touches taste phenomenal! This is by far the most popular recipe on the blog! Give it a try, I guarantee you will love it! You’ll want to have a jar on hand at all times!
GOOD TO KNOW: Use a chunky salsa like Pace Picante sauce for the filling and save the World’s Best Salsa to use as a garnish and for dipping your taquitos into.
Whether you serve these taquitos at your next get together as a tasty appetizer or add a side of rice to round out the meal, you will get no complaints from anyone. These taquitos pack a terrific punch of flavor from the addition of all the spices and the shredded Pepper Jack cheese. Plus baking them in the oven makes them a much healthier option than their deep fried counterparts. Not only are they a tastier, healthier option, but baking them in the oven means there’s no greasy stovetop from frying to clean up either. Gotta love that!
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Oven Baked Chicken Taquitos
Equipment
- baking sheet and cooking rack
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken meat, shredded
- ½ cup thick and chunky salsa
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1½ cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 30 corn tortillas
- cooking spray
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup sour cream, topping
Optional toppings to serve:
- green onions, sliced
- black olives, sliced
- lettuce, shredded
- tomato, diced
- guacamole
- salsa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Place baking rack in baking tray. Set aside.
- Place shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add salsa, salt, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.
- Add softened cream cheese and shredded Pepper Jack cheese. Stir to combine.
- Place 4-5 corn tortillas between wet paper towels and microwave for 15-20 seconds until tortillas are soft.
- Place about 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling onto each tortilla.
- Roll tortillas around the filling.
- Place tortillas seam side down on baking rack.
- Spray tortillas lightly with cooking spray.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until tortillas are golden brown and the filling is hot.
- Remove from oven and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Return to the oven and heat for an additional 5 minutes or until cheddar cheese is melted.
- Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and salsa for dipping if desired.
Did You Make This?
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