You will love these homemade Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos. Make them for an easy dinner or a party appetizer. Small corn or flour tortillas are filled with shredded chicken, cream cheese, and salsa mixture, rolled, and then air fried until delicious and crispy.
Be sure to try my Easy Air Fryer Pizza Roll Ups + Video next!
Why You Will Love This Recipe:
- No deep frying. Because we will be using the air fryer, you will use way less oil than deep frying.
- Kids will love these small tacos! They work great for toddlers because they are easy to hold.
- This recipe is quick and easy. You can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken (I get mine from Costco), or you can use leftover chicken.
- Can be made ahead of time. You can make these taquitos ahead of time and enjoy them later.
- Can be frozen. These are totally freezer friendly! Make a batch to freeze then heat them up when you are ready to eat them.
- Works great as a game-day or party appetizer, weeknight dinner, lunch, or snack!
See below for instructions and video on how to make the Best Taquitos in the air fryer.
Q&A:
A taquito is a Mexican dish that consists of a small tortilla that is rolled up with a filling, like chicken or beef, and then deep fried.
Absolutely! This recipe calls for shredded chicken, but you can use ground beef, shredded pork, or black beans.
The best way to prevent the taquitos from cracking is to make sure that you warm up the tortillas before rolling them. Cold and dry tortillas can crack and crumble when you roll them.
Taquitos taste great dipped in salsa, sour cream, queso, cheese sauce or guacamole.
What To Serve With Chicken Taquitos?
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Green chili/red chili salsa
- Black beans
- Top with crumbled Mexican cheese/Queso Fresco
- Shredded lettuce, sour cream, and salsa on top
- Chunky salsa
- Pico de Gallo
- Refried beans
- Queso dip
- Mexican rice
- Avocado mash (just mash up some avocados and add a little salt and pepper... yum!)
- Air fryer corn on the cob
- Walking taco casserole
Equipment Needed:
Air Fryer
Ingredients:
- Olive Oil - I used olive oil, but you can use whatever cooking oil you would like.
- Tortillas - You will need small 5-to-6-inch corn or flour tortillas. Of course, you can use larger tortillas if that’s what you have on hand (flautas).
- Shredded chicken - I used a rotisserie chicken that I got from Costco. Leftover chicken works great as well. You can also make my Air fryer frozen chicken tenderloins recipe.
- Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
- Salsa - Use your favorite salsa. Chunky salsa works best.
- Cream cheese - I used full fat Philadelphia cream cheese.
- Taco seasoning - I used store bought taco seasoning. You can also make your own with this Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe.
Air Fryer Instructions:
1. Stack tortillas on a microwave safe plate and place a damp paper towel over them. Microwave for 20 to 25 seconds until warm. It is very important to use warm tortillas or else they will crack when rolling them.
2. Mix the filling: To a medium bowl, add the chicken, cream cheese, taco seasoning, salsa, and shredded cheese. Mix together until well blended.
3. Assemble the taquitos: Lay a tortilla on a flat surface and add about 2 tablespoons of the shredded chicken mixture one inch from the bottom of the tortilla. Tightly roll up the tortilla three-quarters, then brush some olive oil on the unrolled part of the tortilla, then complete the roll. Repeat for the remaining 15 tortillas.
4. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 5 minutes.
5. Brush the top of each chicken taquito with olive oil.
6. Once the air fryer is preheated, add the chicken taquitos, seam side down, in a single layer to the air fryer. Do not overlap. Cook in batches if needed. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Removed taquitos from the air fryer. Let them cool. Then enjoy with a side dish or dip like salsa, queso or guacamole.
Oven Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Warm up the tortillas by using a tortilla warmer or you can microwave them covered with a damp paper towel for 20-25 seconds.
3. Make the filling: To a medium bowl, add the chicken, cream cheese, salsa, and taco seasoning. Mix together until well blended.
4. Assembled the taquitos: Lay a tortilla flat and add 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture toward the base of the tortilla. Tightly roll up the tortilla and then brush the outside with oil. Repeat these steps for the remaining taquitos.
5. Add the taquitos to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, seam side down and in a single layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until browned and crispy.
6. Carefully remove the taquitos from the oven, let cool, then enjoy with a side dish or dipping sauce.
Make Ahead Method:
There are two ways that you can make these taquitos ahead of time. The first way is to make the chicken mixture and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days ahead of time. Once you are ready to enjoy your taquitos, just assemble and cook them according to the recipe instructions below.
The second way is to assemble the taquitos according to the recipe below without cooking them. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 24 hours in advance. Once you are ready to eat the taquitos, cook them according to the recipe instructions below.
Freezer Instructions:
1. Prepare chicken taquitos as directed in the recipe.
2. Place taquitos in a single layer, seam side down, on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 2 or more hours until frozen.
3. Once frozen, remove the taquitos from the freezer and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
4. To cook frozen taquitos, brush or spray with cooking oil and cook in a 365 F preheated air fryer for 5-7 minutes until crispy.
5. To cook frozen taquitos in the oven, preheat oven to 425 F. Add frozen taquitos in a single layer to a baking or cookie sheet (line with parchment paper for an easy clean up). Brush or spray cooking oil on the taquitos and bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy.
Recipe Variations And Substitutions:
Tortillas - You can use corn or flour tortillas for this recipe.
Fillings - Beef, pork, or beans work great as a filling as well.
Cheese - I used Shredded Colby Jack, but you can use a shredded Mexican blend cheese, Cheddar, or Cheddar Jack.
Olive oil - I use olive oil but you can use whatever cooking oil you prefer.
Storage And Reheating Instructions:
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees Fahrenheit and heat for 1-3 minutes until crispy.
Pro Tips:
- Be sure to warm up your tortillas before rolling them or they may crack (especially if using corn tortillas, they crack very easily if not warmed up before rolling).
- Don’t overfill the tortillas or they will be impossible to roll.
- Be sure to use room temperature cream cheese or soften it in the microwave according to the directions on the package. Cold cream cheese does not mix well.
- The air fryer I used was the Instant Vortex Plus 6 quart. Since all air fryers are different, you will need to adjust the cook time based on the air fryer you are using.
Other Easy Air Fryer Recipes:
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
- ½ cup chunky salsa
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 16 small corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Stack tortillas on a microwave safe plate and place a damp paper towel over them. Microwave for 20 to 25 seconds until warm. It is very important to use warm tortillas or else they will crack when rolling them.
- Mix the filling: To a medium bowl, add the chicken, cream cheese, taco seasoning, salsa, and shredded cheese. Mix together until well blended.
- Assemble the taquitos: Lay a tortilla on a flat surface and add about 2 tablespoons of the shredded chicken mixture one inch from the bottom of the tortilla. Tightly roll up the tortilla three-quarters, then brush some olive oil on the unrolled part of the tortilla, then complete the roll. Repeat for the remaining 15 tortillas.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 5 minutes.
- Brush the top of each chicken taquito with olive oil.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, add the chicken taquitos, seam side down, in a single layer to the air fryer. Do not overlap. Cook in batches if needed. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Removed taquitos from the air fryer. Let them cool. Then enjoy with a side dish or dip like salsa, queso or guacamole.
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Warm up the tortillas by using a tortilla warmer or you can microwave them covered with a damp paper towel for 20-25 seconds.
- Make the filling: To a medium bowl, add the chicken, cream cheese, salsa, and taco seasoning. Mix together until well blended.
- Assembled the taquitos: Lay a tortilla flat and add 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture toward the base of the tortilla. Tightly roll up the tortilla and then brush the outside with oil. Repeat these steps for the remaining taquitos.
- Add the taquitos to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, seam side down and in a single layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until browned and crispy.
- Carefully remove the taquitos from the oven, let cool, then enjoy with a side dish or dipping sauce.
Make Ahead Method
- There are two ways that you can make these taquitos ahead of time. The first way is to make the chicken mixture and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days ahead of time. Once you are ready to enjoy your taquitos, just assemble and cook them according to the recipe instructions below.
- The second way is to assemble the taquitos according to the recipe below without cooking them. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 24 hours in advance. Once you are ready to eat the taquitos, cook them according to the recipe instructions below.
Freezer Instructions:
- Prepare chicken taquitos as directed in the recipe.
- Place taquitos in a single layer, seam side down, on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 2 or more hours until frozen.
- Once frozen, remove the taquitos from the freezer and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To cook frozen taquitos, brush or spray with cooking oil and cook in a 365 F preheated air fryer for 5-7 minutes until crispy.
- To cook frozen taquitos in the oven, preheat oven to 425 F. Add frozen taquitos in a single layer to a baking or cookie sheet (line with parchment paper for an easy clean up). Brush or spray cooking oil on the taquitos and bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy.
Amber
We made these last night and they were so good! We dipped them in sour cream and salsa. Thinking about freezing a big batch.