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BBQ Chicken Taquitos are oozing with barbecue chicken and cheese. You won't be able to stop snacking on this new favorite.
Looking for the best homemade chicken taquitos?
These cheesy chicken taquitos are made with leftover BBQ shredded chicken and shredded cheese for the perfect easy dinner or appetizer.
These aren't your 7-Eleven taquitos. However, we don't mind chowing down on those at 2 am with a crisp Baja Blast. We digress. These homemade taquitos are cooked to crispy perfection and served with a creamy avocado sauce. They're perfect for popping in your mouth on game day or at 2 am when those 7-Eleven cravings hit.
What Are Taquitos?
Think back to when you were a kid, and you'd head over to the freezer section of the grocery store. You were probably on the hunt for these little skinny tacos called taquitos.
In southern California in the 1930s, taquitos began making waves in the tex-mex community. They can be filled with all types of meats and cheeses, such as ground beef, pork, steak, and chicken.
Taquito means 'small taco' in Spanish. They're basically like a smaller version of slow-cooker chicken tacos and chicken tacos.
What you'll love about this recipe:
- NOSTALGIC - They're like the freezer taquitos you enjoyed as a kid, only better.
- FLAVORFUL - The slow cooker BBQ chicken adds a fun twist to this Mexican food.
What You Need to Make Chicken Taquitos
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion
- Red bell pepper
- Garlic
- Shredded slow cooker barbecue chicken: You could also use leftover rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
- Flour tortillas: 10" size. You could also use corn tortillas if you like.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Feel free to use any kind of cheese you like, such as pepper jack cheese or a Mexican cheese blend.
How to Make Chicken Taquitos
- First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then, line a baking dish with aluminum foil and give it a good spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Next, in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until it starts to shimmer.
- Now, add the onion and pepper to the skillet and cook until they become tender, which should take about 5 minutes.
- After that, stir in the chicken and cook until it's warmed through.
- Now, it's time to assemble the tortillas. Add ¼ cup of the chicken filling to the center of the tortilla and top it with 2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese.
- Roll the tortillas tightly and place them seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas.
- Then, bake everything in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tortillas reach crispy golden perfection.
- Finally, serve the dish with a creamy avocado sauce made by blending ranch dressing and avocado until smooth. Enjoy your crispy chicken taquitos!
Expert Recipe Tips
- Prep these a day before and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
- Make a double batch and serve for game day or parties. Or, save the other batch for when craving strikes.
How to Store Leftovers & Reheat
Store leftover chicken taquitos in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
These are also a great freezer meal. If you plan on freezing, do so before baking. Make them up until the point of baking and flash freeze them on a baking sheet for 2 hours. Then, transfer to a plastic bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat from the fridge:
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
- Place taquitos on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 4-6 minutes or until warm.
To bake frozen unbaked taquitos:
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
- Place on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes.
What to Serve With This Chicken Taquito Recipe
These chicken taquitos go perfectly with Mexican staples like refried beans, salsa, and cilantro lime rice. If you want to get fancy, you can serve alongside an easy grilled corn salad. Or, dip them in some rajas con crema or drizzle poblano crema on top.
More Dinner Recipes
SEE MORE DINNER RECIPES
Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
Seafood Scampi Pasta
Lasagna Fritta {Copycat Olive Garden Recipe}
Take a trip down memory lane with these cheesy chicken taquitos. If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment down below to help out the next reader!
📖 Recipe
Weeknight Barbecue Chicken Taquitos
from Picky Palate Cookbook
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Dinner
American
Author: Kita
45 minutes mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper1 tbs minced garlic
- 2 cups shredded slow cooker barbecue chicken
- 10 flour tortillas - 10" size
- 8 oz cheddar cheese - shredded
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
In a skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering.
Add the onion and pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the chicken and cook until warmed through.
Add ¼ cup of the chicken filling to the center of each tortilla and top with 2 tbs cheddar cheese.
Roll tightly and place seam side down in prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until tortillas are crispy.
Serve with creamy avocado sauce (ranch dressing and avocado pulsed in a blender until smooth)
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
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Recipe FAQs
Some great options are sour cream, pico de Gallo, green salsa, fresh lime juice, homemade salsa, or anything else you like.
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