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Homemade Chicken Taquitos

Filled with taco-seasoned shredded chicken and melty mozzarella, our crispy, fried, homemade taquito recipe is deliciously party-ready.

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Homemade Chicken Taquitos on a plate with guacamole, sour cream and salsa

It’s a Meal! It’s a Snack! It’s...a Taquito!

Whether you’re in need of a snacky dinner or a heavy snack, homemade chicken taquitos are a crunchy, hearty, cheesy nibble that doesn’t disappoint.

What Is a Taquito?

A taquito is simply a very small taco, corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken and cheese, rolled tightly and then baked or (in the case of our chicken taquito recipe) fried to a crisp, golden brown. It’s a super simple concept, and a completely genius little bite. Served with pico de gallo, fresh guacamole, and sour cream, homemade taquitos are the perfect thing to serve at your next get-together—just add some spicy margaritas to make the whole spread party-perfect.

ingredients for Homemade Chicken Taquitos canola oil, taco seasoning, lettuce, corn tortillas sour cream

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chicken, taco seasoning, and cheese in a bowl
chicken filling for Homemade Chicken Taquitos

How To Make Taquitos

Our fried taquitos recipe comes together in just a few quick steps! The main “work” of homemade taquitos is really just assembly, so if you’ve got kids in your house, it’s a perfect one for them to help out with:

  1. Toss shredded chicken with taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought) and some mozzarella cheese.
  2. Roll the taquitos! More on that in a sec.
  3. Fry the taquitos.
  4. And finally, best of all, EAT THE TAQUITOS! Slathered in guacamole, pico and sour cream, por favor. Or even dipped in our Seven Layer Dip, yum!
Homemade Chicken Taquitos being assembled with toothpicks on a cutting board
Chicken Taquitos bring fried in a cast iron skillet
browned Chicken Taquitos in a cast iron pan in canola oil
Homemade Chicken Taquitos on a cooling rack

How To Roll Taquitos

Tempting though it may be to jam the tortillas full to bursting with the super delicious seasoned, shredded chicken taquito filling, restraint is your best friend when it comes to rolling a perfect taquito. Sprinkle a scant 1/3 cup of filling into the corn tortilla and wrap the taquito really, really tight. Then, to help it hold together when you fry the taquito, secure the open ends with toothpicks.

How To Fry Taquitos

It probably goes without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway: be super careful when working with hot oil. Work gently, and without distraction, and keep little people far away from the stove when you’re frying. Before you begin to fry the taquitos, test the temperature of the oil by dropping a piece of one of your corn tortillas in the oil—if it immediately sizzles and bubbles, the oil is ready. Or, check for a temp of 350°F with a deep-frying thermometer. Fry your cheesy chicken taquitos in small batches, so the oil temperature stays constant. Keep fried taquitos warm in a 250°F oven on a baking sheet while you finish the rest of the batch.

fried chicken taquitos on a baking sheet
Homemade Chicken Taquitos 9

Tools You’ll Need:

Homemade Chicken Taquitos on a plate with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and lettuce

Other Party-Ready Recipes:

As far as we’re concerned this taquito recipe embodies party-food perfection. Here are a few of our other faves:

Homemade Chicken Taquitos on a plate with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and lettuce

What Did Everyone Think?

Do you love this taquito recipe? Did your friends gobble them up?! We really want to know. Snap a photo of the finished taquitos, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you share them with. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

Homemade Chicken Taquitos

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  20 min
  • Cook Time:  10 min
  • Calories: 445

Ingredients

Method

  1. Wrap the tortillas in a kitchen towel and microwave until warm and pliable, about 1 minute.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, mozzarella and, taco seasoning. Working with one tortilla at a time, add ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture to the center of a tortilla and spread out in a line. Tightly roll the tortilla around the filling, then pierce it with a toothpick to hold it together. Tip: Cover the prepared taquitos with a damp towel to keep the tortillas from cracking.

  3. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, working in small batches, add the taquitos and cook, rotating occasionally, until light brown, 1-2 minutes, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

  4. Serve warm, topped with the lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo or salsa.


Note: If you’re making a large batch, place finished taquitos on a baking sheet and keep warm in a 250°F oven until ready to serve.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories445
  • Protein28 g
  • Carbohydrates26 g
  • Total Fat25 g
  • Dietary Fiber4 g
  • Cholesterol49 mg
  • sodium160 mg
  • Total Sugars5 g

Homemade Chicken Taquitos

Questions & Reviews

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  • Charlotte

    Can this recipe be adapted to the airfryer?

    It definitely could be but we haven't tested it in the air fryer yet.

  • Robyn

    What are the best sides to go with this?

    Restaurant Style Mexican Rice, Instant Pot Pinto beans, chips and guacamole. Hope you enjoy Robyn!

  • Brianna

    Hey Girls! Great recipe. I’m scared to even attempt this with corn tortillas though, every time it’s a disaster for me even when I warm them… would this be okay with flour tortillas? I don’t feel they crack as easy. Thank you in advance!

    If you warm the tortillas wrapped in a damp tea towel or damp paper towel that helps prevent the cracking or you can get a tortilla warmer which makes it SUPER easy and those are very affordable. We haven't made these with flour tortillas but it should be fine if you go that route! Hope you enjoy!

  • Stephanie

    I’ve tried this recipe a couple of times and the corn tortillas fall apart every time. They look delicious and I want to make them as the recipe appears. What am I missing?

    Are you warming the tortillas first? If you try to roll a cold corn tortilla it will break. Warm them in the microwave for one minute wrapped in a tea towel , damp paper towels or you can even use a tortilla warmer. Hope it goes better this time Stephanie!

  • Cate

    I like the recipe but what about reheating instructions? Particularly for oven.

    We are working on adding reheating instructions for all our recipes. I would put the taquitos on a baking sheet, brush them with a little oil or spray them with some cooking spray and bake them at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until they're warmed through and crispy.

  • Lindsay

    I made these a couple of weeks ago and it ended up yielding about 25 taquitos… every single one of them was gone! Even a hit with my picky 9 year old. I’m trying it with ground beef tonight.

    Thanks Lindsay, so happy to hear your family loved these!

  • Chrystal

    Love these! The left overs work great too. I just broil them the next day for a few minutes in the oven and they crisp back up

    Thanks Chrystal, we are so glad you love these!

  • wmac

    Made it last night...very good simple recipe

    wonderful! Thanks for letting us know!