Air fryer taquitos are one of my favorite meals to make. It has so much flavor! The taquitos are super simple and great to impress family and friends.
The Crock Pot/ and Other Methods
The crockpot is one of the most-used appliances in my kitchen. I love how I can throw things into it, and allow it to cook all day without my full attention. It always comes out perfect. When making shredded chicken, the crock pot never fails to make it juicy, while having the chicken absorb all the spices and flavors. The simplest chicken can taste fantastic when cooked in one of these and just falls apart on the fork when shredding it. I would recommend cooking on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. The longer route makes the chicken have even more flavor, but sometimes having to wait 6 hours is not possible.
If a crockpot is not available to you, you can shred a rotisserie chicken with two forks. Then you can make the cream cheese sauce (with cream cheese, water and seasonings) on the stove and mix it with the chicken.
The Air Fryer and Other Methods
The air fryer is a must-have in my kitchen. It helps give my food a crispy taste without all the oil involved with deep frying. It is a great alternative to deep frying, as you can control the oil involved better and reduce saturated and trans fat intake.
If you do not have access to an air fryer, you can bake these taquitos in the oven. Just preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for 15 minutes, or until crispy.
Other Substitutions For Chicken
Soon I will post more fillings recipes for taquitos, but some ideas are:
- Beans (for vegetarians)
- Sweet potato mash (vegan)
- Beef
- A spinach, cream cheese and artichoke blend
- Buffalo chicken (yummy dipped in ranch)
Reheating
Reheat in air fryer by cooking at 350 for 2 minutes, flipping, and cooking for another 2 minutes.
Equipment Needed
- Crock pot
- Air Fryer
- Forks
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting Board
- Knife
Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
– 2 chicken breasts
– 1 8oz block cream cheese
– 1/3 cup of water
– 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil (I like to use the spray oil)
– 2 head of romaine lettuce
– 1/4 can black beans
– 1 cup of corn (I use frozen, which is just as healthy as fresh and more cost effective)
– 8 cherry tomatos
– 1 tbsp greek yogurt
– 1 tbsp olive oil mayo
– 3 tbsp cotija cheese
– 1 lime
– 1/3 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
– 14 6-inch tortillas
– dip of choice for taquitos (salsa, sour cream, guac, etc.)
Seasonings for chicken:
– 1 tsp cumin
– 1 tsp ground coriander
– 1 tsp chili powder
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 2 tsp onion powder
– 2 tsp oregano
– 1 1/2 tbsp paprika
– 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
Instructions
1. Place chicken breast, cream cheese, water, and seasonings in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3 hours.
2. After, with two forks, shred chicken in the crock pot.
3. Lay out tortillas. This recipe typically makes me about 14 taquitos, but this depends on size of the tortillas and how much filling you put in them. Spray or brush tortillas lightly with oil on both sides.
4. Place about a spoonful or two of shredded chicken in a line on the tortilla. Then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Roll into a taquito. Spray or brush the air fryer with oil to prevent sticking. Then, lay in the air fryer with the sealed part placed downwards. It doesn’t matter if the taquitos are touching. I can normally fit about 7 taquitos at a time in my air fryer, but this depends on the size of the air fryer.
5. Air fry at 400 degrees for 9 minutes, flip the taquitos, and cook for another 8. Then sprinkle cheese on top and air fry for an additional 1-2 minutes or until crispy and the cheese is melted.
6. While taquitos are in the air fryer, heat black beans in a pan, and heat up the frozen corn according to the package it came in. Wash the romaine lettuce and tomatoes. Chop lettuce and cut tomatoes into fourths.
7. Mix the greek yogurt and mayo to make a dressing. Then squeeze a lime into it and mix again.
8. Toss the salad together with the black beans, corn, lettuce, tomatoes, cotija cheese and dressing.
9. Serve your dish with the lettuce on the bottom of the plate and 2-3 taquitos placed on top. Have a side of any dipping sauce or salsa you prefer and enjoy!