Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos combine two classic dishes! These crispy and creamy taquitos are a perfect twist to your classic Taco Tuesday dinner.
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Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos Recipe
One of my favorite appetizers are jalapeno poppers! They have a bit of spice, a nice creamy cheesy flavor and are packed with crispy bacon. What’s not to love? I also have a love of tacos and taquitos. These jalapeno popper chicken taquitos are the perfect combo of both dishes.
This recipe is not only delicious but it is really easy to make! The recipe calls for store bought rotisserie chicken which cuts down on prep and cooking time. The filling comes together in one bowl and then you just roll them up and bake, air fry or pan fry.
What are Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos?
Jalapeno popper chicken taquitos are a delicious main course, appetizer or snack. They are corn tortillas (or flour) filled with a creamy chicken filling. The filling has all the classic flavors of a jalapeno popper – bacon, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, green onions and of course lots of jalapenos!
Traditionally, taquitos are pan fried in oil. The corn tortilla gets nice and crispy when fried. However, for a healthier option this recipe has steps for baking or air frying the taquitos. These cooking methods use less oil but the taquitos are just as crispy and delicious!
The best part about these taquitos is that they can be made ahead and are freezer friendly! If you are looking for a make ahead snack or finger food for your next game day party, holiday pot luck or movie night, these are perfect!
What to Serve with Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos
- Chipotle Copycat Black Beans
- Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat)
- Cilantro Lime Rice (Chipotle Copycat)
- Avocado Corn Tomato Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Dip
What is in Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos?
- Corn Tortillas – traditionally taquitos are made with corn tortillas. When the tortillas are fried or baked they get nice and crispy (similar to a hard shell taco). However, you can also use flour tortillas or homemade tortillas of choice.
- Chicken – for this recipe I like to use store bought rotisserie chicken that I remove from the bone and shred. The chicken is flavor packed, budget friendly, and cuts down on prep and cooking time, so it’s a win-win all around!
- Jalapenos – we can’t make jalapeno poppers without jalapenos! These are a mild pepper with a delicious flavor. If you want to ensure they are as mild as possible, remove all of the seeds and ribs (these are the white lines that the seeds grown on inside of the pepper),
- Bacon – mmm bacon! Of course these taquitos are going to be packed with crumbled cooked bacon.
- Cream Cheese – the binder for the filling. Cream cheese is the perfect cheese for the filling of taquitos as it does not fully melt when baked, so it holds the filling together. It has the perfect creamy texture!
- Cheddar and Mozzarella Cheese – cream cheese is the base of the filling but for added flavor I like to add a combination of cheddar and mozzarella. They both add great flavor and a stringy cheesy texture.
- Green Onions – I love the combination of green onion and jalapeno. They pair perfectly together in the filling for the taquitos.
- Garlic – everything is better with garlic and fresh garlic adds an amazing flavor to the filling.
- Salt, Pepper
- Oil or Cooking Spray – I have included instructions in the recipe for baking, pan frying or air frying the taquitos. You an use oil for pan frying, and either oil or cooking spray for baking or air frying.
How to Make Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Page
Prep
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Or, preheat air fryer to 350°F.
2 In a large bowl combine all of the filling ingredients.
2 To assemble the taquitos add about 2-3 tbsp of the jalapeno popper chicken mix to the center of each tortilla in a line down the center. Tightly roll the taquitos as tight as possible and set them aside, seam side down so they do not unroll.
Cooking Methods
OVEN BAKED – Brush the taquitos with oil or spray with cooking spray. Place them seam side down on the prepared sheet pan. Leave about ½” space between the taquitos so they do not touch while they cook. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. For extra crispy taquitos turn the oven onto BROIL low for 2-3 minutes, watch them so they do not burn.
AIR FRYER – brush the taquitos with oil on all sides or spray with cooking spray. Working in batches depending on the size of your air fryer, add 4 – 6 taquitos seam side down at a time. Air fry for about 6 – 8 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
PAN FRIED – in a large skillet or frying pan add 2 tbsp of oil. Heat on medium heat. Working in batches, place the taquitos seam side down into the pan. Pan fry for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a sheet pan with a wire rack and place in the oven to keep warm.
Serve the taquitos with salsa, cilantro, diced avocado, ranch dressing or sour cream and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos
- Filling– be sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before you prepare the filling. If you use cream cheese right out of the fridge it will be very hard to stir. Let the cream cheese sit on the kitchen counter while you prepare all of the other ingredients for the filling. By the time you have sliced and diced everything the cream cheese will be soft enough to mix. If you forget to take the cheese out of the fridge you can microwave it on a plate for about 10 seconds until it is soft to the touch.
- Chicken – I personally love using rotisserie chicken for this recipe as it is budget friendly, flavor packed and cuts down on my prep and cooking time. You can definitely use homemade roasted chicken or any leftover chicken you may have in the fridge.
- Serving – to serve, I like to dip my taquitos in ranch dressing or serve them topped with sour cream and salsa and eat them with a fork and knife. Taquitos are versatile because you can either serve them as a hand held appetizer with dip or as a plated meal with lots of toppings! I like to give my guests options of topping of sour cream, salsa, avocado, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, and shredded cheese.
FAQs Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos
Air Fryer – Preheat Air Fryer to 400˚F. Add to the air fryer basket or tray and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until warmed through.
Oven – Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until warmed through.
Microwave – microwave for 30 seconds. Note this method will not make them crispy again.
Refrigerate in air tight container in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
You can assemble them and place them in the baking dish. Keep covered in the fridge. Before cooking, brush or spray tops with oil. You can also make them ahead and freeze, follow freezing instructions below.
These can be frozen before or after baking. Freeze in a freezer safe container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Follow baking and reheating instructions.
Looking for More Easy Dinner Ideas?
- Tex Mex Egg Rolls
- Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Pollo Asado (Chipotle Copycat)
- Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos
Enjoy!
– Sab
Jalapeno Popper Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded, or cooked chicken
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, or Monterrey jack, or mozzarella
- 1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese, shredded, or cheddar cheese, or mozzarella
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
- 4 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and finely diced
- 2 green onions, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or shredded
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Taquitos
- 16 corn tortillas, or flour tortillas
- 2 tbsp oil, or cooking spray
Accompaniments
- Ranch, for dipping
- Sour Cream
- Salsa
- Avocado
- Hot Sauce
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Or, preheat air fryer to 350°F.
- In a large bowl combine all of the filling ingredients.
- To assemble the taquitos add about 2-3 tbsp of the jalapeno popper chicken mix to the center of each tortilla in a line down the center. Tightly roll the taquitos as tight as possible and set them aside, seam side down so they do not unroll.
Cooking Methods
- OVEN BAKED – Brush the taquitos with oil or spray with cooking spray. Place them seam side down on the prepared sheet pan. Leave about ½” space between the taquitos so they do not touch while they cook. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. For extra crispy taquitos turn the oven onto BROIL low for 2-3 minutes, watch them so they do not burn.
- AIR FRYER – brush the taquitos with oil on all sides or spray with cooking spray. Working in batches depending on the size of your air fryer add 4 – 6 taquitos seam side down at a time. Air fry for about 6 – 8 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- PAN FRIED – in a large skillet or frying pan add 2 tbsp of oil. Heat on medium heat. Working in batches, place the taquitos seam side down into the pan. Pan fry for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a sheet pan with a wire rack and place in the oven to keep warm.
Serve
- Serve the taquitos with salsa, cilantro, diced avocado, ranch dressing or sour cream and enjoy!
Video
Notes
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