These Chicken Tinga Taquitos are a crowd-pleaser! Perfectly seasoned shredded chicken is tossed in a savory tomato sauce, then stuffed into a corn tortilla with cheese before rolling up and frying to perfection.
Taquitos are one of my favorite things to order at Mexican restaurants! They're versatile enough to stuff with whatever you're craving and can be served as a tasty appetizer or a filling main meal. By using shredded pre-cooked chicken, you can have these ready to go in half the time and for half the price that a restaurant would charge.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving (4 taquitos): $1.61
- Total Cost (about 24 taquitos): $9.66
- Those Other Guys: $14.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Shredded Chicken - To save some time, I like to shred some Rotisserie chicken for the filling.
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes - Tinga sauce is tomato based. Using fire-roasted tomatoes gives a good depth of flavor without a ton of spice.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce - A subtle ingredient that makes the sauce so delicious! You can usually find these cans in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store.
- Corn Tortillas - Be sure to gently warm these tortillas so they are pliable enough to wrap.
- Queso Fresco - A good cheese in the filling takes these taquitos to the next level!
Variations and Substitutions
The options for what you fill taquitos with are endless. Get creative with some flavor combinations!
Bean & Cheese Taquitos: Use creamy refried beans and your favorite shredded cheese. I have a recipe for Refried Black Beans as well.
Beef and Cheese Taquitos: Savory taco-seasoned ground beef is the base for this filling mixture.
Caramel Apple Dessert Taquitos: For a sweet twist, sauté chopped apples in a little salted caramel. After frying, quickly toss the hot tortillas in a cinnamon sugar mix. So good for parties!
How to Make Chicken Tinga Taquitos
Step 1: To begin, sauté chopped onion, garlic, and dried spices in oil.
Pour in fire-roasted diced tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, and a little water and bring the pan to a simmer.
Step 2: Blend everything together using an immersion blender until a smooth sauce forms.
Step 3: Toss in shredded chicken and stir until everything is covered. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.
Step 4: For the most restaurant-quality taquitos, shallow fry them in a little vegetable oil for 2 - 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
I recommend frying the taquitos as you wrap them so the filling doesn't disintegrate the corn tortillas; see below collage for a quick visual on how to wrap each taquito.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Short on time? Use cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken is budget-friendly and easy to grab.
- Warm the corn tortillas. Wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 10 - 15 seconds to ensure the tortillas are pliable enough to roll up.
- Season all the way through. Don't depend on your dips and toppings for all the flavor! Be sure to season the chicken and sauce, so the inside of the taquitos are savory and flavorful.
- Time your frying. I recommend frying the taquitos as you roll them. If you roll too many in advance and let them sit, the moist filling can sometimes cause the corn tortillas to break.
Recipe FAQs
Be sure you have warmed the tortillas until they are pliable enough to wrap.
In addition, I've found that it's best to fry the taquitos right after rolling (instead of letting them all sit.) The moisture in the filling can eventually break through the tortillas.
Not at all! The chipotle peppers are more smoky than spicy. If you love a little kick, add in some cayenne pepper or use the "hot" diced tomatoes.
Yes, these freeze beautifully.
Allow the taquitos to cool completely. Place on a sheet pan, and freeze the pan for an hour or so until each taquito is solid. Transfer these to a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 2 months.
You can! I recommend brushing the taquitos with oil (or spraying a mist of cooking spray) and then air frying at 360℉.
You can also bake at 350℉ until golden brown.
Similar to frying, I recommend cooking them as soon as possible after wrapping.
I love to serve with shredded lettuce, a little sour cream, and homemade salsa.
You can also dip these in creamy guacamole or a sriracha crema.
Other Mexican Food Recipes You'll Love!
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Chicken Tinga Taquitos
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Can Opener
- Medium Saucepan
- Immersion Blender
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Tongs
- Toothpicks (optional)
Ingredients
Chicken Tinga
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 10 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 count chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup water
- 16 ounces shredded chicken
Taquito Assembly
- vegetable oil (for frying)
- 24 count corn tortillas
- 6 ounces queso fresco
Serving Ingredients
- shredded lettuce
- sour cream
- pico de gallo
- fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
Chicken Tinga
- To begin, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil on medium heat until softened and slightly charred.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup yellow onion
- Add in the garlic and dried spices, toasting for another 30 seconds or so until fragrant. Stir continuously to avoid burning.3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, chipotle peppers and sauce, apple cider vinegar, and water. Stir well and bring the sauce to a simmer.10 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes, 2 count chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, ⅓ cup water
- Blend using an immersion blender until smooth. Add the shredded chicken and toss in the sauce until the flavors are absorbed. Remove the pan from heat.16 ounces shredded chicken
Taquitos
- Prepare a cast iron skillet with 1 ½ inches of vegetable oil and heat to 350℉.vegetable oil
- Warm the corn tortillas bay wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving for about 15 seconds. Keep them wrapped while you work on each taquito.24 count corn tortillas
- Fill each tortilla with a sprinkle of queso fresco, a heaping tablespoon of chicken tinga, and a little more cheese on top. Roll the tortilla tightly, placing it seam-side down into the hot oil.I recommend frying these as soon as you finish wrapping them to avoid the corn tortillas getting soggy and disintegrating.6 ounces queso fresco
- Shallow fry each taquito for 2 - 3 minutes per side until golden brown.Using tongs, remove the finished taquitos from the oil and place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
- Serve hot with shredded Iceberg lettuce, a drizzle of sour cream, pico de Gallo, and freshly chopped cilantro. Enjoy!shredded lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo, fresh chopped cilantro
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think!