My husband and I have been a bit obsessed with homemade taquitos lately. After trying a few variations we found on Pinterest, we came up with our own version!
The salsa is definitely the star of the show in this recipe. We buy Cocina Fresca Salsa in medium heat. This salsa is made with serrano peppers, so it packs a lot of flavor and the perfect amount of heat. If you can't find this salsa (generally in the deli area of our local Fry's (a Kroger based grocery in Phoenix, AZ), substitute your favorite salsa!
I will include a few tips after the recipe, including a suggestion for making a vegetarian version, so please read on!
Ingredients:
4 small chicken breasts, fully cooked and shredded
8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
12 oz salsa
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Tony Chachere's or other cajun seasoning blend
1 cup shredded Mexican blend or colby jack cheese
18-22 6 inch tortillas
Preheat oven to 400F.
Tips:
The salsa is definitely the star of the show in this recipe. We buy Cocina Fresca Salsa in medium heat. This salsa is made with serrano peppers, so it packs a lot of flavor and the perfect amount of heat. If you can't find this salsa (generally in the deli area of our local Fry's (a Kroger based grocery in Phoenix, AZ), substitute your favorite salsa!
I will include a few tips after the recipe, including a suggestion for making a vegetarian version, so please read on!
Ingredients:
4 small chicken breasts, fully cooked and shredded
8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
12 oz salsa
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Tony Chachere's or other cajun seasoning blend
1 cup shredded Mexican blend or colby jack cheese
18-22 6 inch tortillas
Preheat oven to 400F.
- Put shredded chicken in a skillet. Stir in 12 oz (about 3/4 of a 16 oz container) of salsa. Mix in thoroughly, and warm over medium heat. Cook for about five minutes to allow the salsa and chicken to incorporate flavor.
- While the chicken is cooking, put softened cream cheese in a large bowl (see tips following recipe). Add the spices to the cream cheese and stir in completely. Add in the shredded cheese and stir once more. Add the chicken to the bowl and mix with the cream cheese mixture well.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Spoon approximately one heaping tablespoon of the filling into a tortilla and loosely roll. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat until you have used all of the mixture.
- Cook on center rack of oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool for several minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Tips:
- If you forgot to pull your cream cheese out so it can warm up and soften, you can put in a microwave safe bowl and warm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
- You can make this vegetarian by replacing the chicken with two cans of drained and rinsed black beans.
- Depending on how full you fill each tortilla, you should get 18-22 taquitos from this recipe when using the 6 inch sized tortillas. You can use a larger size tortilla if you'd like, just be sure to not overstuff too much.
- It's best to only cook the taquitos that will be consumed immediately. They get soggy if put in the fridge after baking and don't reheat well.
- These hold up well in the fridge uncooked for up to 24 hours. They also freeze well, though we go through them so fast, we never have to freeze them! Just be sure they are cooled completely before placing in a ziploc bag or freezer safe container. You can cook from frozen, they just may need a little more time in the oven. Be sure to keep a close eye on them so they don't burn!