Air Fryer Taquitos

Air Fryer Taquitos

February 22, 2021 Off By Laura Hartline

I LOVE Mexican food. Someone asked me recently, if there was one food you had to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be? My answer is Mexican. Hands down. No hesitation. Heck, I’m making it for dinner tonight! I am always looking for new Mexican recipes that I can fit into our dinner rotations. These air fryer taquitos are a perfect fit.

What are taquitos? They are rolled tortillas filled with beef, pork, or chicken and then crisp fried. They are not sealed into a pocket like a burrito, they’re open on the ends. I consider this version heathy, because they are air fried.

You can buy taquitos in the freezer section and they make a great after school snack, lunch, or dinner. However, the frozen kind are not my fave. I have a thing with corn tortillas. My thing is that I don’t like them. Unless, they are fried into a chip, I prefer flour tortillas.

These are fairly quick and easy. You’ll start by cutting chicken breasts or tenderloins into small pieces. Then, cook them in a frying pan with some diced onion and garlic. Add green chilis, hot sauce, cream cheese, and monterey jack cheese. The last step is to spoon this mixture onto a tortilla and then cook them in the air fryer. We love to dip them in sour cream or, of course, my spicy southwest ranch.

If you don’t have an air fryer and are wondering if they are worth it, I say yes! I love to cook chicken and steak (yes, steak!) in it and am currently experimenting with veggies. I have a few air fryer recipes so check them out in the search bar. This is the air fryer I have and been pleased with.

Air Fryer Taquitos

Cheesy chicken filling in a soft flour tortilla is air fried to crisp perfection to make a delicious snack, lunch, or dinner.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword air fryer, air fryer taquitos, taquitos
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Servings 5

Ingredients

  • 1-2 lbs chicken breast or tenderloins cut into small pieces
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
  • 3 Tbsp onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 4 oz can green chilis
  • 2 Tbsp hot sauce I use Frank's
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • ½ cup monterey jack cheese shredded
  • 10 flour tortillas soft taco size, 6 in.

Instructions

  1. Cut chicken into small pieces – about ¼ inch. (You could also use rotisserie chicken.) Heat the oil in a medium frying pan on medium heat. Place the chicken in the pan and cook.

  2. Add the onions and cook until tender. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the hot sauce and cream cheese. Cook until it is all melted and incorporated. Sprinkle the cheese around and cook until melted.

  3. Place 3 Tbsp of the mixture in a line along the center of a tortilla. Fold one side over the mixture and then roll up.

  4. Set the air fryer to 400°F. Place half of the tortillas in the air fryer basket. You can spray them with oil or non-stick cooking spray if you want, but it isn't necessary. Set the cook time to 6-8 minutes. When that is done, flip them over and cook for 3-4 more minutes. You could bake these the same way in a convection oven. Enjoy!