All the flavor of the chicken taquitos in your favorite Mexican restaurant, but healthier because these are air fried! Crispy and crunchy on the outside with a perfectly spicy chicken, cheese, and cream cheese filling mixture that just melts in your mouth! EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and the whole family will want seconds! Oven baking instructions are provided in the Notes below.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time8 minutesmins
Total Time8 minutesmins
Course: Air Fryer
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: air fryer chicken taquitos, chicken and cheese taquitos air fryer, homemade taquitos in air fryer, how long to cook taquitos in air fryer, how to cook taquitos in an air fryer, how to make taquitos in air fryer
Servings: 15
Calories: 241kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Chicken Taquitos
8ouncescream cheesesoftened very well to room temp*
2chipotles in adobo sauce
1teaspooncumin
1teaspoonsmoked paprikaregular paprika may be substituted
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoonsalt
3cupscooked shredded chicken**
2cupsMexican shredded cheese blend
15corn tortillas
Garnishes (all optional)
Mexican crema or sour creamthinned with drops of milk if desired
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Avocado or guacamole
Cilantro
Instructions
Chicken Taquitos
Preheat an XL air fryer or similar sized air fryer to 400F (or preheat an oven to 375F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray); set aside.
To a large bowl, add the cream cheese, chipotles in adobo sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Alternatively, if preferred you can use a handheld electric mixture but if your cream cheese is well softened, this shouldn't be necessary.
Add the shredded chicken and mix to combine.
Add the shredded cheese and mix to combine; set aside.
Place the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a thin dishtowel, and heat on high power for 30 seconds. The tortillas should now be soft and pliable and less prone to ripping or tearing. If not, heat in additional 10-second bursts until they are soft.
Keep the softened tortillas under the dishtowel, and grab one tortilla, one-at-at-time, adding about 2 tablespoons of filling mixture vertically down one side, and roll it tightly to form a taquito.
Repeat with about 7 to 8 tortillas and then place the 7 or 8 taquitos in the basket of an XL air fryer, not touching, and not crowded. Reduce the load in order to not touch or not crowd them.
Spray them lightly with olive oil cooking spray or another neutral oil such as grape seed and/or with an oil mister.
Air fry for 5 minutes.***
Remove the basket, flip over the taquitos with a tongs, spray them again lightly with olive oil cooking spray, return the basket to the air fryer, and air fry for an additional 2 to 5 minutes. Check after 2 minutes to see how they look. Since all air fryers are a bit different, make sure your taquitos have crisped up but aren't burning.
Garnishes
Garnish with or add Mexican crema or sour cream (thin it if desired with a few drops of milk), salsa, pico de gallo, avocado or guacamole, or cilantro as desired.
Air fryer chicken taquitos are best hot and fresh out of the air fryer. They become soggier as time passes. Reheating is possible by placing them in the air fryer again for 1-2 minutes to help encourage them to crisp up again although it's not quite the same. Technically they'll keep airtight for up to 5 days in the fridge or for up to 4 months in the freezer, although fresh is best.
Notes
*Make sure that your cream cheese is well softened to room temperature. If it is nice and soft, you won’t even need to use a handheld electric mixture and can stir it together with a spoon. Plan ahead and set it out at least 1 hour is my advice. I use full fat cream cheese because it’s creamier, richer, and the taquitos taste better than if you use a reduced fat cream cheese which has a much higher water content, in lieu of the fat. However reduced fat cream cheese is probably fine although I haven’t personally tested it.**When I make air fryer chicken taquitos I always use shredded store bought rotisserie chicken. However, if you have leftover grilled chicken, poached, or baked chicken on hand that will work fine as well.***You can make chicken taquitos without an air fryer. Simply bake them like I do for my Baked Cheesy Beef Taquitos. About 15 minutes at 375F, flipping once if desired, should do the trick. But of course monitor them for doneness given your oven and how they are looking.