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Switching up taco night with these baked Crispy Chipotle Chicken Cream Cheese Taquitos. Ground chicken seasoned with a smoky chipotle chili spice mix and tossed with cream cheese. Roll up the delicious mix into tortillas, then oven-bake until warm and crispy. These taquitos are crunchy on the outside, spicy and cheesy inside. Serve with a creamy cilantro jalapeño ranch. These come together in well under an hour and are so delicious. A great weeknight dinner.
When I get tired of the usual tacos, I make taquitos! The funny thing about this taquito recipe? It’s actually based on and inspired by a recipe I made back in 2012, the very first fall season of HBH.
We’ve been switching things around on the website, especially with the way you are able to search for recipes. Hopefully, we’re making things easier for you all, I certainly love the new search engine. It’s what lead me to these taquitos from so long ago.
I was searching the word chipotle and then these baked taquitos appeared and I immediately remembered them!
My brothers used to go to the local 7-Eleven after snowboarding and pick up their taquitos. They wouldn’t go often, but when they did, they would rave about those taquitos.
I told them that taquitos from 7-Eleven probably weren’t that good for them and I’d make them better at home. That taquito recipe turned into one of the very first recipes to live on HBH!
Almost ten years later, I reworked the recipe a bit and honestly made them a whole lot better. Gosh, these are so good, and really fun too!
The details
Pick up some ground chicken, turkey, or even ground beef. Just be sure to use what your family loves most! Brown the meat with an onion, add seasonings, and mix in cream cheese. The cream cheese is the secret. It makes the insides of these taquitos creamy instead of dry.
Trust me, it may sound odd, but it’s really not. Go with it.
Since I hate frying, which is traditional when making taquitos, I much prefer to oven-bake these. It’s healthier, easier, and we like the flavor so much more. You actually taste the food, not the fried oil.
Here’s the key, you need to rub each tortilla with olive oil before rolling up the meat. This is the trick to getting the taquitos crispy all around. Once the tortillas are oiled, roll up the meat and cheese inside, then oven-bake. In a few minutes, you’ll have crispy taquitos.
The creamy jalapeño ranch
Yes, making a homemade ranch is an extra step (but so simple). I always find the end result to be worth the extra effort.
For this ranch, mix sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, with buttermilk, cilantro, dill, onion, garlic, and of course, the jalapeños. Instead of fresh jalapeños, I like to use pickled. They’ll add a subtle, tangy kick.
I love to serve this with rice on the side and chunky avocado salsa.
That’s pretty much it for this one. Simple as can be, but every crispy, crunch, cheesy taquito is so delicious. I love a simple fall meal that’s fun to eat while celebrating your favorite team – or just enjoying with the family.
Looking for other Mexican night recipes – try these!
Crispy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Spicy Buffalo White Chicken Chili
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Jalapeño Pineapple Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Garlic Sauce
Lastly, if you make these Crispy Chipotle Chicken Cream Cheese Taquitos, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Cream Cheese Taquitos
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 567 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken, beef, or turkey
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup beer
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese
- 16-20 corn tortillas, warmed
Cilantro Jalapeño Ranch
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños
- kosher salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. In a large skillet, combine the olive oil, chicken, and onion. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Add the beer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened around the chicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese. 3. Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the chicken down the middle of the tortilla. Top with shredded cheese. Roll up and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp.4. Meanwhile, make the ranch. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Season with salt.5. Serve the taquitos topped with ranch and any other desired toppings.
Delicious! Thanks for this recipe 🙂
Hey Carley,
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it and your feedback! xx
I baked chicken breast tenders, shredded them, and used that instead of ground chicken. I also did half a cup of beer (Modelo) and half a cup of chicken broth. Lastly I used heb homemade flour tortillas and it turned out so good! Thanks for the great idea
Hey there! Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment as well! 🙂 xT
I would like to make these ahead and freeze them individually. what do you think? thanks
Hi Joan,
Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! Let me know if you have any other questions! xT
How did it work out, I would like to freeze as well.
Can’t wait try these! What is your suggestion when rolling the meat and cheese in the tortilla? Do you put the filling in the middle or is it better to put it on the outside and then roll to the other side? Thank you!
Hi Alesha,
I put the filling in the middle:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xT
Made these today but with your homemade flour tortillas instead… Even my pickiest eater loved! Thanks for another keeper!!
Hi Kim,
Happy Sunday!!😃🍊 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Loved this recipe. So crispy and delicious. Easy to modify. The leftovers reheated well in the oven.
Hey Sarah,
Amazing!! 🍉🍓 Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was delish! Have a great weekend:)
These were great! I used ground beef and PBR for the beer since that’s what I had on hand and it was delicious. I saw the other comments about the tortilla cracking, I had a few split in the oven after warming/costing with oil but nothing devastating. The ranch is really tasty too. I didn’t make anything on the side, these were satisfying on their own!
Hey Kristi,
Wonderful!!😃 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad it was a winner! xx
So delicious! Used regular hard shell tacos instead and it was a hit with everyone.
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
This was fantastic. I loved how the meat cooked down and all the flavours came together!!! And the ranch was the prefect touch.
Hey Jessica,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT
Made these today, they taste awesome, great flavors, but my tortillas fell apart?
Warmed them in microwave, rubbed them with oil, did not over fill them and the tortillas flaked apart. I did use white corn tortillas, but have had the same issue using regular corn ones.
Need to know how you get them to look like yours? 🙂
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe out! Sorry to hear about your tortillas, they can definitely be finicky! I would try a different brand, I really like Whole Foods 365 brand or if you have a local Mexican food store, they have some great options! I hope this helps! xx
Hi Tieghan,
Thank you so much for your reply, it is refreshing!
Wife loved this dish too!
Will try s couple different brands and let you know.
Cheers,
Mark
These sound delicious. Can’t wait to try them. Do you rub both sides of the tortilla with oil before filling.
Thanks so much Karen!! Yes, go ahead and rub both sides of the tortilla! xx
I had the same issue with the corn tortillas. I did a little research and found a trick of warming 4 tortillas at a time with a damp paper towel over them. It worked! I closed them with a toothpick and they turned out crispy and delicious! Also, I did air fry them on 400 for 8 min. We loved them!
I made these for the Super Bowl and everybody loved them! I followed the recipe almost exactly besides for a cup of beer. I probably only added a half cup since many of the comments said they had trouble reducing it down.
Instead of using the microwave to heat the tortillas I used my Blackstone! None of them cracked and all had a great crispiness. 10/10 would make again!
Hey Taylor,
Happy Wednesday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
Making this tonight, in the oven now! The filling and ranch are both so good, can’t wait for the finished result!
Thanks so much for trying the recipe Jessica! I hope they are delish! xx
Tastes, per usual, amazing! Just had issues with the beer not reducing down, and probably need to buy better corn tortillas. Any suggestions on better beers that reduce? I used Upslope Lager.
Hey Christine,
Wonderful!!😊 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was delish! Maybe try something like a Modelo or Pacific next time! xT
I had the same issue with the corn tortillas. I did a little research and found a trick of warming 4 tortillas at a time with a damp paper towel over them. It worked! I closed them with a toothpick and they turned out crispy and delicious! Also, I did air fry them on 400 for 8 min. We loved them!
My husband made these last night and said they were the best taquitos he’s ever had. They definitely had a kick, maybe because he used chipotle chili pepper instead of powder. We also used 6 in. flour tortillas because corn ones always seem to crumble. Dressing was good too but also spicy.
Hey Carrie,
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌 I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xT