But what you ask is a taquito? Crispy taquitos are delicious rolled tacos usually filled with shredded meat, shallow fried until crispy and garnished with shredded lettuce, salsa and sour cream.
For our chicken taquitos recipe, you can either use poached chicken that you can prepare at home, or to save time you can also use a rotisserie chicken.
Shred the meat and then cook briefly with fried onions and add Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste to boost the flavour even more.
Chicken Taquitos
A surefire way to get the party started is to whip up a batch of our easy Chicken Taquitos to pass around! It's the perfect way to welcome guests into your home.
A freshly made platter of this homemade taquitos recipe alongside some margaritas or a couple of chilled beers is the bee's knees.
Serves 4
Prep 20MINS
Cook 30MINS
Ingredients
Chicken Filling:
- 500g / 1.1 lb chicken thighs (skinless and boneless)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon salt
Or
- 400g / 14 oz rotisserie chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste
Pico de Gallo:
- 250g / 9 oz cherry tomatoes
- ½ white onion, finely diced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 handful of coriander, finely chopped
To Serve:
- 1 packet Gran Luchito Soft Taco Wraps
- 10 toothpicks
- 500ml / 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 200ml / 7 fl. oz sour cream
- 100g / 3 ½ oz feta cheese
- 1 jar Gran Luchito Tomatillo Salsa
KCAL:
144
FAT:
7.7g
Saturates:
2.3g
Carbs:
10.3g
Sugars:
1.7g
Fibre:
0.4g
Protein:
8.1g
Salt:
0.84g
Nutrition: PER SERVING
Method
- If cooking your own chicken, place the thighs, cloves, bay leaf, black peppercorns and salt into a small saucepan. Cover with water and simmer for 20 to 30 mins, until the meat is cooked through.
- Once ready, remove from the heat and place the cooked chicken into a bowl. Shred the meat with two forks or your hands (reserve the stock for another recipe). If using a rotisserie chicken simply shred the meat and set aside.
- In a frying pan add the olive oil and once it is hot enough fry the onions gently. Now add the shredded chicken, the Chipotle Paste, a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper, and stir. Cook briefly and reserve.
- Prepare a quick pico de gallo by adding all the ingredients into a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, then mix with a spoon and set aside.
- To make your taquitos, add a spoonful of the chicken mixture to one of the Soft Taco Wraps. Roll tight and repeat the same with a second tortilla. Secure both with the help of two toothpicks, as this will help to keep their shape while they are cooking. Repeat this process with the rest of the filling and Soft Tacos.
- Prepare a frying pan with vegetable oil. Once it is hot enough (for frying) place two secured taquitos at a time into the pan and cook until golden and crispy. When they’re ready, remove them from the oil and carefully place them over kitchen paper. Repeat the same with the rest of the taquitos.
- Serve warm and garnish with the shredded lettuce, spoonfuls of sour cream drizzled on top, crumbled feta cheese, a bit of pico de gallo and last but not least a spoonful of Tomatillo Salsa. Enjoy!
What you’ll need
Goes well with...
FAQ'S
Where did taquitos originate?
A taquito, is a Spanish word for small taco. Two Southern California restaurants are often given credit for their roles in the early development of the taquito. Cielito Lindo in LA, and El Indio Mexican Restaurant in San Diego. The latter began selling taquitos during World War II, when tortilla factory owner Ralph Pesqueria, was asked by workers across the street for a portable lunch option. Pesqueria, who used a recipe developed by his Mexican grandmother, has claimed credit for introducing the word taquito for the dish.
How do you keep taquitos crispy?
To keep the chicken taquitos warm and crispy until you're ready to serve, place them, in a single layer if possible, on a wire rack which in turn is placed on a baking sheet, and keep in a warm oven.
How do you reheat frozen taquitos?
To freeze, place cooked taquitos on a parchment-lined sheet pan and place the pan in the freezer. Once frozen, remove and place taquitos in a freezer bag for storage. To reheat, bake from frozen for 20-25 minutes in a 425°F oven.