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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.
I noticed the ingredients list chili powder after the paprika but the instructions list garlic powder instead. Is this a typo?
Hi Joyce,
Ooopps! Thanks for pointing that out, I will fix it! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it’s tasty! xTieghan
Hi! I don’t see how much beer in the ingredients list. These look yummy!
Never mind!
Hi Erin,
The recipe calls for 1 cup of beer. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I’ve pretty much switched to only your recipes. Love your content and style!
For this one, buttermilk substitute options please!
🙏
Whenever I’m baking and it calls for buttermilk you can do milk and vinegar or lemon juice. The ration is 1 c milk to 1 tbs of the vinegar or lemon. It should work for the ranch too!
Hey Holly,
Happy Friday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try!
Can’t wait to try these! Can you fill them, roll them up in advance? And then just rub them with olive oil prior to baking?
Could I use flour tortillas rather than corn?
Hey Allyn,
You can use flour, but they just won’t be as crispy for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Most likely the tortillas would eventually crack if you didn’t add the olive oil before adding the filling. Just my experience with making something similar!
Hey Alanna,
Sure, that would work out for you! I hope these are tasty, let me know how they turn out! xT
Is there something other than beer than can be used in the meat? I have celiacs and can’t have the wheat in beer
Hi Rachel,
Sparkling cider will also work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
do you think I could use Beyond Meat or Impossible meat instead of ground chicken? Any suggestions for flavor/seasoning changes if I make it vegetarian? Thanks! :_
Hey Rina,
Sure, that would work, you could just follow the recipe as written! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope they are delish! xx
The filling! So delicious! We love spice and this had just the right kick to it. Easy and super tasty! I think these would be a big hit as an appetizer, too. I can just imagine a platter piled high and my son & nephews just loving it! Thanks for another great recipe. I am a great cook, thanks to you! 😃
Hey Leslie,
Awe, thanks so much for giving so many recipes a try and your kind message🤍. So glad to hear this was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Husband loved it. Will definitely make again!
The jalapeño ranch would be amazing as a salad dressing too!
Hey Linda,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks for giving it a go! Happy Thursday! xTieghan
Made these for dinner tonight! It was delicious, another Half baked harvest winner. Made it with ground beef. The smoky flavors were so tasty. Loved the idea of brushing oil on the sheet pan. Turned out perfectly!
Hi Michelle,
I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Buena tarde los hare el fin de semana se ven riquisimos. No tengo ningun ingrediente a mano.
¡Espero que te guste la receta!
I made this tonight. Couldn’t get hold of corn tortillas so I used a mix of corn/wheat one’s. They still crisped up and I used oil both sides. They were really tasty and the ranch sauce was very moreish. Next time I will get my hands on corn tortillas as I will be making this again. Another winner! Thank you.
Hey Emma,
Awesome!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback!! So glad to hear these were enjoyed:) xT
is there something besides beer that i could use for liquid? not a beer fan.
Hi Cici,
Totally, sparkling cider would also work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
How do you get this orange shade to the tortillas? I have made many of your taco-alike recipes and on all of your photos the tortillas have this very enticing shade of orange that makes it look so delicious, but I never get that result. Even after rubbing it with oil and letting it bake… it kinda comes out pale looking, but still crunchy so anything longer would burn them. Do you have any tips?
Hi Jessica,
Are you using corn tortillas? They are typically always yellow and with the added oil and baking they turn a darker color. I hope this helps! xx
What size tortillas did you use?
Hi there,
I like to use 6 inch tortillas. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
When you rub the oil into the tortilla, do you put in on both sides or just the outside? Sounds great, can’t wait to try!
Do you think these could be air fried?
These look delicious – going to try tonight. I don’t think I’ve made any of your recipes that we haven’t loved. Thank you!
Yes
Hey Shirley,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you! I hope this recipe is tasty for you, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made them in the air fryer and they turned out so delicious! Thank you. 😊
Awesome, love to hear this!! Thanks Shirley!
This was my first question as well. It’s not clear. Looking forward to trying this
I like to use 6 inch tortillas:)
We often make Tieghan’s Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos recipe, a tad similar to how this one bakes. I found an easy way to evenly get the oil on the tortillas is to brush some olive oil all over the baking sheet (I use a pastry brush). Then I take the tortillas and lay them on the oiled sheet, pressing down a bit to ensure they get good and oiled on the one side. Then I fill and bake as directed. Super perfect and crispy every time!
Hey Amy,
I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Outside only
That was my question too! Oil on both sides or just outside?
Both sides is great:)
Hi Cindy,
I like to rub both sides of the tortilla. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx