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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.
These taquitos were insanely good!
Thanks so much Alicia! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed:) xT
So delicious. Added two diced jalapeños to the chicken onion mixture. Followed the rest of the filling recipe as written. While the corn tortillas where a challenge, I eventually got it. Made some fresh salsa and sour cream for toppings instead. Not too spicy at all. Will be making these again soon. Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Hey Sam,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
I don’t know if I did something wrong, but I followed the recipe exactly and it was INSANELY SPICY. And the spice took over the flavor so much that I can’t even tell you if they’d be good without it. I feel like it should’ve been mentioned in the title (or anywhere) since people are making these things not only for themselves, but kids too.
Hi Bekah,
So sorry to hear that these were so spicy for you! Next time, I would reduce the paprika and chipotle chili powder, but it’s always good to keep an eye on those measurements if spice is something you are worried about! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Such a fun & delicious recipe! I doubled the batch to have leftovers & they’re still just as tasty
Hey Stephanie,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! 👻
Do you rub olive oil on both sides of the tortilla or just the outside, then lay it olive oil side down? Can’t wait to make this!
Hey Cindy,
I like to rub both sides with olive oil. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
This was DEEE-LICIOUS!
Thanks so much Cindy!!
Hi Tieghan,
I’d like to make these for a party. Can they be made the day before and reheated? Or can they be prepped the day before, and then baked the next day?
Hey Vicky,
You could prep these and then bake when you are ready to serve. I would just be sure your tortillas have a good amount of oil on them and cover with a damp dish towel so they don’t dry out. I hope this helps! xx
This was dinner tonight & will definitely be made again! I was pressed for time so I skipped making the ranch. The taquitos were really yummy and easy to put together. I used ground beef, as that is our preference. Felt like I was dining at my favorite Mexican restaurant!
Hey Rebecca,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xx
Making for a dinner party Friday. Any suggestions for yummy sides?
Hey Lauren,
Sure, here’s some recipes you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/white-chicken-chili-corn-dip/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/avocado-shrimp-salsa/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/nacho-fries/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Idk what some of these reviewers were doing wrong but these were amazing! I made them with *gasp* flour tortillas (we just prefer them) and I thought they still came out crunchy and delicious! The way the cheese crisps up is the stuff of dreams. This is one of those super versatile recipes where I can totally imagine subbing the chicken for beans, adding more veggies, etc. My husband said this is one of his very favorite meals (tbh he says that once a week bc HBH is heavily on rotation here!). Loved serving these along with a big salad so so much!!!
Hey Steph,
Wonderful!🤩 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
These are so good. I love taquitos because of the crunch and was excited to try these. I made them for dinner tonight and my husband has already asked me to make them again. Two things I altered, I used chicken diced very small and cut the spice a little. There were a couple of the tortillas that split a little but next time I’m sure I’ll do better. Delicious and crispy! Can’t wait to try your other taquitos recipes.
Hi Laura,
Happy Wednesday!!👻 I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed:)
Making these this week! Will these come out spicy? Any suggestions for how to make not spicy so my toddler can eat them? Thanks!
I cut the chipotle chili and chili down to 1/2 teaspoon each and the paprika down to 1 teaspoon. The result was a lovely spiced dish that had only the barest hint of hotness.
Thanks for sharing Mary!!
Hey Tiffany,
I would just reduce the chipotle chili powder and paprika, that should work well for you! I hope the recipe is enjoyed! xTieghan
I made these last night for dinner and they were amazing. The whole family loves them. Will definitely be making them again soon
Hey Kristen,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Made these tonight and they were delicious!! Mexican food is a staple at our house so I’m always trying to find new ways to mix it up. Used the ground chicken, which my husband was a little skeptical about, but we loved them. The dressing is our absolute favorite! We’ve started putting it on everything. 😂 Thanks for another great recipe.
Hey Marla,
Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try!🍁 xxT
What can I use instead of beer?
Hi Becky,
You could use sparkling cider or chicken broth in place of beer for this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I was VERY skeptical about making these after reading all the review but I took the chance and I’m very happy I did! I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious! We brought the taquitos to a party and they were a hit! Thank you for yet again another easy delicious recipe.
Hey Ashley,
Ohh that’s awesome, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks so much for giving it a try! Hope you’re off to a great Sunday! xT
Sorry, I meant to add this to my comment below. I reduced the chipotle chili to 1/2 teaspoon, the chili to 1/2 teaspoon, and the smoked paprika to 1 teaspoon. I just noticed that I forgot the garlic powder and it was still really good.
Thanks so much for sharing Mary!!