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Switching up taco night with these baked Crispy Chicken Tinga Taquitos with Salty Lime Avocado Crema….plus all the toppings. Because extra sauce and extra salsa make everything better. Ground chicken seasoned with smoky chipotle peppers and pantry friendly enchilada sauce is mixed with cheese, rolled up in tortillas, and oven-baked. These taquitos are crunchy on the outside, but spicy and cheesy inside. Serve with a creamy, salty lime avocado crema sauce, and a mix of your favorite taco toppings. These come together in minutes and are so delicious…the perfect weeknight dinner.
Taquito Wednesday anyone? I know it’s not a thing, but maybe we should make it one. Because I’m overly excited to share this easy recipe with you guys. These taquitos are so good, they’re the kind of food you could eat once a week…at least.
I’ve told the story many times before, so I will not repeat it. Most of you know I grew up eating tacos once or twice a week. My brothers and I loved them as kids and still do to this day, but then, who doesn’t love tacos? They’re fun, typically cheesy, served with plenty of sauces and salsas, and all-around delicious. Love me a good taco!
But you know? Sometimes it’s nice to switch things up, do something just a little different. Different like instead of usual tacos, make crispy baked taquitos, which might just be better. It just depends on the filling. But hey, one thing’s for sure…taquito is a pretty fun word to say. Yep, cheesy, but kind of brightens my mood a bit.
Sooo, let’s make some taquitos!
The idea…
The idea for these Crispy Chicken Tinga Taquitos came from two sources. Source one, very old, very retired HBH blog content from all the way back in October of 2012. Our very first year of HBH! I shared a taquito recipe and it’s crazy to believe that I have not made taquitos since. When I randomly came across the post, I immediately thought how fun it would be to make newly updated taquitos.
PS. if you have an extra minute and want to take a look and see just how horrible our photos (and writing for that matter) were that first year, scroll through this post. Fun to see our growth!
Source two, my eldest brother…of course. Creighton has been inspiring a lot of recipes these days. His love for anything Mexican with double…scratch that…triple the sauce has been helping me come up with some fun recipes lately. Love having so many family members to inspire new recipes. Don’t know what I’d do without them.
Now, onto the details.
Pick up some ground chicken, turkey, or even ground beef. Just be sure to use what your family loves most, personally I like chicken, but my brothers are all about ground beef.
Brown the meat, add chipotle peppers plus a little red enchilada sauce. The peppers and sauce are KEY. Chicken tinga is made using canned chipotle peppers. They have a smoky, slightly spicy flavor. I love to use them whenever I have the opportunity. The enchilada sauce keeps the meat saucy, flavorful, and prevents the meat from drying out in the oven.
Added bonus? I always have these two ingredients in my pantry!
The next step is crucial…
Ok, that’s way too dramatic, but just go with me on this.
Once the meat is browned and seasoned it’s time to make the actual taquitos themselves. Instead of frying, which is traditional, I much prefer to oven bake. It’s healthier, easier, and to be honest, I like the flavor so much better. You taste the food, not the fried oil.
Here’s the key, you must 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, and ten or so minutes later you’ll have crispy taquitos.
That salty lime avocado crema? Yep, you need that too.
Sure, sour cream is traditional, but whipped avocado crema is just so much better. I used fresh cilantro and plenty of lime and stirred in some pickled jalapeños for a spicy, tangy kick. This is the perfect sauce to dollop onto each cheesy, crunchy taquito.
I like to serve these up alongside sweet pineapple salsa or mango salsa, shredded lettuce, and plenty of fresh limes for squeezing. You can never have too many toppings.
And lastly? I see these taquitos as the perfect reason to make a random Wednesday night spicy margarita. Yep, it’s a good idea.
Watch the How To Video:
Looking for other Mexican night recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Jalapeño Special Sauce
Lastly, if you make these crispy chicken tinga taquitos with salt lime avocado crema, 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 Chicken Tinga Taquitos with Lime Avocado Crema
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 591 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 plus more for rubbing
- 1 pound ground chicken, beef, or turkey
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo finely chopped, use to your taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce homemade or store-bought
- 16-20 corn tortillas warmed
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- pineapple salsa, shredded lettuce, and pickled onion, for serving
Lime Avocado Crema
- 1 avocado, halved
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
- juice from 2 limes
- kosher or flaky salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ground chicken and onion. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle peppers, oregano, and salt. Add the enchilada sauce and 1/4 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly around the chicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.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. Add a sprinkle of cheese, then roll up and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp. 4. Meanwhile, make the Lime Avocado Crema. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt. 5. Serve the taquitos topped with avocado, pineapple salsa, and any other desired toppings.
Every single taquitos broke open and spilled out, soooooo… Should have just made enchiladas.
Hi Carrie,
Thanks for making this recipe, so sorry to hear you had issues with the taquitos. Did you warm your tortillas and coat them in oil? That usually helps with the cracking! xx
My go-to recipe for making taquitos on the fly! Renders a fryer useless and makes these and weekday dinner reality (:
Some tricks that have helped me: I use white corn vs yellow corn tortillas. A textual preference and I feel the white corn are sturdier! I’ve noticed the more you handle the tortillas, it will be more likely they’ll fall apart; I like to use spay oil! Lay them out on cookie sheet, spray flip and spray again!
Thank you for such an awesome recipe!
Hey Sarah,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) Thanks for sharing what works well for you! xTieghan
Was horrible. The corn tortillas wouldn’t stay closed. I followed every step and it was a mess.
Hi Jill,
So sorry to hear you had issues with the recipe, corn tortillas can definitely be finicky! I find what helps is to warm them slightly, coat in oil, and I am careful not to over stuff them. I hope this helps! xTieghan
These are delicious!! I was worried about them falling apart based on everyone’s comments but I had no issues. I used the corn and wheat tortilla from Trader Joe’s. I microwaved for 30 seconds and then put them on oiled parchment paper and they rolled easily with no breakage. can’t wait to make them again!
Hi Michelle,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xx
These are delicious but for some reason my tortillas flaked apart. Maybe it was the white corn tortillas that I used?
Hi Alison,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear about your tortillas, I would try a different brand next time. I like Whole Foods 365. xx
Just popped them in the oven and have a question about the oiling/rolling. While working on completing the full batch to put them in the oven, some of the tortillas began to split and crumble. I was generous with the oil rubbing too.
Do you have a consistently favorite brand of tortilla? I know these will be a hit so I’d like to try a different kind next time.
Hi Christie,
Thanks for trying the recipe, so sorry to hear about the tortillas, they can be finicky. I really like Whole Foods 365 brand. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Delicious and so full of flavor! The best part is they were easy enough for my husband to make!
Hi Christina,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
So it seems like there is lots of confusion with rolling the taquitos. Please clarify do we first soften in microwave? Try rolling them when they are room temperature? Do we coat both sides with oil or only the outside? Watched the video and didn’t see you oil them but only lay them on an oiled sheet. Made many of your tacos and taquitos and I’m never quite sure. Love the recipes!!!
Hi Brenda,
None of these are mandatory, just sharing tips for folks that are having issues with their tortillas. If they are ripping, you can warm in the microwave and then coat in olive oil to prevent this. I hope you love the recipe. xTieghan
My husband and I LOVE these! You always nail it! Thank you for another awesome recipe 🙂
Hey Chloe,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
This would’ve/could’ve been so good, and I tried to make it so, per the exact recipe. Problem is, (and I know a tiny little bit about Mexican food being I am from San Antonio, Texas) you cannot soften the corn tortillas without dipping them briefly in oil. It’s just how you make enchiladas or soft tacos. With this recipe, the tortillas do not soften, are not enjoyable and the recipe just does not work. Ugh.
Hey Lana,
Thanks for much for giving the recipe a try, but I do state to coat the tortillas in oil in step 3. So sorry if you missed this! xTieghan
I love these but they never stay together, what a mess! I don’t understand how you roll the tortillas without them breaking, even after warming them up, they crumble. I use 100% corn tortillas, does that make a difference? I’m so frustrated! But it’s delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey there,
So sorry to hear you are having issues. Do you coat your tortillas in olive oil? I find that helps with the breakage. Also, you may want to try a different brand of tortillas to see how that works. I hope this helps!! xT
I would suggest frying the corn tortillas in oil briefly then lay on paper towels in between each tortilla to soak up excess oil. After that, the tortillas are perfect for rolling up.
I would suggest frying the corn tortillas in oil briefly then lay on paper towels in between each tortilla to soak up excess oil. After that, the tortillas are perfect for rolling up.
I have made these around 6-7 times now, our house is obsessed. These are so good! Such good authentic flavors from the chipotle adobo peppers. Sweet, savory, salty and tangy all in one. Definitely in our top meals to make regularly.
Hey Megan,
Happy Friday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Love these! And so do my roommates 🙂
Hey Rachel,
Wonderful! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xTieghan
The filling was awesome, but in execution, they were a mess. They fell apart and I couldn’t flip them. I’ll make them again, but just fry crispy taco shells or serve them as soft tacos. The avocado sauce was AMAZING. Thanks!
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, sorry you had issues with the tortillas! xTieghan
If I wanted to make these and then bring to a bachelorette party (that is a 4 hour drive) what would be my best option? Pick something different? lol. I am looking for a substantial appetizer and thought these would nail it! I saw someone mention freezing them, but I don’t know how that process unfolds.
Hey Liz,
I would make the meat ahead of time, but I would wait to assemble until you are at your final destination. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan