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Baked Cheesy Cuban Chicken Taquitos: Oregano and cumin-seasoned chicken is cooked with onions and peppers and rolled up into corn tortillas. The taquitos are baked on a sheet pan until crispy and topped with sauce and melty Swiss cheese! Serve with avocado (of course), lime, and my quick pineapple salsa. This is a delicious twist on a Mexican favorite with a bit of Cuban flavor!
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I’m sure I’ll get some comments about calling these taquitos Cuban, but I drew inspiration from the spices and flavors often used in Cuban cooking. No matter what we call them, what really matters is how delicious they are, and trust me, these are YUMMY!
In the last Half Baked Harvest cookbook, Quick and Cozy, I shared my family’s recipe for double-baked taquitos. They’re delicious. They’re the best of both worlds, crispy like a taquito, but cheesy like an enchilada!
Inspired by that recipe, I wanted to give this version a Cuban twist, so I incorporated some Cuban spices and flavors: oregano, ground cumin, peppers, pineapple, and, of course, lots of citrus in the form of lime juice. Oh, and sea salt!
For an extra boost, try adding black beans to the chicken mix—it would be delicious!
Here are the details
Ingredients
- ground chicken
- yellow onion
- poblano or bell peppers
- garlic
- dried oregano
- cumin and cayenne pepper
- red enchilada sauce
- corn tortillas
- olive oil
- melty Swiss cheese
- pepper jack cheese
- avocados
- plain Greek yogurt
Ingredients – for the pineapple salsaÂ
- cubed pineapple
- jalapeño
- cilantro
- fresh lime juice
- sea salt
Special Tools
You need a skillet and a sheet pan for this recipe.
Steps
Step 1: cook the chicken
Using a large skillet, cook the chicken with the onions and pepper. You want the meat to brown and get cooked.
Season everything with chopped garlic, dried oregano, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. When the chicken is finished cooking, mix in a handful of pepperoncini. You could also add chopped pickles.
And if you wanted to add black beans, add them now!
Step 2: roll the taquitos and bake
Warm the corn tortillas, then roll the ground chicken up and place the taquitos on a baking sheet greased with oil.
Now bake until crispy!
Step 3: add the cheeses
Once the taquitos are crispy, pour over red tomato-based enchilada sauce. Then, cover with a blend of melty Swiss and pepper jack cheese.
Bake again until the cheese is super melty!
Step 4: the pineapple salsa
The salsa is simply a mix of pineapple, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice! It might just be one of my very favorite salsas. I love the combination of pineapple with the spicy jalapeño and cilantro—so yummy!
Step 5:Â serving
Top the pan of taquitos with avocado, Greek yogurt, and pineapple salsa. I usually add extra lime juice and cilantro too!
Looking for more simple spring recipes? Here are a few favorites:
Oven Fried Coconut Shrimp with Thai Pineapple Chili Sauce
Slow Cooker Braised Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Tacos
Cilantro Lime Salmon with Mango Salsa
Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos with Fried Avocado
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema
Crispy Cauliflower Tinga Tacos with Honey Lime Avocado Crema.
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Lastly, if you make these Baked Cheesy Cuban Chicken 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!
Baked Cheesy Cuban Chicken Taquitos
IngredientsÂ
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 poblano or green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use more or less to taste
- salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped pepperoncini
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce
- 16 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
- olive oil for coating
- 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 avocados, chopped or sliced
- Greek yogurt, limes, and sea salt, for serving
Pineapple Salsa
- 1 jalapeño, seeded if desired, and chopped
- 2 cups diced pineapple
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup lime juice
InstructionsÂ
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.2. Cook the ground chicken in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers. Break up the meat as you go, about 5 minutes, until cooked throughout.3. Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup water. Cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Mix in the pepperoncini. Remove from the heat.4. Working in batches, warm the tortillas in the microwave in 30-second intervals until pliable. Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and rub with olive oil on one side. Spoon 2 tablespoons of chicken down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and arrange seam-side down on the baking sheet5. Bake for 10 minutes, until crispy. Pour the enchilada sauce over the crispy taquitos. Scatter the cheese all over. Bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.6. To make the salsa, combine all ingredients in a bowl. 7. Top with avocado, yogurt, and salsa.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi, is it possible to pre prepare part of this meal.
Either can I add sauce/cheese, then bake when ready, or, don’t add sauce/cheese until actually ready to bake, or will this make the rolls less crispy when cooked, please advise
That you
Hey Nicola,
Sure! I would fully make the recipe and then cover with foil and reheat on low. I hope this helps!
I used white corn tortillas but they didn’t get crispy even with a little extra baking. Should I have used yellow corn tortillas? We enjoyed the flavors.
Thanks so much for trying this recipe!! All tortillas bake up different, so yes, I would try yellow corn tortillas next time!