Mexico · 70 min · Meat · Starter · For confident cooks
Taquitos de Pollo
In German: Hähnchen-Taquitos · In English: Chicken Taquitos
For 6 servings · US units
Crisp rolled corn tortillas filled with spiced shredded chicken and melted cheese
Taquitos de pollo are slim, tightly rolled corn tortillas stuffed with shredded chicken and cheese, baked until they shatter at the edges. You get crunch on the outside and something juicy and well-seasoned inside, which is exactly why a tray of them never lasts long. Pile on shredded lettuce, a spoonful of crema, salsa for dipping and some guacamole, and a plate of little rolls turns into a proper meal for everyone at the table.
Ingredients
- 14⅛ ozchickenboneless skinless breast or thigh, cooked and shredded
- 12warmed for rollingThin flatbreads made from nixtamalized corn dough, with a gently earthy corn flavour.Substitute: Homemade ones from masa harina are just as good, whereas ordinary cornmeal or polenta won't bind into a dough. Wheat tortillas work for filling but taste blander, are softer and don't crisp the same way when fried.Read more
- 4 ozcheesee.g. Mexican cheese blend, for the filling
- 1 tspchili powderto season the chicken
- ½ tspcuminto season the chicken
- ½ tspgarlic powderto season the chicken
- ½ tsponion powderto season the chicken
- saltto taste
- 1 tbspoilfor brushing before baking; much more for frying
- 8¾ ozas an extra filling layer (optional)Caution: Dried pinto beans contain lectins that are toxic when raw, so they must be soaked and boiled thoroughly, as slow cooking at low temperature is not enough.Medium-sized beige beans with reddish-brown speckles that fade during cooking. Once cooked they turn soft, creamy and mildly earthy.Substitute: Borlotti beans are almost identical, just as creamy and mild. Kidney beans or black beans also work but have firmer skins and break down less, which shows in refried beans.Read more
- 3½ ozcream cheeseblended with the chipotle tomatillo salsa to bind the filling (optional)
- 3roasted, for the salsa in the filling (optional)A green, tomato-like fruit wrapped in a papery husk, firm and distinctly tart, and the base of many green salsas.Substitute: Unripe green tomatoes with a little lime juice come closest in acidity and colour, but the flavour is flatter and less fruity, and the sauce turns out more watery. Physalis are too sweet to serve as a substitute.Read more
- 3seeded, for the salsa in the filling (optional)Smoked, dried jalapeños packed in a dark, sweet-sour sauce of tomato, vinegar and spices, smoky and properly hot.Substitute: Dried chipotles, soaked and blended with a little tomato paste and a splash of vinegar, come closest; at a pinch, smoked paprika and a little cayenne with tomato paste give smoke and heat, but not the fleshy texture or the sweet-sour depth of the sauce.Read more
- lettuceshredded, for serving (optional)
- for serving (optional)Mexican cultured cream, thinner and milder than sour cream, with a gently tangy note.Substitute: Crème fraîche thinned with a little milk or lime juice comes closest and also tolerates heat; sour cream is tangier and leaner and is more likely to curdle in hot sauces.Read more
- salsafor dipping, e.g. pico de gallo (optional)
- 1avocadoas guacamole for serving (optional)
Method
- Cook the chickenIf your chicken is still raw, season it and either bake it at about 345 °F (350 °F) for 25 to 30 minutes or poach it in water for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Shred the meatLet the chicken cool a little, then pull it apart into fine shreds with two forks.
- Season the fillingToss the shredded chicken with the chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and salt, then taste and adjust until the filling is just how you like it.
- Preheat oven and warm tortillasPreheat the oven to 390 °F (400 °F). Wrap the corn tortillas in damp paper towels and warm them in the microwave or on a hot griddle until they're soft and pliable, otherwise they'll crack when you roll them.
- Fill and rollSpoon a little chicken and some shredded cheese onto each tortilla, roll it up snugly and pin the seam with a toothpick if it wants to unravel.
- Arrange and oil the rollsLay the rolls seam side down on a baking sheet and lightly brush or spray the tops with vegetable or olive oil.
- Bake until crispBake the taquitos in the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden brown.
- Serve right awayPull out the toothpicks and serve the taquitos right away with shredded lettuce, sour cream or Mexican crema, salsa and guacamole.
Tips and variations
If you're after extra crunch, fry the rolls in batches in shallow oil at about 175 °C (350 °F) for 1 to 2 minutes until golden; in an air fryer they need 5 minutes at about 200 °C (400 °F), then flip them and give them another 2 minutes. For something heartier, spread a layer of mashed pinto beans or refried beans under the cheese and chicken. Another great option is to skip the spice mix and cheese and fill them instead with a salsa of roasted tomatillos, chipotles in adobo, garlic and cream cheese, plus some fresh onion. Guacamole is quick to make yourself from avocado, onion, lime and salt, then set everything in the middle of the table so everyone can dip their own.
Allergens
Contains: Milk (including lactose)
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
