Easy Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
• ½ cup chunky salsa
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• 16 small corn tortillas (or flour tortillas)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

You'll need an air fryer.

TIPS

• Instead of chicken you could use ground sausage, bacon, ground turkey or diced veggies.
• Mix up the cheese.  Maybe pepper jack or the 5-cheese mexican mix.
• You can leave out the salsa and taco seasoning and just use whatever you want.

DIRECTIONS

Air Fryer Instructions:

1. Stack tortillas on a microwave safe plate and place a damp paper towel over them. Microwave for 20 to 25 seconds until warm. It is very important to use warm tortillas or else they will crack when rolling them.
2. Mix the filling: To a medium bowl, add the chicken, cream cheese, taco seasoning, salsa, and shredded cheese. Mix together until well blended.
3. Assemble the taquitos: Lay a tortilla on a flat surface and add about 2 tablespoons of the shredded chicken mixture one inch from the bottom of the tortilla. Tightly roll up the tortilla three-quarters, then brush some olive oil on the unrolled part of the tortilla, then complete the roll. Repeat for the remaining 15 tortillas.
4. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit and set the timer for 5 minutes.
5. Brush the top of each chicken taquito with olive oil.
6. Once the air fryer is preheated, add the chicken taquitos, seam side down, in a single layer to the air fryer.  Do not overlap. Cook in batches if needed.  Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Removed taquitos from the air fryer. Let them cool. Then enjoy with a side dish or dip like salsa, queso or guacamole.

Oven Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Warm up the tortillas by using a tortilla warmer or you can microwave them covered with a damp paper towel for 20-25 seconds.
3. Make the filling: To a medium bowl, add the chicken, cream cheese, salsa, and taco seasoning. Mix together until well blended.
4. Assembled the taquitos: Lay a tortilla flat and add 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture toward the base of the tortilla. Tightly roll up the tortilla and then brush the outside with oil. Repeat these steps for the remaining taquitos.
5. Add the taquitos to a parchment paper lined baking sheet, seam side down and in a single layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until browned and crispy.
6. Carefully remove the taquitos from the oven, let cool, then enjoy with a side dish or dipping sauce.

Make Ahead Method

1. There are two ways that you can make these taquitos ahead of time. The first way is to make the chicken mixture and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days ahead of time. Once you are ready to enjoy your taquitos, just assemble and cook them according to the recipe instructions below.
2. The second way is to assemble the taquitos according to the recipe below without cooking them. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 24 hours in advance. Once you are ready to eat the taquitos, cook them according to the recipe instructions below.

Freezer Instructions:

1. Prepare chicken taquitos as directed in the recipe.
2. Place taquitos in a single layer, seam side down, on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 2 or more hours until frozen.
3. Once frozen, remove the taquitos from the freezer and place them in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
4. To cook frozen taquitos, brush or spray with cooking oil and cook in a 365 F preheated air fryer for 5-7 minutes until crispy.
5. To cook frozen taquitos in the oven, preheat oven to 425 F. Add frozen taquitos in a single layer to a baking or cookie sheet (line with parchment paper for an easy clean up). Brush or spray cooking oil on the taquitos and bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy.