Description
These Air Fryer Taquitos are crispy on the outside, cheesy and flavorful on the inside, made with shredded rotisserie chicken and pepper jack cheese. They come together quickly and are perfect as an appetizer, snack, or main course with a Mexican flair.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion, minced
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie or Instant Pot cooked)
- 4 ounce can diced green chilies
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
Tortillas
- 12 six-inch flour tortillas (fajita size)
- Nonstick cooking spray for air fryer
Instructions
- Cook Onion: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced onion and cook for 4 minutes until softened.
- Add Filling Ingredients: Stir in shredded chicken, diced green chilies, chopped cilantro, and taco seasoning. Cook together for 2-3 minutes to blend flavors.
- Mix in Cheese: Remove skillet from heat and stir in shredded pepper jack cheese until evenly combined.
- Warm Tortillas: Stack tortillas, wrap in damp paper towels, and microwave for 60 seconds to make them pliable.
- Assemble Taquitos: Place 3-4 tablespoons of the filling mixture in the center of each tortilla and roll tightly into taquitos. Repeat for all 12 tortillas.
- Preheat Air Fryer: Set air fryer to 400°F and allow it to preheat fully.
- Air Fry Taquitos (First Side): Arrange taquitos seam-side down in the air fryer basket with space between each for air circulation. Spray tops with nonstick cooking spray. Cook at 400°F for 4-5 minutes until golden.
- Air Fry Taquitos (Second Side): Flip taquitos using tongs, spray again with cooking spray, and cook for another 4-5 minutes until crispy and browned.
- Cook in Batches: Depending on the size of your air fryer (5.8 quart fits 6 taquitos), cook taquitos in two batches to complete all 12.
- Serve: Remove cooked taquitos and serve warm with salsa, sour cream, chipotle sauce, or guacamole for dipping.
Notes
- Wrap taquitos tightly before cooking to prevent them from opening in the air fryer.
- If taquitos are not crispy enough, cook an extra 1-2 minutes per side and ensure you spray them with cooking spray before cooking.
- Oven alternative: Bake at 425°F on a foil-lined baking sheet with convection if available. Cook 6-7 minutes per side, spraying with cooking spray before flipping.
- For gluten free option, use corn or gluten free tortillas instead of flour.
- For spicier taquitos, use hot green chilies, add 2-3 teaspoons hot sauce, or cook minced jalapeno/serrano with onions.
- This recipe can be adapted for beef, cheese, soyrizo, or bean and cheese taquitos using the same cooking instructions.
- Prepared, uncooked taquitos can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
- Reheat leftovers in the air fryer at 400°F for 2-3 minutes per side.
- When cooking frozen taquitos, add 2 minutes per side to the cooking time (5-6 minutes per side at 400°F).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taquito
- Calories: 200 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
