Video detailing how to prepare chicken taquitos. Video created by Liddie Martinez
Chicken taquitos. Photo by Liddie Martinez
By LIDDIE MARTINEZ
Española Valley
To be very honest with you, chicken taquitos are normally made in my house when we have eaten a roasted chicken for dinner and there are leftovers. Not being one to waste food, I debone and shred the chicken and make chicken taquitos for lunch the following day.
However, there are occasions when they are the perfect choice – picnics, kid lunches, or something to nibble on when you and your best friend have been fully vaccinated and are pouring celebratory margaritas! Besides, Cinco de Mayo is upon us. Super easy to make ahead and pop in the oven without fuss, especially if you have purchased a roasted chicken.
This recipe uses two boneless, skinless chicken breasts and will yield between 12-18 taquitos depending on how generous you are with the filling and how much volume the corn tortilla can accommodate without exploding. Be generous with your seasoning and cautious with your oven. You do not want to over cook the chicken and end up with dry filling, especially when you realize that the chicken is actually cooked twice; set your timer and trust your oven.
You can find plenty of taquito recipes that have you deep fry the taquito; this is not one of them. I do not like the greasy mess or texture. To get a perfect, crisp taquito, you have to gently pre-fry all the tortillas first and drain them on paper towels while they cool. This will keep the tortillas pliable, so they won’t crack when you roll them, and remove the excess oil. After filling them and securing them with a toothpick, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and put them in an oven that has been pre-heated to 350°. Finishing them in the oven will crisp them up and heat the filling through for serving without the deep fat frying mess or added calories.
My filling uses a small amount of cheddar cheese, but you can experiment with other varieties or omit it altogether. Also, I add one small baked potato because it helps to bind the filling together (as does the small amount of cheese) so that the filling doesn’t fall out after the first bite, but, as always, you can add or omit to your liking. You can also add jalapeño, green chile or red chile flakes for an added kick, but I normally serve with hot salsa and want to leave spice levels up to my individual guests.
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsps. olive oil
2 tsps. Emeril’s Original Essence or some other chicken seasoning you like
1 tsp. black pepper
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup baked potato
12-18 corn tortillas
¼ cup cooking oil for frying
Rub olive oil all over chicken breasts and season well on all sides then place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake uncovered at 400° for 23 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside to slightly cool.
Meanwhile, heat cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and lightly fry all corn tortillas flipping over once. Place on layered paper towels to drain and cool.
When chicken has cooled enough to handle, shred chicken then add potato and cheese and toss to combine.
Place about 2 Tablespoons of filling in each tortilla and roll tightly being careful not to over fill or tear tortilla. Secure with a toothpick and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
Serve warm with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
Editor’s note: Liddie Martinez is the author of the Chile Line Cookbook: Historic Recipes of Northern New Mexico, which is available online at www.pajaritopress.com.
The filling inside the chicken taquitos. Photo by Liddie Martinez
Chicken taquitos. Photo by Liddie Martinez
