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Switching up taco night with these baked Crispy Chicken Tinga Taquitos with Salty Lime Avocado Crema….plus all the toppings. Because extra sauce and extra salsa make everything better. Ground chicken seasoned with smoky chipotle peppers and pantry friendly enchilada sauce is mixed with cheese, rolled up in tortillas, and oven-baked. These taquitos are crunchy on the outside, but spicy and cheesy inside. Serve with a creamy, salty lime avocado crema sauce, and a mix of your favorite taco toppings. These come together in minutes and are so delicious…the perfect weeknight dinner.
Taquito Wednesday anyone? I know it’s not a thing, but maybe we should make it one. Because I’m overly excited to share this easy recipe with you guys. These taquitos are so good, they’re the kind of food you could eat once a week…at least.
I’ve told the story many times before, so I will not repeat it. Most of you know I grew up eating tacos once or twice a week. My brothers and I loved them as kids and still do to this day, but then, who doesn’t love tacos? They’re fun, typically cheesy, served with plenty of sauces and salsas, and all-around delicious. Love me a good taco!
But you know? Sometimes it’s nice to switch things up, do something just a little different. Different like instead of usual tacos, make crispy baked taquitos, which might just be better. It just depends on the filling. But hey, one thing’s for sure…taquito is a pretty fun word to say. Yep, cheesy, but kind of brightens my mood a bit.
Sooo, let’s make some taquitos!
The idea…
The idea for these Crispy Chicken Tinga Taquitos came from two sources. Source one, very old, very retired HBH blog content from all the way back in October of 2012. Our very first year of HBH! I shared a taquito recipe and it’s crazy to believe that I have not made taquitos since. When I randomly came across the post, I immediately thought how fun it would be to make newly updated taquitos.
PS. if you have an extra minute and want to take a look and see just how horrible our photos (and writing for that matter) were that first year, scroll through this post. Fun to see our growth!
Source two, my eldest brother…of course. Creighton has been inspiring a lot of recipes these days. His love for anything Mexican with double…scratch that…triple the sauce has been helping me come up with some fun recipes lately. Love having so many family members to inspire new recipes. Don’t know what I’d do without them.
Now, onto the details.
Pick up some ground chicken, turkey, or even ground beef. Just be sure to use what your family loves most, personally I like chicken, but my brothers are all about ground beef.
Brown the meat, add chipotle peppers plus a little red enchilada sauce. The peppers and sauce are KEY. Chicken tinga is made using canned chipotle peppers. They have a smoky, slightly spicy flavor. I love to use them whenever I have the opportunity. The enchilada sauce keeps the meat saucy, flavorful, and prevents the meat from drying out in the oven.
Added bonus? I always have these two ingredients in my pantry!
The next step is crucial…
Ok, that’s way too dramatic, but just go with me on this.
Once the meat is browned and seasoned it’s time to make the actual taquitos themselves. Instead of frying, which is traditional, I much prefer to oven bake. It’s healthier, easier, and to be honest, I like the flavor so much better. You taste the food, not the fried oil.
Here’s the key, you must rub each tortilla with olive oil before rolling up the meat. This is the trick to getting the taquitos crispy all around. Once the tortillas are oiled, roll up the meat and cheese inside. Then oven bake, and ten or so minutes later you’ll have crispy taquitos.
That salty lime avocado crema? Yep, you need that too.
Sure, sour cream is traditional, but whipped avocado crema is just so much better. I used fresh cilantro and plenty of lime and stirred in some pickled jalapeños for a spicy, tangy kick. This is the perfect sauce to dollop onto each cheesy, crunchy taquito.
I like to serve these up alongside sweet pineapple salsa or mango salsa, shredded lettuce, and plenty of fresh limes for squeezing. You can never have too many toppings.
And lastly? I see these taquitos as the perfect reason to make a random Wednesday night spicy margarita. Yep, it’s a good idea.
Watch the How To Video:
Looking for other Mexican night recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake
Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Jalapeño Special Sauce
Lastly, if you make these crispy chicken tinga taquitos with salt lime avocado crema, 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!
Crispy Chicken Tinga Taquitos with Lime Avocado Crema
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 591 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for rubbing
- 1 pound ground chicken, beef, or turkey
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo finely chopped, use to your taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce homemade or store-bought
- 16-20 corn tortillas warmed
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- pineapple salsa, shredded lettuce, and pickled onion, for serving
Lime Avocado Crema
- 1 avocado, halved
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
- juice from 2 limes
- kosher or flaky salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ground chicken and onion. Cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle peppers, oregano, and salt. Add the enchilada sauce and 1/4 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly around the chicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.3. Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave, until pliable. On a baking sheet, rub the tortillas with olive oil. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the chicken down the middle of the tortilla. Add a sprinkle of cheese, then roll up and place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 5-8 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crisp. 4. Meanwhile, make the Lime Avocado Crema. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt. 5. Serve the taquitos topped with avocado, pineapple salsa, and any other desired toppings.
This post was originally published on April 15, 2020
Hello! Do you use marjoram in your recipes? I really love this seasoning!
Hi Christina! I do not.. but maybe I should try it! Thank you for the suggestions! xTieghan
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to make! Is there a link for the HBH recipe for the enchilada sauce? Would love to make it (not buy). Thank you!!!
Hi Tara! I currently do not have an enchilada recipe, but there are a bunch of great homemade ones online! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
I only have flour tortillas — will they work?
Hi Swede,
Yes you can use flour tortillas, just note they may not get as crispy! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This look great! For the future, if I wanted to make these ahead of time & freeze them, when would you recommend I freeze them?
Thanks!
Hi Jenn,
I would recommend that you freeze them after you roll them, so before the baking process. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, great recipe, just curious what brand of tortillas do you use?
Hi Liz! I usually use mission brand! I hope you love these! xTieghan
These look delicious! What size tortillas did you use? My 13 year old son is vegetarian. I am considering frying up some chickpeas in lieu of the chicken for him! Thank you!!
Hi Dawn! I used 4-6 in corn tortillas! I hope you both love this recipe! xTieghan
This looks incredible! What could I use instead of the Chipotle Peppers in adobo? I’m a total wimp with spicy food! Any suggestions for not using them without losing flavor? Also, are pickled jalapeños spicy? Could you talk about them a little? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try!!!! Your food and photos are gorgeous!!!
Hi Meghan,
So you could use some chipotle chili seasoning in place of the peppers. The pickled jalapeños are definitely not as spicy as raw jalapeños and I have a recipe for pickling veggies, here is the link! https://fett-weg.today/quick-pickled-veggies/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you do this with fresh corn tortillas?
Hi! Yes you can! Just make sure to warm them! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
This looks amazing!
Is there something I could swap for the Chipotles in Adobo? I’ve had it before but I don’t remember if I liked it. Thanks!
Hi Tara,
You could just leave them out or do some chipotle chili seasoning! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks so good! I love the chicken tinga recipe from your cookbook, so I bet this would be amazing. I make taquitos all the time, but I have never tried oiling the tortillas before baking to make them extra crispy. I’d love to see a video of this recipe to see how you roll them after oiling! Can’t wait to try it. 🙂
Yes I am sure you will like this one as well! Let me know how it turns out for you! Thank you Veronica! xTieghan
This looks delicious ! Can I use green enchilada sauce instead ? Or would you not recommend it ?
Hi Andrea,
Green enchilada sauce would be totally fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! This sounds delicious! I noticed there is no sour cream in the List of ingredients for the avocado crema. Is there no sour cream?
Hi Lisa! No, there is no sour cream! The avocado makes such a nice texture on its own! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
I have died and gone to heaven. Everything I love, rolled up in one crispy shell! 🙂
Haha I am so glad you are loving these! I hope you enjoy them if you get a chance to try them! xTieghan
These look great! Are you oiling the inside or outside of the tortilla, or both!
Hi! I oil both! I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
these look really great
Thank you Ruth! xTieghan