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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
They were absolutely delicious!
What tortilla brand do you recommend because the tortillas I bought ripped, when I tried to roll them.
Hi Logan! I use mission brand! I hope these work for you with this brand. Please let me know if there are any questions I can help with! xTieghan
Delicious and so simple to make! Another fabulous HBH recipe!
Thank you so much Alison! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi! What is your favorite brand of enchilada sauce to use? Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Kori! I will link the one I use below! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
https://thrivemarket.com/p/frontera-red-chile-enchilada-sauce?aff_id=16396&t_id=102095e365351b6b79ca85e1aa6a86&o_id=6&utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=Half%20Baked%20Harvest&utm_content=default&utm_term=products_frontera-red-chile-enchilada-sauce&utm_campaign=products&aff_sub=affiliate&aff_sub2=Half%20Baked%20Harvest&aff_sub4=default&aff_sub5=products_frontera-red-chile-enchilada-sauce&aff_sub3=products
This was really good!! I made these a few hours ahead of time and then baked them when it was time for dinner.
I’m never sure how cookbook authors come up with the time, but I always take longer than the time suggests. Just an FYI to other home cooks, not a criticism of cookbook authors.
Hi Anne! It is just an average! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
super good! My enchilada sauce was already a bit spicy, so I used very little chipotle. But it was still super delicious. Thank you for the recipe!!!
Thank you Magali! I am so glad you enjoyed this! xTieghan
We tried these last night and had a bit of trouble with the tortillas and trying to roll them! Any suggestions on which type of corn tortillas to get in particular that might make rolling less of a disaster? We loved the flavor and the crema, but they were a bit of a mess!
Hi Bee! I always get mission brand! Did you heat the tortillas before wrapping them? I would love to help! xTieghan
I made these last night and topped with celeriac salad instead of avocado topping. I loved this so tasty. We are having leftovers for breakfast. Delish
Thank you so much Roz! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! First time HBH user here— and this recipe did not disappoint!! The flavor of the filling was INCREDIBLE. My whole family loved it! And oh man, the lime crema? So good.
My only trouble was that the taquitos burst open either while I was rolling or while they were baking. I oiled them well and followed the recipe to the T, but for next time, should I not stuff them as full? Or do you have a trick for keep thing together?. Yours are so pretty! Mine were tasty, but not so pretty, ha!!
Hi Bekah! I am so glad you decided to try this one!! Also, welcome to the blog haha! I would suggest not putting as much in, and putting the seam side down when baking. This should help them hold.. Please let me know if you have any other questions! I hope you love all of the recipes you try! xTieghan
Flavors are great, but my tortillas did not hold up at all! lol they basically peeled apart in the oven. Can you suggest a type/brand of corn tortilla for next time?
Hi Kati! I always use mission brand tacos! I would suggest making sure the corn tortillas are fresh, that way they will not split as easy. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these last night and they were amazing! The family really enjoyed them. Who knew olive oil on corn tortillas would taste so good! I preserve my own pickled jalapeños from the garden and they give such a nice flavor to the sauce! Will make again I’m sure.
Thank you so much Julie!! That is so great to hear! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, I noticed on your instagram you put the tortillas directly over the stovetop. Can you provide some guidance on how to do this? I wanted to try it. Thanks so much 🙂
Hi Claire! Yes, I put the directly on my gas stove top and flip them over when one side is crispy. Please be careful to not burn your fingers while doing this! xTieghan
My boyfriend and I made these last night, with ground chicken, and omg sooo delicious! The flavor was so tasty and the recipe was quite simple to make. We did have trouble with them sticking to the foil even though they were well oiled, may try parchment paper next time! But my goodness these are good!
Thank you Cachae!! I am really glad you both enjoyed these! xTieghan
I love your recipes! I follow them to the T and rarely have to make any adjustments. I made these tonight, however, I had to improvise on the avocado crema a little (I didn’t have pickled jalapeno, but I did have a lonely jalapeno in the crisper). I did have to adjust the time, just a bit, to get the taquitos to the right crispiness level. They were delicious!!!! Do you think if I freeze the leftovers and reheat they will be just as good? I can’t eat them all right now 😉
Hi Heather! Yes, I think they will reheat well if you freeze the leftovers! I am really glad this one turned out so well for you! xTieghan
these were amazing! can you freeze the leftovers…..
Thank you Lauren! xTieghan
I just made these to celebrate the end of Passover in lockdown in NYC during this insane time we are living through. I even made my own enchilada sauce by cookie and kate and I cannot express enough how AMAZING this was. I used ground turkey in my recipe. Thank you so much!
Thank you Kate!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan