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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
Dinner tonight….EXCELLENT!! Girls loved these more than traditional tacos.
Aw that is so amazing! Thank you so much for trying this Elizabeth! xTieghan
These look so good! I am thinking about making these and then freezing them to have them on hand for an easy lunch or snack to pop in the oven. Anything you would do differently?
Hi Alyssa,
I think that sound like a great idea! Just be sure to freeze them before the baking process. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Was cooking with two kids so we just turned the filling into tacos. Holy cow this recipe was beyond delicious.
I am so glad you all enjoyed this Candice! Thank you so much for trying it!! xTieghan
Amazing flavour. The sauce is also so tangy and delicious. Already my new favourite recipe!
That is so great! Thank you so much Elizabeth! xTieghan
Delicious! And my husband couldn’t wait to eat them for leftovers. The store was out of avocado, so we didn’t get to make the crema, but we got away with sour cream instead. I can’t wait to make them again soon!!
I am so glad these turned out so well for you Nikki! Thank you for trying them! I hope you are staying healthy! xTieghan
These taste delicious but Mine turned out SO ugly. I found the process of making them darn near impossible. It’s not you – it’s me. I love your baked chicken taco recipe and this seemed Great because it’s similar – but different! I will try again when my ego has healed.
Hi Hailey! I am glad these tasted well, but please let me know if there are any questions I can help with! xTieghan
Wow Teighan… I feel blessed after eating these! LOL. All jokes aside…. This California native is SOOOOO HAPPY. After moving to Florida last year, I’ve been missing Mexican food. I love taquitos and feel like they are quintessential L.A. I also loved making this recipe. : ) I’ve always enjoyed how Mexican food is a true labor of love, and this was no exception. I suggest to all to quickly “flash fry” your corn tortillas in hot oil for about 3-5 seconds per side before trying to roll these. They are always more pliable this way! Anywa – Will be keeping this on my spring menu for years to come. XO
Aw I am so glad this recipe brought you back to LA! Thank you so much for trying this one, Megan! I hope you are doing well! xTieghan
These are the bomb diggity!! Best new thing I’ve made in awhile. Will be on repeat here for sure
Thank you so much Peggy! That is so awesome to hear! xTieghan
What is your trick to keep the tortillas from cracking? I heated and oiled them…by the time they made it to the oven several had cracked. I’m sure it will all taste delicious, but my presentation isn’t Tieghan-approved!
Hi Tayrn,
I would recommend a generous coating of olive oil, also mine aren’t always ALL perfect, sometimes there will be a crack or two. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I really loved these Taquitos, made them for my family, and we love spicy food! I found them a little too spicy though! I used the can of chipotle adobo sauce, should I have taken out the peppers?
Hi Maria,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! You only need to use 2-3 peppers, if that it still too spicy I would only use one. Please let me know if you have any other questions. xTieghan
These look so yummy , I am making these tonight , hubby and I are excited
I hope you both love this Nia! Thank you! xTieghan
This was SO GOOD. Also, I traditionally steer clear of cilantro any chance I get, but in this crema it was Perfectly balanced and so so delicious. Will be making this again many times!
I am glad you tried the cilantro in this and loved it! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Super tasty and pretty easy to make, it just took me much longer than what the recipe says. I used lean ground sirloin and doubled the recipe and the meat was extremely tasty and delicious!! I warmed up my corn tortillas and rolled them, but almost all of them either split, cracked or busted out. They were delicious nonetheless, but yours were super consistent in color (how) and perfectly rolled (why did mine crack and burst open)? The crema was delicious as well. Overall, we really enjoyed them. Next time, just want to be able to actually stuff them with 2 TBSP filling and more cheese. To not overstuff them, I only had room time for 1 TBSP & sprinkle of cheese – they weren’t as cheesy. Help! Thank you.
Hi Avi,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad you enjoyed the flavors. For the tortillas it is super important that you warm them first and then that they are coated in a generous amount of olive oil to prevent from breaking. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe is DELICIOUS and so easy to make. I would 100000% make it again. However, a lot of the tortillas burst open while they were cooking. I didn’t overfill them. I’d love some feedback as to how to keep that from happening because I want these on our regular rotation.
Hi Josie,
So glad you have been enjoying the recipe! I would recommend using corn tortillas, the key for them to not rip is to warm them before stuffing and make sure they are coated in a generous amount of olive oil. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I see in the comments you said you can substitute chipotle chili seasoning for the peppers. Can you advise how much of the ground chipotle chili seasoning I should use? I don’t want to over/under-do it!
Hi Jessie,
I would use 1 teaspoon of the seasoning. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan