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Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos
Our Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos are crispy on the outside and filled with a creamy, flavorful chicken filling on the inside. They are easy to make perfect for those busy weeknights. You can even air fry taquitos from frozen with our instructions.
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 1/2 pounds (2 large) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (here’s where we get our organic chicken)*
- 1-ounce package of all-natural taco seasoning or 2 tablespoons of our homemade taco seasoning recipe
- 3/4 cup water or chicken broth
- 1/4 cup cream cheese (light works fine)
- 1/4 cup mild or medium salsa
- 8 (8-inch) whole-grain tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese (how to shred your own cheese)
- Cooking Spray
- Optional toppings: sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, salsa, Guacamole, Avocado Lime Salsa
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Cook Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in your slow cooker. Rub both sides of the chicken with all of the taco seasoning. Add water or broth. Cover and cook on LOW for about 2.5 – 3.5 hours, until it shreds easily. (Note: Chicken should be 165°F internally when done.)
- Shred Chicken: Shred the chicken with two forks and stir, so the seasoning is evenly distributed. Drain off any excess liquid in the slow cooker.
- Make Filling: Add cream cheese and salsa to the shredded chicken and stir until cream cheese is melted.
- Roll Taquitos: Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken mixture, leaving a little room at the edges so the filling doesn’t spill out. Top chicken mixture with 2-3 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Roll up tortillas tightly. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Air Fry: Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Spray the tops of the taquitos with cooking spray. Once air fryer is preheated, spray it with cooking spray and place prepared taquitos into the insert, seam side down so they don’t open up during cooking. Air fry for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown and warmed through.
- Serve: Serve warm. Suggestions: Top with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, salsa, Guacamole, or our Avocado Lime Salsa.
Freeze It For Later: Complete the recipe through Step 4. Then, place rolled-up tortillas side-by-side in a single layer in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Seal tightly and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: When ready to bake, you have two options:
Method 1 (Thawed): Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or microwave using the defrost setting. Cook in air fryer as directed.
Method 2 (From Frozen): Preheat air fryer to 350°F (note this is lower). Spray frozen taquito with cooking spray and place in air fryer seam-side down. Air fry for 12 minutes, or until warmed through and crispy on the outside.
Notes/Tips
- You can use rotisserie chicken as a shortcut. Just heat it up and mix it with the taco seasoning, a splash of broth, cream cheese, and salsa and follow the cooking instructions.
- You can use corn tortillas but it’s a good idea to warm them up first so they don’t break when rolling. They also won’t air fry as long, since they are smaller.
- There is no need to flip the taquitos half way through.
- Some tortillas may cook faster than others. This is why we give a cooking range.
Find it online: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/air-fryer-chicken-taquitos/