These oven baked chicken taquitos are filled with a delicious creamy mix of shredded chicken, salsa, greek yogurt and cheese. I served them with lettuce, corn salsa, hot salsa, and cilantro lime crema.
Taquitos have always been a weakness for me. Ever since a child when my mom brought home a box of El Monterey Frozen chicken and cheese taquitos from Costco. I literally remember the day. Lol. I love food, don’t judge. Unfortunately, now that I’m getting older my stomach can’t tolerate the greasy junk foods it once did. So I came up with this lightened up version of one of my favourites. These taquitos are baked, not fried. They’re filled with chicken breast, greek yogurt, taco spices, salsa and Monterey Jack cheese. You could easily replace the chicken with another protein such as beef, pork, or even black beans for a vegetarian alternative. This dish is perfect as a main course or an appetizer. It can be made ahead and baked when you are ready to serve.
Shredding the Chicken:
For this recipe I seasoned 2 chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning blend (chilli powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chilli flakes, oregano, cumin). I then simmered the seasoned chicken breasts in equal parts salsa and chicken broth for about 10 minutes until it was cooked. Next I pulled it out and shredded it with 2 forks and returned it to the pot to soak in the now reduced “sauce”. This way the chicken already has some flavour.
If you are using plain shredded chicken, simply add salsa and seasoning in the next step.
For the filling:
Mix the seasoned shredded chicken with Greek yogurt and Monterey Jack cheese. You can definitely get creative here and add whatever else you’d like – some extra veggies like jalapenos or diced chilis would be really good!
To Assemble:
I used medium sized flour tortillas, but corn tortillas would be fine too. I rubbed each tortilla with a tiny bit of olive oil to help them crisp up in the oven. Then, I added 2-3 tablespoons of filling to the center of the tortilla and roll them up tightly. I placed them seam side down on a baking dish and baked them at 425 degrees for about 10 mins untill they were crispy and slightly golden!
I served these with shredded romaine lettuce, Farm Boy hot salsa, homemade corn salsa (corn, red onion, cilantro, parsley, lime, olive oil, salt & pepper), and cilantro lime crema (greek yogurt, garlic, cilantro, lime, olive oil, salt & pepper).
These were honestly so delicious and so guilt-free. If you decide to give them a try let me know in the comments below!
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Baked Chicken Taquitos
These oven baked chicken taquitos are filled with a delicious creamy mix of shredded chicken, salsa, greek yogurt and cheese. Perfect for lunch, dinner or an appetizer.
Credit: sageandspice.ca
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tsp olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 9 medium flour tortillas
Directions
- Combine cumin, chilli powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chilli flakes, oregano and salt & pepper. Coat chicken breasts with the seasoning.
- Heat a medium sized pan over medium high heat and add 1 tsp olive oil once pan is hot. Add seasoned chicken to the pan and sear on both sides for about 3 minutes.
- Add salsa and chicken broth to skillet. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for another 8-12 minutes untill chicken is fully cooked and has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove chicken from pan and shred using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pan and stir to coat the chicken in the sauce.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Combine shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, and Monterey Jack cheese in a medium bowl.
- Rub tortillas with the remaining 1tsp of olive oil. Fill each tortilla with 2-3tbsp of the filling and roll tightly. Place seam side up on a baking dish.
- Bake taquitos for 15 minutes or untill slightly golden and crispy.
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