Air fryer buffalo chicken taquitos start with a creamy, spicy chicken filling that has been rolled in a tortilla and air fried until crisp. Served with some blue cheese or ranch dip and topped with crumbled blue cheese, hot sauce and fresh green onion, these spicy taquitos make a great appetizer, snack or meal.
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What Are Taquitos?
Taquitos, meaning little tacos, are tortillas that have been filled with meat and cheese then rolled up. They are traditionally cooked by frying in oil, but for this recipe we are cooking them in the air fryer.
Usually taquitos are made with corn tortillas, but in my area it is hard to find good corn tortillas, so I’ll often just use flour tortillas instead. In this case I’ve actually used tortillas which are a corn and flour blend, but you can use whatever you prefer.
These buffalo chicken taquitos are definitely not traditional or authentic taquitos, but they do have a crispy tortilla holding a cheesy chicken filling and they are creamy, spicy, and delicious.
Whether you want to call these taquitos or simply roll-ups is up to you, but whatever you decide to call them you will want to make a large batch as they will disappear fast!
Why We Love This Recipe
It’s quick – This is a quick recipe to whip up. It only takes 15-20 minutes to make the taquitos and another 10 minutes to cook them making them the perfect meal or appetizer when you need something quick.
It’s easy – This recipe uses simple ingredients and doesn’t require any fancy technique, just fill, roll, and cook.
They can be made ahead – I love when I have a recipe that I can make ahead and pop them in the oven, or air fryer, when I’m ready to eat. If you are making these as an appetizer you can make them early in the day, keep them in the fridge and cook when ready. The leftovers also freeze well and you can pull one or two out to reheat whenever you need.
Ingredients
To make these buffalo chicken taquitos you will need:
- Cooked shredded chicken – You can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for this, shredded chicken breast, or cook your own instant pot whole chicken and shred it up.
- Cream cheese – You can use tub or block cream cheese, just make sure it is softened.
- Hot sauce – My favourite for buffalo chicken is always Frank’s Red Hot, but you can use whatever you like.
- Shredded cheese – I like to use Monterey Jack. It has great flavour and it melts nicely. But you could use cheddar if you prefer, or even just mozzarella.
- Blue cheese – I like to add a bit of crumbled blue cheese to the filling. If you don’t like blue cheese you can just leave this out.
- Tortillas – You will want to use small tortillas, about 6-inch diameter. I used La Tortilla Factory corn and wheat blend tortillas. I like the texture and flavour of these ones and they are easy to roll. You can use flour or corn tortillas depending on your preference. If using corn tortillas you will need to warm them before rolling or they will crack.
Instructions
Begin by mixing the shredded chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, shredded cheese and crumbled blue cheese in a large bowl until well combined.
Spread 3-4 tablespoons of the chicken mixture down the middle of a tortilla and roll it up like a cigar. Repeat to fill all the tortillas.
Pro Tip – If you are using corn tortillas you will need to warm them before you roll them or they will crack and break. You can wrap a stack in paper towel and microwave for about 45 seconds, or you can heat them individually on a skillet over medium heat for 20-23 seconds each.
Place the taquitos seam side down in a single layer in the air fryer basket. You will need to work in batches to cook them all.
Set the air fryer to 350°F and cook the taquitos for 10-12 minutes until golden and crisp.
Serving Suggestions
These taquitos can be served on as an appetizer, snack or as a meal.
They’d be perfect on an appetizer platter for game-day or just a fun night with friends.
We like to serve them topped with additional hot sauce, a drizzle of blue cheese dressing, crumbled blue cheese and some sliced green onion. Then we add a dish of blue cheese or ranch dressing to dip them in.
As a meal we like to keep it simple and serve them alongside a salad.
The leftovers are great for lunch the next day, or even as a quick snack.
FAQS
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Cooked taquitos will also keep well in the freezer for several months.
You can reheat taquitos in the oven, microwave or air fryer. To reheat them in the air fryer set the fryer to 350°F and heat for 3-5 minutes until heated through.
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Printable Recipe
Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Cups cooked shredded chicken
- ½ Cup cream cheese softened
- ⅓ Cup hot sauce like Frank's Red Hot
- 1 ½ cups shredded monterey jack cheese
- 3 tablespoon crumbled blue cheese
- 16 6-inch flour or corn tortillas
- olive oil spray
Optional Toppings
- Blue cheese dressing
- Crumbled blue cheese
- Hot sauce
- Sliced green onion
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the shredded chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, monterey jack and crumbled blue cheese until well mixed.
- Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of chicken mixture down the center of a tortilla and then roll up like a cigar. If using corn tortillas, make sure you warm them first to prevent cracking as you roll. See notes below.
- Place the taquitos seam down in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Brush or spray the tops of the taquitos with a bit of olive oil.
- Set the air fryer to 350°F and cook the taquitos for 8-12 minutes until crisp. Check them halfway through and, if necessary, turn them for even cooking as all air fryers cook a bit differently.
- Serve with additional toppings if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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