Taquito means “small tacos” in Spanish and they can have various fillings, like cheese, pork, or beef. Optional dips for the crunchy treats include sour cream or guacamole. Smaller than a flauta, which generally uses large flour tortillas, corn tortillas are preferred for taquitos. They may or may not be an American invention, as two southern California restaurants popularized the taquito in the 1930s and 40s using recipes of Mexican family members. Taquitos are among the first Mexican style food items developed as a frozen food, with the Van de Kamp’s company offering them by 1976. In Mexico, crispy fried taquitos are called tacos dorados.
Recipe Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cooked shredded chicken
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 12 small corn tortillas
- Oil, as needed for frying
- Nonstick cooking spray, as needed
Directions
- Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and both cheeses in a large bowl, stirring to combine.
- Wrap tortillas in damp paper towel and place on plate. Microwave for 1 minute or until tortillas are soft and pliable.
- Lay tortillas on flat surface and divide chicken mixture among the 12 tortillas.
- Roll up each tortilla tightly and secure with a toothpick.
- If frying: Heat three-fourths inch oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Add three or four taquitos and fry until crisp and golden-brown, about 3–5 minutes. Repeat until all tortillas are cooked.
- If baking: Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet using nonstick cooking spray and place the taquitos in a single layer on the sheet.
- Spray tops of taquitos with cooking spray.
- Bake 15–20 minutes, until crispy and golden-brown.
- Remove toothpicks and serve.
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