Monday, April 9, 2012

Baked Chicken Taquitos


Who doesn't love Mexican food?! These chicken taquitos are can be filled with anything you want and easily customized to the palates of your family.  They would be great fried, I'm sure we all agree on that.... but by baking them, it really cuts down on the fat!  You could make these ahead of time and pop them into the oven (or fryer if you wish) when you are ready for afternoon snacks, tailgating, or even putting together an appetizer platter. 

Click here for Printable Recipe     or 
                                  watch me make them on Video Recipe for Baked Chicken Taquitos!

Ingredients:
It's hard to put amounts on ingredients that should be added "to taste" or "to consistency" that you like, but here's a rough guide.  
  • rotisserie chicken -fully cooked and seasoned.
  • 2/3 - 1 cup of jarred or fresh salsa 
  • 1 cup shredded "Mexican blend" cheese
  • 1/3 cup sweet white and yellow corn niblets
  • 1/3 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed well
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt and pepper
  • large pinch of chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 pack of egg roll wrappers 
*I'm thinking that a little chopped baby spinach would be good in here, too.  So much nutrition... but that would totally depend on whom you are making them for.

Step-by-step
Remove the chicken from the rotisserie chicken, and chop into small bite-sized pieces.
Rotisserie chicken
Mix the next seven ingredients into the chicken and mix well.
2/3 cup to 1 cup jarred salsa
1/3 cup corn
1/3 cup rinsed black beans
Big handful (about 1 cup) shredded cheese blend
1 tsp ground cumin
a big pinch of chopped fresh cilantro
Add a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture to an eggroll wrapper.  Fold in the sides first, then roll.  Wet the far end with water so it will stick to itself.

Egg roll wrappers are so easy to work with! (but you could probably use corn tortillas if you prefer.)
 


Wet the ends!
 
Spray a cookie sheet with butter flavored nonstick spray and arrange the taquitos.  Spray the tops of them with the butter flavored spray and sprinkle with black pepper and extra cumin.
Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.  It would be nice to turn them onto their sides if you can remember (I had a house full of kids and forgot).  Serve with condiments of choice.  I had light sour cream, salsa, and a spicy ranch for dipping.
Mmmm!
Mmmm.... chicken... gooey cheese....sweet corn and black beans... bright cilantro... smokey cumin... and a crunchy "shell" covering!   A perfect after school snack!

**NOTE** To reheat these, pop them into the toaster oven!   The get totally crispy again!

Also, Please be sure to visit my YouTube Channel for short video tutorials on selected videos.  Watch me explain the steps of the recipes in just a few minutes!  Just one more way that I'm giving you the tools to get in that kitchen!!! Aren't you curious?  Click and see how many there are!  :)

Here's just one example - Fireworks Roast (Aka - Beef Pot Roast)... Yum!!!

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Creamy "work week" chicken enchiladas
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Viewer Photo..
Great Job, Jamie!  These look fabulous!
Directions in hand!!

Written Directions
Remove the chicken from the rotisserie chicken, and chop into small bite-sized pieces.  Mix the next seven ingredients into the chicken and mix well.  Add a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture to an egg roll wrapper.  Fold in the sides first, then roll.  Wet the far end with water so it will stick to itself. 

Spray a cookie sheet with butter flavored nonstick spray and arrange the taquitos.  Spray the tops of them with the butter flavored spray and sprinkle with black pepper and extra cumin.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.  It would be nice to turn them onto their sides if you can remember.  Serve with condiments of choice.  I had light sour cream, salsa, and a spicy ranch for dipping.

37 comments:

  1. Love this recipe and can't wait to try it. I'm always looking for healthy versions of Mexican food and this is a winner. I Pinned the recipe, originally, from Food Gawker then realized it wasn't a direct link back to you so I deleted and Repinned from your blog. :)

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    1. Thanks, Marla and Steve, for your support of my little blog! Let us know what cool Mexican ingredients YOU added! Julie

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  2. This looks so good! I want to try it but they don't sell a Mexican cheese blend here in The Netherlands, what cheese could I use? And will filo pastry work?

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  3. Nina - for cheese, you could mix grated cheddar with a colby jack cheese or even mozzarella. For the pastry, you could use layers of filo pastry.

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  4. it's hard to tell from the photos, was the chicken cooked before combining ingredients??

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    1. Yes. This recipe uses rotisserie chicken - a fully roasted, seasoned chicken that you pick up hot and fresh and cooked at the market on your way home from work. This cuts your prep time down tremendously!!

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  5. Could these be frozen either before or after baking? These would be perfect to make ahead, freeze, and then my Hubby could have them for lunches or snacks.

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    1. I'll be honest and say that I haven't tried. Mine were just GONE.. like "poof" around here! That said, I think I'd try to make them, freeze them, and bake when ready. You may cover them for a while with aluminum foil until the inside has a chance to warm up, then uncover to brown and crisp. On the flip side, I did reheat some already cooked ones in the toaster oven, and they crisped right up! So maybe either way. If you figure it out, please reply and I'll pass it along to everyone.

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  6. These photographs are making me hungry and craving for these taquitos. Love the presentation too!

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  7. is the salsa 2/3 c or 1 cup?

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    1. I put a range of 2/3 to 1 cup because the "yield" of a rotisserie chicken may not be the same each time. I would start with 2/3 cup, then mix everything, and if it seems a little dry, add an additional 1/3. I personlly like them a little more "juicy," but I realize this is a personal preference.

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  8. I LOVE these! I'm making them for the 4th time. 2nd time, I bought 2 chickens at costco and doubled the recipe. I froze the whole batch in ziplocks for quick meals at a later date. They didn't last a month! Way to easy to reheat even from frozen and they still tasted great. Thank you for posting this recipe!

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    1. You are SO very welcome! ... and thanks for believing in my food enough to make it for your family!

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  9. I am making these for the second time this week tonight, my boyfriend adores them! I made them the first time with just refried beans as we were out of black and the entire batch was gone in minutes. I'm going to try and sneak and some more vegetables in this time. Thank you so much for posting this wonderful recipe!

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  10. Made this for me and the hubby and he gave it two thumbs way up! So easy to make, I can't believe I never thought of it before. He insisted I put it into my recipe book before I left the table. Thanks for posting, I found it on Pinterest!

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    1. Comments like these totally make my day!! It's so awesome knowing another family is enjoying something I've made. Thanks for following my blog.. I can always use new readers. :)

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  11. I am going to try these. My family doesn't like enchiladas because they get "soggy." This would be a good way to keep the shell crispy. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Kathy - I hope these work our well for your family.... in fact, they are fun to make all together WITH the kids. My son likes to grab a few and pop them in the toaster oven as a snack after school. They crisp right up again. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
      Julie

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  12. I made these last night and they were fantastic! I couldn't find egg roll wrappers at my store and was too impatient to go find them, so I used flour tortillas instead. These are a keeper! Thanks so much!

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    1. Jennifer, that's awesome!!! Thanks for giving readers another way to make these. So glad you enjoyed them. Hope you will visit my blog again. Julie

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  13. I am trying this tomorrow I like the wrappers instead of tortilla I am sure is a keeper

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  14. I made these tonight but the bottoms were soggy and the wrappers were hard. Any suggestions?
    otherwise it was delicious!

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    1. Oh boy... that stinks! The one thing that comes to mind is the amount of liquid in your filling. Let me explain. The last time I made these, I thought I'd make them a little "juicier" so I increased the amount (and used a thinner vs. chunkier type) of salsa. Guess what I got? Soggy bottoms! So while I can't say exactly what the nature of yours was, that comes to mind first as a suspect. As for the wrappers, you may try out different types of sprays/oils. Could "painting" them with canola oil work better?

      I do appreciate you visiting my blog and trying it out. I'm as disappointed as you are that they didn't turn out well. I do hope that you will visit again, however.
      Julie

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    2. I sure will! the combination of ingredients were amazing!
      Thanks for the suggestions and for sharing your recipe.

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  15. Can you use cooked chicken breasts instead of rotisserie chicken if that's all you have on hand?

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    1. Absolutely! Use whatever you have on hand....even leftovers. All of my recipes are flexible. :)
      Julie

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  16. Just made these and I am SO IMPRESSED WITH MYSELF!!! (not to mention, impressed with your recipe!!!). You cannot screw these up :) Delicious and good for you! I 'simmered' and then strained my rotisserie chicken after cutting it up to get rid of some of the salt and fat. I also substituted the sour cream dip with low fat, plain greek yogurt! SO YUMMY! Get idea for a pot-luck - Makes lots and they are a great finger food!! I will be raving about this recipe and blog for days! THANKS!

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    1. Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe and the outcome. The biggest favor (and compliment) you can do for me is to share my blog with your friends/family!
      Julie

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  17. would you be willing to share your recipe for the spicy ranch dipping sauce you made to go along with this wonderful recipe.

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    1. Hi... don't be too disappointed, but I think I had some spicy ranch from a bottle that I used from the fridge. This is a very low key recipe.. the kind where you just use stuff you have on hand. :)

      best wishes,
      Julie

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  18. It would be great if you had a print friendly button. :)

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    1. I don't have "button," but there is a link (in pink) that says "Click here for a printable recipe." Hope you enjoy the recipe!

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  19. Oh my...these looks delicious! They are definitely going on a menu soon!!!

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  20. These look fantastic! I will be making them next weekend. I was wondering if you have ever made them with "taco meat", i.e. ground beef with taco seasoning? I think I will try them both ways. Thank you for the recipe.

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  21. Looks delicious. Making them tonight for the boys.

    Jaime, I hope you were cranking those out before you went in instead of cooking in scrubs after a shift. I got MRSA from my wife when she didn't disrobe before coming past the laundry room and mucking about the house.

    Happy New Year All

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  22. I absolutely LOVE the idea of using cut bell peppers as sauce cups!! Brilliant! :)
    Oh yes.. And the taquitos look yummy as well!

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