Air Fryer Crispy Taquitos (Print Version)

Golden taquitos with chicken and cheese, air fried to crisp perfection and ready in under 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached)
02 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
03 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
04 - 1/2 cup mild or medium salsa
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Assembly

10 - 12 small corn or flour tortillas (6-inch)
11 - Olive oil spray

→ Optional Toppings

12 - Sour cream
13 - Guacamole
14 - Chopped cilantro
15 - Lime wedges
16 - Salsa

# Steps to Follow:

01 - In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, salsa, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until uniform.
02 - Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to enhance pliability.
03 - Place approximately 2 tablespoons of filling along the center of each tortilla. Roll tightly and position seam-side down to seal.
04 - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes.
05 - Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil. Arrange the taquitos in a single layer, seam-side down, spacing them evenly.
06 - Lightly spray the tops of the taquitos with olive oil for enhanced crispness.
07 - Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until the exterior is crisp and golden brown.
08 - Serve immediately with optional toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, and lime wedges.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They crisp up in under ten minutes, which means dinner actually fits between picking up the kids and eating at a reasonable hour.
  • Once you nail the filling, you can swap the chicken for beef, pork, or beans without changing a thing.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about rolling your own—it feels fancier than it has any right to be.
02 -
  • If your tortillas crack while rolling, they weren't warm enough—a few extra seconds in the microwave saves the whole batch.
  • The seam goes down in the air fryer basket every single time; taquitos that flip seam-side up will leak filling into your basket and onto your heating element.
  • Don't skip the halfway turn; even air fryers have hot spots, and the taquitos closest to the heating element need to trade places with the ones on the other side.
03 -
  • A light hand with the oil spray is better than a heavy one—too much and they get greasy, too little and they won't crisp. Think misting, not coating.
  • If your taquitos are leaking filling into the basket, your filling was too wet or your roll was too loose; dial one of those back next time and you'll stay cleaner.
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