Air Fryer Taquitos with Chicken

I think I may be slightly obsessed with this recipe. The amount of times I've now made these air fryer taquitos is embarrassing to say the least, but when you like something, you like something. And they're also SO easy to make. If you have pre cooked and shredded chicken and make the salsa verde ahead of time, it's also going to be ready in no time, making it a perfect weeknight meal too.

air fryer taquitos

Ingredients

  • Tomatillos
  • Serrano pepper (or use jalapeño)
  • White onion
  • Cilantro
  • Limes
  • Cooked and shredded chicken (breast, or thighs or use a mix)
  • Tortillas (small size is best)
  • Avocado oil spray
  • Greek yogurt
  • Avocado

How to Make Taquitos in the Air Fryer

These air fryer taquitos couldn't be easier to make. And if you don't have an air fryer, you can easily make this in the oven as well.

The first thing you'll want to do is make the salsa verde. Preheat your oven to broil and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (for easier clean up). Toss the tomatillos, onion and serrano pepper on the baking tray. Broil fir about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until nice and charred.

salsa verde ingredients on baking sheet charred

Let the tomatillos cool slightly and then transfer everything to a food processor. I added a little lime zest to the salsa verde.

salsa verde ingredients in food processor

Pulse the ingredients until everything is nicely chopped and fairly smooth.

salsa verde in food processor

Preheat the air fryer.

Mix together the cooked and shredded chicken with about 1/3 of the salsa verde.

chicken shredded with salsa verde

Scoop some of the shredded chicken onto the tortillas.

tortillas laid flat with chicken

Roll the tortillas up, sealing the taco with a little bit of Greek yogurt to keep it closed. Spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil spray. Place the taquitos seam side down in the air fryer and spray the tops with avocado oil.

taquitos in air fryer

Bake the taquitos for five to six minutes. Flip and bake for another five to six minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Be sure to keep an eye on them during the last minute, as air fryers can differ in terms of how fast they bake.

air fryer taquitos

Divide the air fryer taquitos onto plates and top with more salsa verde, the crema and avocado. Garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedges for serving.

How to Make Shredded Chicken Quickly and Easily

Feel free to use leftover chicken (such as rotisserie chicken) for these air fryer taquitos to make things extra easy.

But if you don't have any, you can quickly and easily make shredded chicken using your Instant Pot.

To make the chicken in your Instant Pot, add the chicken (boneless, skinless breast or boneless, skinless thighs) to your Instant Pot along with chicken broth (I usually add about 3/4 cup). Pressure cook for about 12-15 minutes, depending if you're using fresh or frozen chicken. Let the pressure release naturally and then remove the lid and shred the chicken.

You can see how I make shredded chicken in my Instant Pot over here!

air fryer taquitos

Tips

  • Prep the salsa verde ahead of time to make things extra easy and efficient in the kitchen.
  • Seal the tortillas with a little bit of yogurt when rolling them up.
  • Don't overstuff the tortillas, as the filling will fall out and make a mess.
  • Use avocado oil spray on the taquitos to get them extra crispy.
air fryer taquitos

Substitutions

  • Gluten-free: use gluten-free tortillas, cut them into smaller circles if needed.
  • No dairy: use a dairy-free yogurt, or omit the crema and just use cubed avocado.
  • No chicken breast: use boneless/skinless chicken thighs instead.

How to Make Taquitos in the Oven

If you don't have an air fryer, you can prepare them in the same way and then bake them in the oven at 425℉ in a baking dish for about 15 to 20 minutes. I would recommend spraying the taquitos with avocado spray as well to get them crispy.

air fryer taquitos

Which Air Fryer Do I Use and Recommend

I've tried three different air fryers over the years, and my most recent is also my favourite.

It's the Wonder Oven from Our Place. I absolutely love it and highly recommend it, for several reasons.

  • Aesthetically pleasing: as with all Our Place products, the design is unmatched. This means you can leave it out on your countertop and don't need to hide it away in a cluttered drawer.
  • Non-toxic: the trays that come with the Wonder Oven are all non-toxic and made from stainless steel and aluminum with a toxin-free nonstick ceramic coating. This is SO hard to find with other types of air fryers and is the main reason I use it so much.
  • Different cooking modes: this is not just an air fryer, it can air fry, bake, toast, roast, reheat and broil. I also love the steam function for bringing breads back to life.
  • Compact size: I love how small and mighty it is. It won't take up much room on your countertops, something that was so important to me living in a condo with limited countertop space.

The only drawbacks I've noticed while using this is the timer function. It's not digital and can be hard to be precise when using it. So I prefer to just use the timer on my oven or microwave when using it to be sure it's exact. The knob also has to be turned off manually by turning it rather than having an on/off switch.

But honestly, other than those missing features, it's such a great appliance and I do recommend it.

You can check out Our Place Wonder Oven here!

Other Air Fryer And Chicken Recipes:

Ready to make this? Let's get to it!

If you make these air fryer taquitos please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I have personally used and love. Disclosure here.

Air Fryer Taquitos with Chicken

You're going to love these extra crispy air fryer taquitos made with shredded chicken and homemade salsa verde! Perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Prep:
15
min
cook:
35
min
total:
50
min
servings:
4
Author:

Jaclyn

Ingredients

For the salsa verde:

  • 1 lb tomatillos, (about 6) husked and rinsed
  • 1 serrano pepper, stem removed
  • 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped (large)
  • 1 clove garlic minced (optional)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, packed
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

For the Taquitos:

  • 1 lb (2 chicken breasts), cooked and shredded
  • 12 small tortillas
  • Avocado oil spray
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream), plus extra for sealing the taquitos
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • extra cilantro, for serving
  • extra lime wedges, for serving


Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to broil and move the oven rack to the highest position. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and add the husked tomatillo, serrano and onion. Broil for about 5 minutes, then remove, flip, and broil for an additional 5 minutes, until charred. Let cool slightly.
  2. In a food processor, add the tomatillos, serrano pepper, onion along with the remaining salsa verde ingredients. Pulse on high until the mixture is mostly smooth and no large chunks of tomatillo or onion remain. The sauce will thicken in the fridge. You can prepare this ahead of time.
  3. Preheat the air fryer to 400℉.
  4. Place the shredded chicken in a large bowl and add about 1/3 of the salsa verde and mix well to combine, season with additional salt if needed.
  5. Scoop some of the shredded chicken onto the tortillas. Roll the tortillas up, sealing the taco with a little bit of Greek yogurt to keep it closed. Spray the air fryer basket with a little avocado oil spray. Place the taquitos seam side down in the air fryer and spray the tops with a little more avocado oil spray and bake for five to six minutes. Flip and bake for another five to six minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.
  6. In a small bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt and lime juice.
  7. When ready to serve, divide the taquitos onto plates and top with more salsa verde, cubed avocado, the Greek yogurt crema and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Enjoy!

Notes

Prep the shredded chicken and/or salsa verde ahead to save time.

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