Air Fryer Taquitos

Air Fryer Taquitos are the perfect way to indulge in your favorite snack food guilt-free. With a crispy exterior and an irresistible filling, these taquitos are addicting!

If you’re an air fryer enthusiast, or if you just love taquitos, then you’re going to love this recipe! These air fryer taquitos are easy to make and they taste great.

You’ll need some tortillas, chicken, cheese, and your favorite dipping sauce. So why not give them a try? You won’t be disappointed!

Who doesn’t love taquitos? I’m completely obsessed and can never turn them down. They are the perfect handheld food that can be filled with your favorite ingredients.

But what if you could make them even better by cooking them in your air fryer? With this easy recipe, you can create a delicious and healthy taquito that is cooked to perfection. So check it out and start making these tasty little snacks today!

easy taquito recipe

Here are some commonly asked questions

What is the best way to store Air Fryer Taquitos?

Once cooked, Air Fryer Taquitos can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the air fryer before serving.

How long do Air Fryer Taquitos take to cook?

These usually take about 6-8 minutes to cook. However, this will vary depending on the size and thickness of your tortillas. Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook. You certainly don’t want them to burn.

How Air Frying Works

While air fryers are relatively new to the market, the technology isn’t really a new concept. They basically work like tiny convection ovens that you can use on your countertop.

Similar to a convection oven, it circulates the hot air within the cooking area using a high-powered fan. This helps evenly distribute the heat around the food which not only creates more evenly cooked food but also reduced cooking times.

By circulating the hot air, which contains the fine oil droplets from adding a light mist layer before cooking, and allows you to remove the need for submerging our foods in heavy oils to create the deliciously crunchy foods we all love.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Taquitos

• fresh jalapeños
• cream cheese – softened
• shredded cheddar cheese
• cooked chicken – diced
• cooked bacon – diced
• minced garlic
• yellow corn tortillas

Can I make Air Fryer Taquitos ahead of time?

Yes, you can make Air Fryer Taquitos ahead of time. Simply prepare the taquitos as directed and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them. When you’re ready to eat, just cook them in the air fryer as directed.

What are the benefits of air frying?

Healthier

It’s no secret that fried foods are more fattening – but did you know that there are 9 calories in every gram of fat? With air frying, we can reduce the fat by removing most of the oils usually needed to create crunchy foods. This helps to drastically reduce fat intake and calories.

Convenience

I love being able to cook with my air fryer and eliminate the need for large baking sheets and lots of pots and pans. Most of my air fryer recipes can be made with just a mixing bowl or two or a small saucepan in addition to my air fryer.

Energy Efficient

Someone said to me once, “why make this in the air fryer if you can do it the conventional way in the same amount of time?” Well, air frying helps eliminate the need for a conventional oven.

Not only can you keep your home cooler in the summer by not using the oven, but you are saving money with reduced energy consumption costs as well.

Time Saver

I don’t know about you, but if I can avoid turning on the oven and having to wait 20 minutes for it to preheat, I’m happy about that. Most air fryer recipes either don’t require that you preheat the fryer – or the preheat time is 5 minutes or less. That is a huge time saver over using the oven.

Take it on the go

I love that the air fryer is compact and easy to take along on trips. We pack ours in our RV and find that air fryer cooking while camping is so much easier than trying to deep fry foods on a small RV stove or camping burner.

How to Make Air Fryer Taquitos

1. Prepare the jalapeño. Remove the seeds and endocarp (the white membrane that seeds are attached to). This removes the heat of the pepper as well as the bitterness.
2. Once cleaned, dice the jalapeño into small pieces. Make sure to wash your hands and fingernails thoroughly after handling peppers.
3. Add the cream cheese, shredded cheese, chicken, bacon, peppers, and garlic to a mixing bowl, and using a stand mixer or hand mixer, stir until well combined.
4. Layer the tortillas between damp paper towels and then microwave the tortillas until soft and pliable. About 30-60 seconds.
5. Working quickly so the tortillas stay soft, fill each tortilla with 1½ tablespoons of filling. Roll the tortilla up and place it in an oil-sprayed air fryer basket. Fill the basket leaving some room between taquitos.
6. Spray taquitos with oil and cook at 350 for 8 minutes or until taquitos are crispy.
7. Serve with cilantro, fresh jalapeños, and lime. Ranch makes a perfect dipping sauce.

What kind of tortillas should I use for Air Fryer Taquitos?

Technically you can use either flour or corn tortillas for Air Fryer Taquitos. We prefer corn tortillas because they tend to be more crispy, but both types will work well. If you are using flour tortillas then you are actually making flautas, not taquitos.

What is the difference between taquitos and flautas?

Taquitos and flautas are both Mexican dishes that consist of rolled-up tortillas filled with meat, cheese, and/or vegetables.

The main difference between the two is that taquitos are typically made with smaller corn tortillas, while flautas are made with larger flour ones.

Both dishes can be fried or baked, and they are typically served with dipping sauces such as salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.

What is the best chicken for this recipe?

When making this recipe you will need already cooked chicken, which makes this a great recipe for using up leftovers or for using rotisserie chicken. However, we like to use this creamy fiesta chicken because it is so tasty!

How to prevent sticking in the air fryer

Sticking can often happen when using an air fryer. I understand that most would think to add non-stick spray to the basket to prevent this. I strongly encourage you to not do that.

Non-stick spray leaves a coating that won’t come off, even when washed. Over time – this will build up and cause smoking when you use our air fryer.

I also do not recommend putting down a sheet of foil. The idea behind air frying is to allow the air to circulate around the food.

This is why the basket or tray has holes in it. If you put foil down – this prevents the air from reaching all of the areas it needs to in order for it to cook properly.

Instead – I recommend spraying the basket with olive oil using this spray bottle. You can line the air fryer with perforated parchment paper.

Or you can use one of these really great silicone liners that still allow for airflow but are reusable and easily cleanable.

Can I use frozen meat?

You can use leftover meat that has been refrigerated, but I don’t recommend trying to stuff these with frozen meat. The cooking time will be way too long.

What should I serve with Air Fryer Taquitos?

We love serving Air Fryer Taquitos with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. They would also be great with a side of rice or beans. Here are some more of our favorites…

• Jalapeno Artichoke Dip
• Grilled Corn Salad
• Churros
• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Chicken Enchiladas Verde
• Limonada
• Instant Pot Creamy Fiesta Chicken
• Baked Pulled Pork Taquitos
• Air Fried Philly Cheesesteak Taquitos
• Baked Salsa Chicken Taquitos
• Easy Guacamole

Air Frying Doneness Tip

Every air fryer is a bit different and they all cook at different rates – so in general, all cooking times are approximate based on the pan and temperature.

You can always cook the recipe longer if needed and reduce the heat a bit. If needed, you can tent the top if it is browning too much.

Other Tasty Air Fried Snacks

• Air Fryer Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
• Pizza Rolls in the Air Fryer
• Fried Pickles – Air Fried & Keto-Friendly
• Air Fryer Potato Chips
• Air Fryer Toasted Ravioli

Can these taquitos be frozen?

I have not tried freezing them once they have been baked. I would recommend eating them fresh or refrigerating the remaining amount and use within 2-3 days.

Don’t miss these other great air fryer recipes

• Air Fried Philly Cheesesteak Taquitos
• Breakfast Burritos – Air Fryer
• The Best Air Fryer Steak Fries
• Air Fryer Banana Bread
• Air Fryer Panko Crusted Pork Chops
• Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie – in the air fryer

Can I use raw meat?

Unfortunately, no. You will need to start with meat that has already been cooked. These won’t turn out well if you try to cook the meat once it is already rolled in the tortillas.

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If you love this easy taquito recipe, you’re going to love these other snacks and appetizers too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

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