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Mouth Watering Crunchy Deliciousness
This recipe is one of my all-time favorite Mexican comfort food dishes. My mom made these for me growing up in Long Beach, CA and it reminds me of childhood every time I eat them. When I make these for my kids, who absolutely devour them, it brings joy to my heart!
When you use fresh, organically raised pastured chicken from a quality local farm like us, it makes these taquitos scream with flavor. This recipe calls for slow cooker shredded chicken so definitely check out our recipe to make the meat ahead of time. You can also use any leftover chicken and it will come out great.
The key for crispy taquitos is wrapping up the corn tortillas in a damp cloth and warming them up in the microwave so they become soft and pliable. Then, roll the chicken up one tortilla at a time keeping it as tight as possible. It may take a few tries. Fry in batches to golden perfection. It’s that easy!
It’s all in the toppings for me. In this household, we like sour cream, lettuce, queso fresco and a killer homemade salsa. This roasted tomatillo salsa recipe is a staple around here, especially when tomatillos and peppers are in season.
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded slow cooker pastured chicken
- 13 corn tortillas
- Olive or avocado oil
- Tomatillo salsa
- Lettuce
- Queso fresco
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Avocado slices
Instructions
- Pour enough oil in a pan to cover about 1/2 inch and preheat on medium high.
- Soak a tea or kitchen towel in water and squeeze out excess. Fold in half or quarters to make a 12 inch square.
- Stack tortillas in the center of the damp towel and fold corners over the tortillas to cover.
- Place covered tortillas in the microwave for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes to soften.
- Carefully remove one tortilla at a time and place on a cutting board. Cover the rest to keep warm.
- Place about 2 tablespoons of shredded chicken in the middle of the tortilla shaping the chicken to form a thin cylinder across the length of the tortilla.
- Begin rolling up the taquito from the bottom tucking the tortilla tightly under the chicken. Once you start, press down and roll with two hands like a rolling pin to create a tightly rolled taquito so the filling doesn’t fall out in the pan. It might take a few practice rolls to get it right. The key for success is warm pliable tortillas that don’t rip. Joint rolling skills come in handy here.
- Place the taquito seam side down on a plate and repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
- When the oil is hot but not smoking, place the taquitos seam down in the hot oil working in batches to not crowd the pan.
- Turn each taquito when each side is golden brown about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Place fried taquitos on wire rack to cool.
- Plate the taquitos and spread some sour cream on the top of each one. Top with shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, avocado slices and tomatillo salsa.
- Serve with garlic rice and refried black beans.
