Stuffed with a blend of spicy jalapenos, gooey cream cheese, shredded chicken, crunchy celery, buffalo sauce, and melty pepper jack cheese rolled in a corn tortilla and baked until perfectly crispy, these Crispy Baked Jalapeno Buffalo Chicken Taquitos are the perfect party appetizer, game day snack, or even late night indulgence. Baked instead of fried and served with a Blue Cheese Ranch made with Greek yogurt, these are a healthier version of a tasty snack.
I made this recipe several weeks back, and I have to admit I feel a little guilty about not sharing it sooner. Because you guys, these Crispy Baked Jalapeno Buffalo Chicken Taquitos are amazing!
I love anything with buffalo sauce or anything buffalo chicken inspired. Whether it’s as simple as this Crockpot buffalo chicken (which is perfect for making dip) or these Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos. But these taquitos are next level, because they also tie in some of my favorite elements from jalapeno poppers like gooey cream cheese and fresh jalapenos. These taquitos aren’t too spicy (especially if you remove the seeds from the jalapenos), so I like to add a couple of dashes of hot sauce to the filling to ramp up the heat just a bit. But this is up to your tastes.
Because I couldn’t decide between blue cheese or ranch, these Buffalo Chicken Taquitos are served with a creamy Blue Cheese Ranch dipping sauce which is whipped up with crumbled blue cheese, Greek yogurt, dill, cilantro, and a splash of buttermilk. I also like to serve a little extra buffalo sauce alongside for dipping. I am all about the sauces!
The best part of these Crispy Baked Jalapeno Buffalo Chicken Taquitos is that you can even make a big batch ahead of time and freeze them until ready to eat. Which may or may not mean that you can find me snacking on a random taquito whenever the craving strikes.
How Do You Make Oven Baked Crispy Buffalo Chicken Taquitos?
Rolling taquitos seems intimidating at first, but it’s really not too difficult. You will want to make sure your corn tortillas are fresh, and warm them in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel before rolling. Keep the tortillas covered as you work so they stay warm and pliable.
Another key to keeping your taquitos from cracking is to avoid overstuffing. For these Crispy Baked Jalapeno Buffalo Chicken Taquitos, I place about 2 tablespoons of filling in a line down the center of each tortilla and roll gently around the filling. After the first couple, you will be a taquito rolling pro!
I like to keep the completed taquitos covered in another towel or damp paper towel as I work to prevent cracking as well.
How Do You Get Oven Baked Taquitos Crispy?
I have baked many taquitos in my life, and it always used to be a struggle to get that perfectly crispy exterior without burning the tortilla or losing all of the filling. But there are a couple of tips that can help ensure a crispy taquito even from the oven.
First, I like to use corn tortillas, I just find they are easy to get crispy. Flour tortillas always want to burn and seem like they go from soggy to burnt way too quickly. So make sure you get some quality corn tortillas. I usually get some thin, white corn tortillas.
The second and most important element for crispy oven baked taquitos is the oil. Make sure to coat each taquito evenly around with a good amount of oil. I prefer to use grapeseed oil, but any neutral oil will do. Just rub each taquito with a good amount of oil on all sides before baking. Then as you bake, flip once or twice as it cooks, and you will be left with Crispy Jalapeno Buffalo Chicken Taquitos.
Can I Make These Taquitos Ahead and Freeze?
One of my favorite parts of these Crispy Baked Jalapeno Buffalo Chicken Taquitos (other than the spicy buffalo sauce and melty cheese, obviously!) is that these can be stored in the freezer and baked as you desire. So it is easy to make up a big batch (one recipe makes about 22 taquitos), then just pull them out of the freeze and bake a couple at a time as needed.
I freeze the taquitos before baking, just be sure to spread them out on a baking sheet and freeze flat before transferring to a container or zip lock so they don’t stick together. When ready to bake, I coat them with a little extra oil (to ensure a crispy shell) and bake as instructed. You may find they take 5 – 10 extra minutes, but just keep an eye on them and flip if needed.
Crispy Baked Jalapeno Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
- 4 oz softened cream cheese
- 1 ½ cup pepper jack cheese (shredded)
- 2 diced jalapenos (seeds removed if desired)
- 2 green onions (chopped)
- 1 stick celery (diced)
- ¼ cup buffalo wing sauce (see note)
- Couple of dashes of hot sauce
- 20 - 25 small corn tortillas
- grapeseed oil (or another neutral oil)
Blue Cheese Greek Yogurt Ranch Sauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ buttermilk
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- In a large bowl, mix chicken, cream cheese, pepper jack, jalapenos, green onions, celery, buffalo wing sauce, and hot sauce (if desired). Using a spoon or mixer stir until combined. (I like to use the paddle attachment of my mixer.)
- Wrap tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel, and microwave until warm and pliable (about 30 seconds).
- Place about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture down the center of one tortilla. Gently roll the tortilla around the filling, trying to keep it as tightly rolled as possible without tearing. Repeat with remaining tortillas, covering each completed taquito with a kitchen towel or an additional damp paper towel.
- Pour oil into a small bowl. Then using fingers rub to coat each tortilla on all sides with oil. Spread taquitos out onto a large baking sheet (making sure they don’t touch).
- Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, flip and bake an additional 5 minutes, then flip and bake 5 minutes again until they are golden brown and crispy.
- While taquitos bake, combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl, and stir to mix.
- Serve crispy taquitos right out of the oven with Blue Cheese Greek Yogurt Ranch Sauce and extra buffalo sauce for dipping.