Family Friendly Shredded Chicken Taquitos
A routine chicken dinner becomes a fun weekday fiesta night with these Family Friendly Shredded Chicken Taquitos. They were featured previously in the July Aimee’s Pretty Palate column: Family Favorites but I wanted to share them here as part of my ongoing efforts to spice up dinnertime.
I think we can all agree that serving the same ole chicken recipes gets a bit boring. That’s where these fun and flavorful Shredded Chicken Taquitos come in. They are great for weeknight family fare because the kiddos love them, but they’re also a fun twist on football watching snacks because you can serve the irresistible Avocado Crema sauce on the side for a less messy way of indulging.
Y’all know I love to serve appetizers you can eat with your hands and these little delicious rolls of wonder are no different.
What is the difference between taquitos and flautas? In simple terms: A taquito or flauta is basically a small rolled taco and depending on where you are located will determine what they are called. Both are filled and rolled tortillas that are fried until crisp and topped with condiments such as guacamole or sour cream. Where they differ is that while the terms are largely interchangeable, tacquitos are made with corn tortillas while flautas use flour tortillas. However, the word taquitos literally means “small taco”, so to further complicate distinguishing the two, some will say it comes down to shape rather than tortilla type. Flautas are carefully rolled to be round and deep fried in order to keep their narrow shape, while taquitos are twice folded and can be deep fried or crisped in the oven because keeping their shape is not that important. I’ve called mine taquitos even though they’re made with flour tortillas. You call yours whatever you like.
Do I have to use chicken? Of course not. Ground meat is also delicious and will pair well with the avocado crema.
What is avocado crema? Avocado crema is a creamy sauce that blends avocado, sour cream and lime together. I use it for ALL my taco recipes.
What can I use if I don’t like avocados? Even if you don’t like avocados, I’m betting you will love the avocado crema because the taste is mild and the avocados just add to the creaminess, but plain sour cream can be used instead.
Family Friendly Shredded Chicken Taquitos
An ordinary chicken dinner becomes a weeknight fiesta with these Family Friendly Shredded Chicken Taquitos with and irresistible Avocado Crema topping.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
- 2 cups cooked chicken breasts, shredded
- 1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 10 (10-in.) flour tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
- Avocado Crema:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1⁄3 cup sour cream
- 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or medium-size pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring until tender and onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute more. Add shredded chicken, tomatoes and seasonings and cook until hot. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.
Add chicken filling to the center of each tortilla and top with 2 Tbsp. cheddar cheese. Roll tightly and place seam side down on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tortillas are crispy.
To make Avocado Crema: slice each avocado in half lengthwise. Remove pit and scoop out flesh. Add flesh of avocados and remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Drizzle over top of taquitos or serve on the side. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Makes 10 taquitos.
As mentioned previously, these Family Friendly Shredded Chicken Taquitos were in the July issue of inRegister magazine and I’ve already gotten great feedback from friends who have served them to their families. It is THE ultimate compliment you can give someone to let them know you tried a recipe and your family enjoyed it!
Some other favorite recipes that can be used to jazz up your chicken choices:
Rotisserie Chicken Sheet Pan Pot Pie
