If you’re a buffalo chicken fan, these crispy baked nashville hot chicken taquitos will be right up your alley! Juicy, seasoned chicken cubed up and combined with pepper jack cheese, buffalo sauce and cream cheese. Wrapped inside corn tortillas and baked until crispy and golden, thats right no messy frying needed! These can be air fried if desired and you can use your favorite flour tortillas or even a leftover rotisserie chicken, they’re easily customizable!
TL;DR (Quick Recipe Overview)
Recipe: Nashville Chicken Taquitos
Ready In: 1 hour
Difficulty: easy (store-bought substitutions available!
Serves: 15-18 taquitos
Staple Ingredients: corn tortillas, chicken breasts (or rotisserie chicken), Kickin’ Chicken Blend, pepper jack cheese, cream cheese
What Makes It Special: these get super crispy and golden without frying in oil or making a mess! With just the right amount of spoice from the Kickin’ chicken blend and the hot sauce + a creamy touch from the cream cheese and pepper jack. Pair with your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing for a fun game day snack or weeknight meal!
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Serving
Serve these along with some honey chicken taquitos or these buffalo chicken wontons! Or if serving as a weeknight meal, pair with a light lettuce salad or steamed rice! Looking for more buffalo chicken flavor, try these buffalo chicken thighs or my buffalo chicken pretzels!
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breast: Sliced thin so it cooks quickly and stays tender. You can also use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut.
- Kickin’ Chicken Blend: Adds bold flavor and a little heat. Swap with a mix of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper if needed.
- Olive Oil: Helps the seasoning stick and keeps the chicken juicy while cooking.
- Pepper Jack Cheese: Melts into the filling with a little kick. Monterey Jack works for a milder option.
- Cream Cheese: Makes the filling creamy and helps bind everything together. Let it soften for easier mixing.
- Hot Sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot): Gives that buffalo-style flavor. Adjust to your heat preference or use a milder sauce.
- Corn Tortillas: Classic for taquitos and crisp up best in the oven. Warm before rolling to prevent cracking.
- Olive Oil (for brushing): Lightly coat the outside so they bake up golden and crispy.
- Ranch or Blue Cheese: For dipping and balancing the heat. Ranch is milder, blue cheese is more classic with buffalo flavors.
Perfect Pairing: Kickin’ Chicken Blend
This blend brings bold, savory flavor to any chicken dish. It’s a mix of herbs, garlic, and a touch of heat that gives perfectly seasoned, golden brown results every time. Try it on baked, grilled, or air fried chicken. It also adds great flavor to veggies and potatoes.
How to Make The Taquitos
Let’s talk a little about how to make the crispy baked taquitos (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quick overview:
- Season and bake chicken, let rest, and cube.
- Prep filling, roll tortillas, coat with oil, and bake!
- Enjoy warm with sauces
- In a mixing bowl combine thin sliced chicken breasts with olive oil and seasoning, mix well to combine. Bake chicken in a 400 degree F oven for 15-25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
- Let chicken rest for a few minutes before dicing into small pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl combine chopped chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, seasoning, and pepper jack cheese. Make sure cream cheese is evenly mixed in.
- Warm corn tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave (15-30 seconds), you want these softened a bit so they do not tear when rolling. Fill each tortilla with 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture, don’t over fill. Gently roll tortillas, placing them seam side down on a sheet pan. Repeat until all of the filling has been used.
- Use a silicone brush to brush each taquito lightly with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until tortillas are nice and crispy. These can also be air fried. Serve warm with your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Air Fryer Version
Cook at 400°F for 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy. Lightly spray or brush with oil before cooking for the best texture. Work in batches if needed so they crisp evenly and don’t overcrowd the basket.
Rachel’s Chef Tips
- Finish with contrast: A drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing, extra buffalo sauce, or green onions adds brightness and balances the richness.
- Season every layer: The Kickin’ Chicken Blend builds the base flavor, but don’t be afraid to taste your filling and adjust as needed.
- Dice, don’t shred the chicken: Small, even pieces give you a better texture and help the filling stay tucked inside instead of falling out. Shredded chicken will also work though!
- Balance the heat: The cream cheese and pepper jack mellow the buffalo sauce, but if it feels too spicy, add a little more cream cheese, you can also use a mire mild cheese like mozzarella or cheddar.
- Get them crispy, not just cooked: A light brush or spray of oil on the tortillas helps them bake up golden and crispy, or toss them in the air fryer!
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Give the taquitos space on the sheet pan and if desired, flip halfway through baking.
- Let them rest for a few minutes: The filling sets up slightly as they cool, which helps them hold together when you pick them up.
Baked Nashville Hot Chicken Taquitos
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 2-3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp Kickin' Chicken Blend
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
For the taquitos:
- 2 cups Pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 4 oz. Cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp Kickin' Chicken Blend
- 1/4 cup Hot sauce , like Frank's Red Hot
- 15-18 Corn tortillas, white or yellow, warmed slightly
- Olive oil, for brushing
- Ranch or blue cheese, for dipping
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine thin sliced chicken breasts with olive oil and seasoning, mix well to combine. Bake chicken in a 400 degree F oven for 15-25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.2-3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 tbsp Olive oil, 2 tbsp Kickin' Chicken Blend
- Let chicken rest for a few minutes before dicing into small pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl combine chopped chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, seasoning, and pepper jack cheese. Make sure cream cheese is evenly mixed in.2 cups Pepper jack cheese, 4 oz. Cream cheese, 1 tsp Kickin' Chicken Blend, 1/4 cup Hot sauce
- Warm corn tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave (15-30 seconds), you want these softened a bit so they do not tear when rolling. Fill each tortilla with 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture, don't over fill. Gently roll tortillas, placing them seam side down on a sheet pan. Repeat until all of the filling has been used.15-18 Corn tortillas, white or yellow
- Use a silicone brush to brush each taquito lightly with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until tortillas are nice and crispy. These can also be air fried. Serve warm with your favorite ranch or blue cheese dressing.Olive oil
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut: Skip cooking the chicken and mix shredded rotisserie chicken with the filling for a faster option.
- Warm your tortillas first: Corn tortillas can crack when rolling. Warm them in the microwave or a skillet to make them more flexible.
- Don’t overfill: A couple tablespoons of filling is perfect!
- Bake until deeply golden: The crispier they get, the better the texture. Don’t pull them too early!
- Air fryer option: Cook at 400°F for about 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy.
- Adjust the heat: Use more or less buffalo sauce depending on how spicy you want them.
- Freezer-friendly: Freeze before baking, then bake straight from frozen at 400°F, adding extra time until heated through and crispy.
Nutrition
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Common FAQs
Yes, but corn tortillas give you that classic taquito texture and crisp up better. Flour tortillas will be softer and more like a rolled taco.
Warm them before rolling. You can microwave them wrapped in a damp paper towel for 20–30 seconds or heat them briefly in a skillet. If they aren’t warm they will tear.
Absolutely. Use less buffalo sauce or swap it for a mild sauce. You can also add a little extra cream cheese to mellow the heat or swap the cheese for a more mild cheese.
Yes. Assemble the taquitos and store them covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours, then bake when ready, watcb the tortillas that they dont tear.
Yes, that’s a great shortcut! Just chop or shred it and mix with the filling ingredients.
They’re great with ranch or a creamy dipping sauce, plus simple sides like rice, beans, or a quick salad.
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Cheers!
-Rachel
