Air Fryer Crispy Taquitos (Printer-Friendly)

Crispy golden taquitos filled with shredded chicken and cheese cooked to crispy perfection in the air fryer.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or poached)
02 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
03 - 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
04 - 1/2 cup salsa (mild or medium)
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Assembly

10 - 12 small corn or flour tortillas (6-inch)
11 - Olive oil spray

→ Optional Serving

12 - Sour cream
13 - Guacamole
14 - Chopped cilantro
15 - Lime wedges
16 - Salsa

# Method:

01 - Combine shredded chicken, cheddar, Monterey Jack, salsa, ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
02 - Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds to make them pliable.
03 - Place about 2 tablespoons of filling along the center of each tortilla, roll tightly, and position seam-side down.
04 - Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
05 - Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil, arrange taquitos in a single layer seam-side down with space between each, then spray the tops lightly with olive oil.
06 - Air fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until they are crispy and golden brown.
07 - Serve immediately with optional toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, and lime wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They crisp up in 10 minutes flat, which means weeknight dinner stress just disappeared.
  • The cheese gets melty and the outside crackles—it's the textural contrast that makes them addictive.
  • You can bulk-fill and air fry whenever hunger strikes, so meal prep becomes genuinely useful.
02 -
  • Spray both the basket and the taquito tops with oil, or you'll end up with soggy bottoms and sad regrets—I learned this the hard way on batch one.
  • If you try to stuff them too full, the filling bursts out the seams during cooking, so 2 tablespoons is genuinely the right amount.
  • Warming the tortillas is not optional; cold tortillas crack, and cracked taquitos fall apart in the air fryer.
03 -
  • If your air fryer runs hot, start checking at the 7-minute mark so you don't overbrown them before the inside warms through.
  • Make the filling the night before and store it in the fridge, then assemble and air fry when you're ready—this is how you make weeknight cooking actually manageable.
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