Description
These Jalapeño Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos with Buffalo Sauce are a spicy, creamy, and crispy appetizer or meal option. Filled with a flavorful blend of shredded chicken, cream cheese, fresh herbs, and jalapeños, then baked until golden and served with a zesty cilantro ranch and extra buffalo sauce, they deliver the perfect balance of heat and creaminess in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1½ cups cooked shredded chicken
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ⅓ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese
Taquitos
- 16-20 corn tortillas, warmed
- Olive oil, for rubbing
Cilantro Ranch Sauce
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup hot sauce
- ½ cup olive oil or melted butter
- 1½ teaspoons seasoned salt
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) to prepare for baking the taquitos.
- Prepare Filling: In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cream cheese, seeded and chopped jalapeño, chopped pickled jalapeños, fresh cilantro, fresh dill, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, and buffalo sauce. Mix thoroughly until well blended.
- Assemble Taquitos: Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until pliable. Lightly rub each tortilla with olive oil. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the center of each tortilla, then roll tightly and place seam-side down on a baking sheet.
- Bake Taquitos: Bake the taquitos for 5 to 8 minutes, then carefully flip them over and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Bake until the cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp and golden brown.
- Prepare Cilantro Ranch Sauce: In a bowl or blender, combine the Greek yogurt or sour cream, buttermilk, parsley, cilantro, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, hot sauce, olive oil or melted butter, seasoned salt, and pepper. Blend or whisk until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve: Drizzle extra buffalo sauce over the baked taquitos and serve with the cilantro ranch sauce for dipping or topping. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, use corn tortillas warmed properly to prevent cracking while rolling.
- You can adjust the heat level by adding more or fewer jalapeños or buffalo sauce.
- Leftover filling can be used to make a spicy chicken dip or taco salad.
- If you prefer, the taquitos can be pan-fried instead of baked for a crunchier texture, but baking is healthier.
- Make sure cream cheese is softened to blend easily with the chicken and other ingredients.
