Buffalo chicken taquitos are easy, cheesy, crispy, and creamy appetizers! They are made with tortillas stuffed with tangy, spicy, and cheesy buffalo chicken dip filling. This recipe has options for baking, frying, or air frying, so it's really versatile depending on your appliances and your mood!
This buffalo version of chicken flautas is perfect for game day or a party and is one of my favorite fall flavors because I love to eat it while watching football!
These chicken taquitos are surprisingly easy to make because they use rotisserie chicken instead of having to cook it from scratch. While they make an excellent appetizer, they also make a great main dish.
Want to up the spice level? Serve these chicken taquitos with this Creamy Jalapeño Ranch Dip! For more spicy appetizers, try these Pimento Cheese Filled Pretzels and Hot Jalapeño Corn Dip.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Buffalo chicken - This is one of my favorite flavor combinations. It's a little spicy, a little tangy, and there's plenty of dairy to make the filling really creamy and cheesy.
Cooking options - You can make these taquitos in three different ways - baked, air fried, or deep fat fried - and all result in crispy tortillas. This is great so you have options depending on what you have in your kitchen and how much clean up you are up for.
Appetizer or main - This recipe is versatile because it is perfect for appetizers for your next party, but it's also great as a main course! Pair it with a salad with celery and carrots topped with ranch or blue cheese and a side of tots or fries, and you have a delicious and fun dinner!
Taquitos vs Flautas
While this taquito recipe is not traditional, it is delicious! And you may be asking yourself - aren't these flautas? It's a good question because taquitos and flautas are often confused but are actually different.
Flautas typically use larger flour tortillas and therefore are much longer and thinner than taquitos, which use corn tortillas. It's also believed that flautas originated in Mexico and taquitos originated in San Diego. Both, however, are incredibly tasty.
Ingredients
- Chicken. I use a rotisserie chicken for ease, but feel free to use any cooked chicken (preferably chicken breasts) you have on hand. Just be sure to give it a good shred.
- Hot sauce. Franks Red Hot is a classic here, but you can use any buffalo-style hot sauce.
- Ranch seasoning. Look for the kind that comes in a square seasoning packet that's used to make dips!
- Cheese. Mozzarella cheese and cream cheese are used in combination to make a creamy, delicious filling.
- Scallions. This adds just a touch of extra flavor to the taquitos, and it's not overpowering in any way.
- Flour tortillas. Use taco-sized (about the size of your palm) flour tortillas. You can also use smaller or larger versions, and the final number of taquitos will just be fewer or more.
- Ranch dip. Mayonnaise, sour cream, and a touch of milk (or water) are used to make the ranch dip using the same seasoning that goes into the buffalo chicken dip.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you'd prefer to cook your own chicken, bake 1-2 large chicken breasts and shred.
- Use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. Because corn tortillas can be brittle, wrap a stack of them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds until hot. This will make them more pliable to roll, but are still more prone to cracking.
- Add ¼ cup of finely diced celery for added crunch.
- Use well-drained canned chicken in place of rotisserie chicken.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Mix together the cream cheese and ranch seasoning until smooth.
Two: Add the buffalo sauce, scallions, and mozzarella cheese and mix to combine.
Three: Fold the shredded chicken into the mixture to evenly disperse.
Four: Add a line of the chicken dip to the bottom third of the tortilla in a log.
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Hot tip! Wrap the stack of tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds. This steams the tortillas and makes them more pliable.
Five: Roll from the bottom, overtop of the mixture, and continue rolling. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and dip.
Six: Lay the taquitos seam side down, touching each other, then brush with olive oil. Bake to set the seam, then spread them out to continue baking.
Seven: Whisk together the ingredients for the ranch dip while the taquitos bake.
Eight: Cool for a few minutes, then add to a platter and serve with a side of the ranch and extra buffalo sauce.
Expert Tips
- Add slightly less hot sauce if you don't like too much heat, or add more if you like it very spicy.
- Don't overfill the taquitos or the filling will come out the sides as they bake.
- Roll them just tight enough to hold the filling in place. You don't want to roll too tight or too loose.
- Place the seam side down so the taquito doesn't unroll. Add a toothpick through for added insurance if desired.
- Over-baking will cause the shells to become too crispy and potentially crack and the filling will come out.
How to Make this Recipe Ahead of Time
- Make and roll the taquitos, then store them tightly covered in the fridge for one to two days. Take them out of the fridge for 1 hour before brushing with oil and baking according to recipe instructions.
- Roll the buffalo chicken taquitos, flash freeze for 1 hour on a sheet pan, then transfer the taquitos to an airtight container and freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the fridge, remove 1 hour before baking, then bake.
- Roll and bake the taquitos, then refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in the oven at 350℉ for 10-15 minutes until hot.
Additional Cooking Options
- Air fry the buffalo chicken taquitos at 350℉ and reduce the bake time by 3-5 minutes
- Shallow fry the taquitos in ¼ cup of neutral oil over medium-low heat, turning occasionally until lightly browned and crispy on all sides.
- Deep fry the taquitos in 2 inches of frying oil, heated to 350℉, for 1-2 minutes until golden. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
Recipe FAQs
This could be because they were not baked or fried long enough, or too much filling was added.
Pair with celery, dipping sauces, a side salad, or shredded lettuce.
The taquitos likely weren't sealed well or placed with the seam side down. You can add a toothpick for insurance.
Storage
Store extra taquitos in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating:
- Microwave: heat on a plate in 30-second intervals until hot.
- Oven or toaster oven: Heat in a 375℉ oven on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes until hot.
- Air fryer: Heat at 350℉ for 5 minutes or until hot.
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📖Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Equipment
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 6 oz full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup Franks Red Hot
- 3 scallions thinly sliced
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups chicken breast shredded (rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breasts)
- 12 flour tortillas taco sized
- extra virgin olive oil to brush onto the taquitos
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup milk or water
- 1 scallion thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Add the cream cheese, ranch seasoning and salt to a large mixing bowl and use a rubber spatula to combine until very smooth.6 oz full-fat cream cheese, 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the hot sauce, scallions, and mozzarella cheese and mix to combine.½ cup Franks Red Hot, 3 scallions, ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fold in the shredded chicken until completely coated and combined with the mixture.2 cups chicken breast
- Wrap the stack of tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to make them more pliable.12 flour tortillas
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of mixture to the bottom third of the tortilla, spreading into a line, but leaving at least ½ inch of space on each side. Roll the bottom over the filling, and continue rolling until completely rolled up.
- Place the taquito seam side down on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Note: Keep the taquitos touching each other for the first half of bake time, this ensures they don’t unroll
- Brush a light amount of olive oil onto each taquito, then bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden. At the halfway mark, separate the taquitos so there is space in between.extra virgin olive oil
- Switch the oven to broil and broil the taquitos until fully golden and crispy. Watch them the entire time so they don’t burn.
- While the taquitos are baking, combine the ranch seasoning, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth.2 tablespoons ranch seasoning, ½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup milk or water
- Plate the taquitos, then drizzle on extra ranch, hot sauce, and scallions (or serve in a dipping bowl next to it). Serve hot.1 scallion
Video
Notes
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- Air fry the buffalo chicken taquitos at 350℉ and reduce the bake time by 3-5 minutes
-
- Shallow fry the taquitos in ¼ cup of neutral oil over medium-low heat, turning occasionally until lightly browned and crispy on all sides.
-
- Deep fry the taquitos in 2 inches of frying oil, heated to 350℉, for 1-2 minutes until golden. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
-
- Microwave: heat on a plate in 30-second intervals until hot.
-
- Oven or toaster oven: Heat in a 375℉ oven on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes until hot.
-
- Air fryer: Heat at 350℉ for 5 minutes or until hot.
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