Air fryer frozen taquitos make the perfect snack for after-school snacks, football watching parties, easy finger foods to add to a Mexican food spread and so much more! These homemade taquitos in the air fryer are frozen so you can easily pull them out when you need them and pop them in the air fryer. The perfect solution for an easy snack in minutes!
One of my favorite things about these easy taquitos is they make the perfect addition to a Mexican theme party!
People love them, they’re easy to eat and you can make them ahead of time so party day is a breeze. Serve them up with some sauces for dipping such as guacamole, salsa, and a green tomato salsa verde, and watch them disappear!
If you’ve got tacos on your party menu too, use this homemade Mexican seasoning mix to flavor up the taco meat and find out how much taco meat you need to prepare for each person so you don’t run out or end up with tons leftover.
If you enjoy the flavors of Mexican food, you might want to try Nacho Casserole, Mexican Coleslaw, and Corn Salad with Cilantro.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to make for meal prep and keep on hand in the freezer until you need them!
- The air fryer simplifies and speeds up the cooking time while making perfectly crispy taquitos!
- A healthy alternative to deep-frying taquitos to enjoy eating with less guilt!
- Frozen taquitos make a great addition to a quick lunch or easy dinner!
🛒 Ingredient Notes
A simple recipe made with just a handful of ingredients that you can find at your local grocery store or easily order online.
- Shredded Chicken: Using rotisserie chicken that’s already cooked and ready to eat is a great way to save some time when making taquitos.
- Cream cheese: Mixed with the chicken, the cream cheese gives the filling a creamy texture and flavor.
- Cilantro: Adds a little bit of color and flavor to the filling.
- Lime juice: Use fresh for best flavor.
- Green chilies: Chopped green chilies in a small can are easy to find in most grocery stores and are a quick way to add flavor to recipes.
- Cowboy candy: These sweet and spicy jalapenos add an extra special something to taquitos but you can leave them out if you prefer a less spicy version.
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Sharp cheese: Cheddar or monterey jack cheese work perfectly when making taquitos.
- Flour tortillas: Be sure to get the street taco size which are small tortillas, they are perfect for an appetizer size taquito.
See the recipe card further down on the page for a complete list and quantities.
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
- To get started, melt cream cheese in a large bowl in the microwave until it is very soft and creamy. Once it’s soft, beat the cream cheese by hand in the bowl for 30 seconds.
- Add all the spices and mix them in.
3. Add the lime juice, green chilies, cilantro, cowboy candy, and mix everything up well.
4. Add the chicken and shredded cheese and stir to blend well.
⭐️ Tip: Heat your tortillas in the microwave just until they are very soft. This makes them easy to roll up without breaking.
5. Lay a tortilla on a cutting board and place a heaping tablespoon of the mixture on the top of the tortilla. Use the back of a spoon to evenly spread the mixture about a 1/2 inch from the edges.
6. With both hands roll the tortilla into a cigar shape. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Continue with the remaining tortillas until you have them all rolled.
Freeze taquitos on the baking tray for 24 hours. After that, place them in a freezer bag with a label and date.
Hint: These reusable plastic freezer bags make a great way to use less plastic and save a little money on disposable plastic bags.
⏲️ How to Cook Taquitos in an Airfryer
- Place taquitos in a single layer into the bottom of the basket of the air fryer. If needed you can spray the basket of the air fryer with the cooking spray to keep them from sticking. I did not find that it was necessary with my own air fryer.
- Air fry the taquitos at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes.
- Open the basket carefully and turn the taquitos over. Close the basket and continue to air fry for 6 more minutes, or until fully cooked and golden brown.
✔️ Substitutions
Here are a few substitutions you can use to make when making these frozen taquitos in the air fryer:
- Flour tortillas: You can also make taquitos with corn tortillas which is a great way to make gluten-free taquitos.
- Cowboy candy: While I definitely prefer using the cowboy candy to make air fryer taquitos, if you don’t have time to make a batch, you can swap out with regular pickled jalapenos.
🌶️ Optional Toppings
Here are some toppings you can add to air fryer frozen taquitos after cooking to make them even better!
- lettuce
- cheese
- guacamole
- olives
- sour cream
- refried bean dip
- queso
🔀 Variations
- Beef or Pork: Swap out the chicken with ground beef or shredded pork for a different spin on these air fryer taquitos.
- Vegan: Swap out the cream cheese and shredded cheese with your favorite vegan cheese alternatives and use black beans instead of chicken to make these taquitos vegan. Then don’t forget to serve it up with Vegan Nacho Cheese for dipping!
- Pepper jack cheese: For a slightly spicier flavor use shredded pepper jack cheese to make taquitos.
💭 Tips for Making the Recipe
For best results lay the rolled taquitos seam side down on the tray so they hold their tightly rolled shape.
Spread the filling evenly on the tortilla and leave about 1/2 inch of the tortilla free of filing.
Don’t forget to heat the tortillas before rolling them. This makes them more pliable and easier to roll without cracking the tortilla.
Serve up fresh from the air fryer while they are hot with your favorite dips!
❓ FAQ
Yes, they come out with perfect crispy tortilla shells, almost like they were fried but without any oil or greasy texture. Even better, they cook in less time in the air fryer than they do in an oven.
There are a couple of things to do to make sure they stay together. To start, spread the filling evenly on the tortilla. Then to roll them, making sure you use both hands and roll tightly. Last, place them seam side down on the baking tray when you freeze them. It also helps to place them in the air fryer basket seam side down for the first round of cooking to keep them held together. Then when you flip them over they are more likely to stay sealed.
If you use a freezer-safe airtight container, frozen taquitos will keep for up to three months in the freezer.
Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Love a recipe you’ve tried? 😋 Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
Homemade Frozen Taquitos In The Air Fryer
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken, roasted or rotisserie, shredded
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/3 cup cilantro, fresh, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, only use fresh
- 1 4 oz green chilies, canned
- 3 tablespoons cowboy candy, Optional, if you like it spicy, Chopped into small pieces
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheese, shredded
- 12 flour tortilla shells, Be sure to get the street taco size. They are perfect for an appetizer
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- coconut cooking spray
Instructions
- Melt cream cheese in a large bowl in the microwave until is is very soft and creamy.
- Beat by hand the cream cheese in the bowl for 30 seconds.
- Add all the spices, lime juice, green chilis, cilantro, cowboy candy and stir well.
- Mix in the chicken and cheese, stir to blend well.
- Heat your tortillas in the microwave just until they are very soft.
- Lay tortilla on a cutting board and place a heaping tablespoon of the mixture on the tortilla. With the back of a spoon evenly spread the mixture about a 1/2 inch from the edges. With both hands roll the the tortilla in a cigar shape. Place seam side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Freeze taquitos for 24 hours. After that place them in a freezer bag with labeled and dated.
Cooking frozen taquitos in an air fryer
- Place the frozen taquitos in a single layer into the bottom of the basket of the air fryer.
- Air fry the taquitos at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 minutes.
- Open the basket carefully and turn the taquitos over. Push the basket back into the air fryer and continue to air fry for 6 more minutes, or until fully cooked and golden brown.