I wanted to switch up Taco Tuesday night with these Buffalo Chicken Taquitos. I make them in an air-fryer so that they’re slightly healthier, but you can totally bake them in the oven or fry them in a skillet if you prefer. They can also very easily be made into tacos using store-bought taco shells. I give the directions for that at the bottom of the page as well. I just wanted to make sure you have plenty of options so that there is no excuse for trying them out. They’re delicious, easy to make and a fun twist on a classic.
Set a large skillet over medium heat with the butter. Once hot and melted, add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until fully cooked through and just starting to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the buffalo sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, and chili powder. Cook over low heat until heated through and barely simmering.
**Tip: You can add as much or as little of the buffalo sauce as you’d like. It depends on how spicy you like things!**
Turn off the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted through. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
Warm the tortillas in a skillet or in the microwave just to make them pliable. Fill each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons or so of filling, roll tightly and secure with a toothpick.
Place half of the taquitos in a single layer in an air-fryer. Spray with cooking spray and cook at 400°F for 6 to 9 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cook the second batch.
**Tip: If you don’t have an air-fryer, you can bake these in a 400°F oven for 15 minutes. Or you can also shallow fry them in a skillet with some oil for that ultimate crispy taquito.**
To assemble, drizzle the taquitos with buffalo or ranch dressing. Top with lettuce, tomato and crumbled blue cheese.
**Note: I’m note the biggest blue cheese fan so I use ranch dressing and crumbled feta sometimes too.**
If you want an even easier meal, you can use store-bought crunchy taco shells instead of making taquitos. Sprinkle the taco shells with cheddar and bake until the shells have warmed through and the cheese has melted (this prevents the shells from getting soggy). Then fill with the buffalo chicken filling and top with the suggested toppings. Boom. Easy buffalo chicken tacos.
Buffalo Chicken Taquito
Equipment
- skillet
- wooden spoon
- Air-Fryer
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 rib celery finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar
- 12 corn tortillas
- Cooking spray
Toppings:
- 1/4 cup buffalo or ranch dressing
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Set a large skillet over medium heat with the butter. Once hot and melted, add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until fully cooked through and just starting to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the buffalo sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, and chili powder. Cook over low heat until heated through and barely simmering. Turn off the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese. Allow to cool slightly.
- Warm the tortillas in a skillet or in the microwave just to make them pliable. Fill each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons or so of filling, roll tightly and secure with a toothpick. Place half of the taquitos in a single layer in an air-fryer. Spray with cooking spray and cook at 400°F for 6 to 9 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cook the second batch.
- To assemble, drizzle the taquitos with buffalo or ranch. Top with lettuce, tomato and crumbled blue cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!
