I love Mexican food. Growing up in Southern California, I am surrounded by Mexican restaurants.My favorite Mexican dishes are nachos and taquitos (little tacos in Spanish). Taquitos are the best Mexican dish for kids in my opinion. For one thing, they are small and aren’t messy like regular tacos. Secondly, they are done in under 30 minutes.
My child’s (Mexican) father told me that “Mexicans never order nachos or taquitos from a restaurant because they are so easy to make”. So taquitos are the only Mexican dish he showed me how to make when we were together. I love the fact that this recipe is simple, only takes 20 minutes, and the fact that it is a part of my child’s heritage. It’s really the perfect Mexican dish for kids.
So taquitos are the only Mexican dish my child’s father showed me how to make when we were together. He had told me that he has a childhood memory of coming home from school and his mom had these freshly made taquitos waiting for him and his siblings. I love the idea of being able to provide that same memory for our daughter.
Why This Recipe is Perfect for Kids (and Moms)
This taquito recipe is very simple and takes under 30 minutes to make. (Unless you choose to roast/poach/fry your own meat and/ or make your own homemade tortillas. Then God Bless you!). I also love that taquitos are easy for my toddler to pick up and eat as opposed to say a full size taco which are much messier.
Another thing that is so awesome is that you can make these in batches and freeze them! They are good for up to 3 months in the freezer. Simply pop the frozen taquitos in an air fryer for about 7 minutes at 375 degrees or bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Please note that my ex (and toddler) have very simple taste and so there isn’t a lot of seasoning for the meat. Please take the liberty to braise and/or season your meat to your liking.
Ingredients
(Makes 18 Taquitos)
- 1 Rotisserie chicken
- 1 (18) pack of small corn tortillas
- Salt and pepper
- Frying oil of your choice (enough to cover the bottom of a skillet)
Optional:
- Taco seasoning or meat seasoning of your choice
- Another type of meat such as shredded beef
- Shredded cheese
Garnishes:
- Mild tomato salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour Cream
- Cheese
- Cilantro
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
Kitchen Tools:
Frying Pan
- Smaller pan to warm tortillas
- Toothpicks
- Frying Pan
- Tongs
Instructions:
Step 1:
Shred the Chicken into bite size strips.
Step 2:
Warm each tortilla on a frying pan on medium-low heat for about 20-30 seconds on each side. This makes the tortilla much more pliable and easy to roll.
Step 3:
Place a small layer of chicken on the bottom of the tortilla.
Optional: Sprinkle shredded cheese on the chicken before you roll.
Step 4:
Roll the tortilla up and stick a toothpick through it.
Tip: When you stick the toothpick in make sure you let poke it through so the long end pokes out opposite of the flap.
Step 5:
Warm up a skillet with the bottom covered in frying oil on Medium heat.
Step 6:
Fry the taquito with flap side down and toothpick sticking up. As the flap side is fried it seals the taquito,
Take out the tooth pick at this point as it is easier to roll and fry.
Please remember to take out the toothpick! It can be very dangerous to eat a toothpick.
You can fry several taquitos in one skillet. Make sure that you don’t overcrowd it because you have to turn them. I use tongs to turn to prevent burning myself.
Step 7:
Drain the taquitos.
I like to use a big pot with the steamer basket covered in paper towels.
Step 8:
Enjoy with your favorite garnishes:
Side Note:
You can make Flautas using small flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas.
Quick Guacamole Hack:
In order to keep guacamole from turning brown, I use this hack of adding water. Pouring water on the top will act as a sort of seal so no air can get in.
Remember 2 Savor this recipe!
