baked chicken taquitos

i've always been nervous to tackle my own taquitos because isn't it easier to just buy the frozen ones from the store? haha JUST KIDDING!!! that's gross and i hope that anyone who reads this will never buy those again because once i figured out the best way to make these bad boys, the words "frozen taquitos" use in conjunction left my vocabulary. plus, look how much better these look! also...for those crazies out there who don't know what a taquito is- in spanish "taquito" technically means little taco, but they are simply just rolled tacos.

the top two reasons that i choose to make taquitos for is the fact that i don't have to make such a huge mess of myself eating them as when i eat tacos and i happen to LOVE finger food (ask my parents; sofi and i used to eat as many things as we could with our fingers). also, they are versatile and make for either a great party food that will impress everyone or a fun weeknight meal at home. ok, so if i haven't given you enough reasons to have taquitos, the biggest one is that they're actually HEALTHY if you do it right--bake and never fry, and dip in some homemade guacamole (if you're making the guacamole then you control what goes in, and even though guac has fat you NEED  monounsaturated fat to maintain a balanced diet). you could also just dip them in some (preferably homemade or fresh) salsa and call it good, however, there is also a way to make them not healthy if you want to do that... it's called lots of sour cream, guacamole, salsa, and cheese... yum!!!!

this recipe will give you enough chicken to make about 12 thicker taquitos, or you can make some that are more reminiscent of frozen ones and probably get about 20(this is a rough estimate, i only make big ones).  

ingredients

• regular sized corn tortillas 
• 1 lb. chicken breasts
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 can of chile el pato (thanks to maria for sharing the ingredient that will make your taquitos the BEST)... you will find this in the mexican aisle of all grocery stores 
• optional: 1/2 cup shredded mexican blend cheese

for guacamole

• 2 large avocados halved, but make sure you keep the pits!
• 3 garlic cloves (peeled)
• 2 tbsp. salsa/chile el pato OR a 1/4 of a tomato, roughly sliced
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. pepper
• 1 cup cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced for less heat, or just sliced for spicier guac
• 1/4 onion roughly sliced

directions:

1. bring a large pot filled about halfway with salted water to a boil]
2. preheat oven to 400 degrees
3. add chicken to the water and poach for about 10-15 minutes  (check the chicken by pulling it out and cutting it open to ensure that it is cooked thoroughly)
4. while the chicken cooks, add the chile, cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper to a medium sized bowl and set aside
5. while the chicken is still cooking you can begin to add your guacamole ingredients to a food processor--add the avocado and salsa first and pulse for about 30 seconds before adding everything else, then pulse until the consistency is to your liking. when your guacamole is done, pour into a bowl and put the avocado pits in with the guac, they will keep it green and fresh!!
   
6. remove chicken from the water and place on a cutting board. shred the chicken by holding it in place with one fork in your off-hand and tear it apart with another fork in your dominant hand. (i promise it's easy)
7. add chicken to the chile el pato bowl and mix together until the chicken is even coated
8. grease a sheet pan with cooking spray
9. now before i tell you the next step, you're going to have to be patient with this so just breathe. grab a plate and then get two paper towels and soak them in water. wring out the paper towels and put one on the plate, then place 4 tortillas on the paper towel(if you put more than 4 the tortillas will not be soft enough to roll), and cover with the other paper towel. microwave for 30 seconds.
10. grab one tortilla at a time out from under the paper towel, place 1-2 spoonfuls of chickens (depending on how thick you want the taquitos) closer to one edge of the tortilla and then roll. place the taquito with the seam down onto the sheet pan.
11. repeat steps 8 and 9 until all of your chicken has been used up 
12. spray the taquitos on the tray with a light layer of cooking spray (this will help keep them crispy)
13. OPTIONAL: sprinkle cheese on top of the taquitos before baking
14. bake taquitos for 12-15 minutes
    
15. turn off the oven and turn the broiler on low, and finish under the broiler for about 5 minutes (keep an eye on them because not all broilers are made equally) so they get nice and crispy!
16. remove taquitos and allow them to cool
17. serve on a cute serving platter or just wait until they're not too hot to grab! dip or cover taquitos in the guac/salsa/sour cream/all of the above and ENJOY! 
    

as always, let me know if you try this recipe out :) thanks for reading!

xoxo,

lex♡