Air-Fryer Chicken Taquitos
Flour tortillas rolled tight around shredded chicken and cheese, then air- fried until the outside blisters and shatters. Eight minutes to a dinner that uses last night's rotisserie chicken and feels like takeout from the place that's always closed when you want it.
Taquitos are the dish to make when you have leftover cooked chicken and no plan. Shredded rotisserie chicken, a heavy hand with cumin and chili powder, a cup of cheese for the binder, soft flour tortillas rolled tight enough to stay closed during cooking. The air fryer does in eight minutes what the deep-fryer used to do in three — but without the splatter, the oil bath, or the inevitable burning of one of them while the others were still pale.
The photo shows the finished plate: two taquitos on shredded romaine, chunks of fresh tomato, a heavy dollop of guacamole in the middle, a small ramekin of more guac on the side. The taquitos themselves are golden-edged, slightly blistered from the air, just a little oil sheen where they brushed the basket. This is the order in which they disappear: the ends first (the cheese gets caramelised against the basket), the middle last. Two per person is dinner with a salad; three is dinner without.
A note on the tortilla: this works best with FLOUR tortillas, not corn. Corn cracks when rolled. Flour bends. If you want corn flavour, brush the rolled flour taquitos with melted butter and dust with cornmeal before frying — close enough.
Method
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01
Make the filling
In a bowl, mash together the shredded chicken, cream cheese, shredded
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02
Warm the tortillas
Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds.
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03
Fill and roll
Lay a warm tortilla flat. Spoon 2½ tablespoons of filling in a thin
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04
Brush and air fry
Brush each rolled taquito lightly with olive oil. Heat the air fryer
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05
Serve
Plate on a bed of shredded romaine, top with diced tomato and a heavy