Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos

Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos for when you want homemade, crunchy, chewy, savory Mexican-flavored taquitos but in half the time! Great for a meal or a snack!

For more quick Instant Pot favorites, check out my popular posts for Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches, Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos, and Instant Pot Beef Enchiladas. 

I have purchased those processed, freezer-aisle taquitos more times than I can count. They are soooooo good but probably not so great for you. In my efforts to clean up my processed food act just a little bit, I decided to pick one of our favorite freezer treats and try to make it at home. 

But, I wanted it to come together quickly and still have that crunchy outside, and the chewy, cheesy, chicken-loaded inside that we love so much from our boxed taquito buddies. Enter, the Instant Pot! Add the chicken and cheesy/chili goodness to the pot, pressure cook the ingredients for 8 minutes, then add the chicken mixture to tortillas, and finish them by baking in the oven. Smother in cilantro lime chili sauce (or other favorite toppings) and devour!

What Makes this Recipe Work

Do I really need to convince you that these creamy, cheesy, instant pot chicken taquitos are the greatest? Well if I must, I will.

You guys, there is one particular ingredient that makes these chicken taquitos completely irresistible – cream cheese. (for another great chicken taquito recipe, try my Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos.) What?? YES. I throw cream cheese into the pressure cooker along with the chicken and green chiles and the result is pure magic. Trust me on this one. I’ll admit that maybe it isn’t very authentic, but hey – I never said these were authentic I only said they are insanely delicious and I stand by it. So embrace the cream cheese here, you won’t regret it.

How do you Make Chicken Taquitos in the Instant Pot?

These baked taquitos are really simple to put together so don’t be put off by what seems like three different “to-do” lists. It’s just easier to read if I break it down this way. Plus, you can even make the cilantro-lime cream sauce the night before. It makes a great dip and dressing so sometimes I double it and use it on everything! 

Making the Cilantro Lime Sauce

First, I make the sauce because it’s best when chilled. You can make this anytime up to 24 hours ahead of time. Simply combine all the ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender and pulse repeatedly until it’s smooth. Cover and chill until your taquitos are ready to eat!  

Making the chicken in the Instant Pot

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (you’ll need to bake the chicken in the tortillas in just a few minutes so you’ll want to have the oven ready to go) and grease a large, rimmed baking sheet.

Add the chicken, water, cream cheese, chilis, and spices to the Instant Pot liner and add the lid. Slide the valve and lid into their respective “locked” positions and set to “manual” or “pressure cook” on high for 8 minutes.

When the 8 minutes is up, go ahead and use the quick release to release the steam by turning the valve to the venting position. When the float valve drops, remove the lid and shred the chicken with two forks, then stir it all together.

Wrapping the taquitos

Now for the grand finale — wrapping the Chicken Taquitos! Grab a stack of tortillas and spoon about 2-3 tablespoons of the creamy, cheesy chicken mixture into the center of each. Roll each tortilla tightly and place them seam-side down on your greased baking sheet. Leave about an inch or so between tortillas so they don’t stick together and that they can bake and get crispy on all sides. Brush the tortillas with olive oil. 

Bake the taquitos for 10-15 minutes or until the outside of the tortillas is golden and crispy. Serve them with the cilantro sauce on the side for dipping. I usually warm my sauce up first, but you can also serve it cold if you prefer.

What are Chicken Taquitos?

Have taquitos always been around or is this a new thing? I feel as though I didn’t take notice of them until about 5 years ago, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t around sooner. Although I’m not sure how long they’ve been around, I do know what they are. 

“Taquito” is Spanish for “small taco.” They are also sometimes called “flautas” which is Spanish for “flute” but just also means rolled taco. They usually are filled with chicken, beef, or just cheese. So, Chicken Taquitos are simply small, rolled tacos that are baked (or sometimes fried).  

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve these Mexican Chicken Taquitos with a healthy dollop of Cilantro Lime Sauce, but there are some other toppings I also enjoy, including: 

• Sour cream 
• Shredded pepper jack, monterey jack, or queso fresco cheese
• Cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Salsa 
• Pickled red onions 
• Cilantro Avocado Ranch Dressing (if you prefer a different type of sauce on top)
• Diced avocado or guacamole 
• Shredded lettuce or cabbage 
• Pickled jalapeno slices 

More Tasty Recipes to Try

• Creamy Tuscan Parmesan Chicken
• Steak Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
• Filipino Style Chicken Adobo
• Baked Jalapeno Popper Macaroni and Cheese

Did you make this Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos recipe? YAY! Please rate the recipe below!