Spicy Chicken Taquitos

About

Keto taquitos are made with a rolled “tortilla” shell made of mozzarella cheese! Each taquito is filled with a spicy mixture of taco-flavored shredded chicken. A little extra melted cheddar cheese is added to the chicken filling for a cheesy snack. You and the kids can enjoy this finger-food snack, but it makes a great addition to your Keto meals too. If you like cold leftovers, you can store the taquitos in your refrigerator. Otherwise, make this recipe fresh when you want a creative snack. At your discretion, you can pair your taquitos with a Keto dipping sauce, like sour cream, salsa, or guacamole. The nutrition information you see is for a single taquito, but the recommended serving size is 2 taquitos – perfect for a snack or appetizer.

Tips For Rolling The Taquitos

You don’t have to be perfect, but rolling these Keto taquitos requires a pinch of skill. Since the “tortillas” are made from melted cheese, you have to work a little quickly when filling and rolling them. For the easiest time, have your shredded chicken filling and a spoon ready to go at the side of your oven. This way, you can arrange the filling immediately as the mozzarella cheese slices cool. Use a spatula or a flat utensil to lift the edges of the melted cheese for rolling, if you have sensitive fingertips. At the end of rolling, you can pat away any excess grease with a paper towel so you don’t make a mess while eating.

What If I Don’t Like Spicy Food?

Do you like Mexican-inspired foods but don’t like spicy flavors? This Keto recipe is easy to adjust for your tastes. If you don’t like spicy food at all, just omit the cayenne pepper or bay leaves from your ingredient list. You can also adjust the heat level. Use only bay leaves or swap your cayenne pepper out for hot paprika to tone down the spice without eliminating it completely. If you like extra spicy foods, try adding a diced jalapeno to your Crock Pot. Swap the shredded cheddar cheese for shredded pepper jack cheese at the end of cooking for more heat!

Ingredients

10 oz chicken breast boneless skinless raw
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cumin, ground
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoon petite diced tomatoes with green chiles by red gold
½ gram bay leaf
½ tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup, shredded cheddar cheese
8 slice (from pre-sliced package) – each 3/4 ounce mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Prepare whole chicken breasts by patting them dry with a paper towel and placing them in the bottom of a Crock Pot. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper over the chicken. If you don’t want a lot of spice, you can omit the cayenne pepper. Spoon dice tomatoes and chilis over the chicken, followed by 1-2 bay leaves. Cube the butter and arrange the pieces on top of the chicken.
Cook the chicken in the Crock Pot on high heat for 4 hours. You may also cook on low heat for 8 hours. When the chicken is done cooking, remove the bay leaves and use a pair of forks to shred all the chicken. While the shredded chicken is still hot in the Crock Pot, stir in the shredded cheddar. Transfer the shredded spicy cheesy chicken to a new container to cool.
As the chicken cools, you can make the taquito cheese “tortillas”. You’ll want to keep the chicken warm, but not hot. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Arrange 2 slices of mozzarella cheese per serving on the sheet tray. Bake the tray in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese bubbles through the center of each slice and the edges of the slices turn golden and crispy.
Remove the tray of cheese slices from the oven and let them cool for 30-60 seconds. They will cool to a pliable texture just before hardening. Use a spoon to transfer about 1 ½ TB of shredded chicken filling along the left side of each cheese slice, vertically, as pictured. Use your fingers or a spatula to lift the left edge of each cheese slice and roll it over the chicken filling. Roll up the filling in each cheese slice until you have rolled chicken taquitos.