Baked Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

If you’re a buffalo fan, this recipe is for you! The tangy spiciness is kind of irresistible right?

Buffalo chicken gets a lot of the hype, and I can’t deny, this buffalo chicken dip is always the first one gone at a party. But other things can easily be “buffalo-ized”.

Maybe that’s not a word, but I maintain it should be!

These buffalo chicken taquitos are basically a buffalo chicken dip that’s rolled up in a tortilla and baked until deliciously crispy. Then they can be dipped into a super easy 2 ingredient buffalo ranch sauce that tames the spice, yet adds just a hint of that tangy heat.

Instead of having to work over a skillet of hot oil, these taquitos are baked. I know, most things that are baked instead of fried really aren’t as crispy and amazing as the fried version… but these taquitos are.

They’re perfectly crisp and golden brown, can be prepped ahead, and the filling can even be frozen… making these the perfect simple appetizer or fun dinner idea!

How to make buffalo chicken taquitos?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Combine cream cheese, wing sauce and ranch. I find using a hand mixer is the best way to really mix these ingredients well. You don’t want little pockets of cream cheese that didn’t incorporate.
2. Stir in chicken and cheeses. That’s right, two kinds of cheese!
3. Make taquitos. Add some filling to a tortilla and roll it up like a log. Repeat.
4. Bake. Baking these at a higher temperature for less time results in the crispiest taquitos.
5. Make dipping sauce. Buffalo ranch is the perfect accompaniment, and it’s only 2 ingredients.

Variations of this recipe

• Buffalo sauce – I use Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce, but there are other varieties of buffalo sauce, so feel free to use your favorite.
• Cheese type – this recipe uses two main types of cheese, cheddar and blue cheese. If you’d like to switch things up, you can use monterey jack cheese, colby cheese, etc.
• Tortillas – my family really likes these when they’re made with flour tortillas, but if you like corn tortillas instead, feel free to use them in this recipe.
• Fried – if you’d like to fry these taquitos in an air fryer, please see the air fryer directions down in the “Chef Tips” section right below the recipe card.
• Air fryer – if you’d like to make these taquitos in an air fryer, please see the air fryer directions down in the “Chef Tips” section right below the recipe card.

Making chicken taquitos ahead of time

Unfortunately I don’t recommend making the taquitos entirely ahead of time, since they lose their crispiness. I also don’t recommend assembling them ahead of time, since they get soggy.

However, you can absolutely make the filling ahead of time. Just mix it up, cover it and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Then when you want to make the taquitos, half the work is done for you!

Storage

Leftover taquitos should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 3 days.

Freezing

You can freeze the assembled taquitos, or you can freeze the filling.

To freeze the assembled taquitos:

• Add taquitos to a wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Freeze the whole baking sheet for about an hour or two, until taquitos are frozen solid.
• Transfer frozen taquitos to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

To freeze the filling:

• Transfer filling to freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.