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A family favorite, these oven-baked Chicken and Black Bean Taquitos are bursting with a creamy, flavorful filling wrapped up in a crisp, lightly salted shell. They’re easy to make ahead and freezer-friendly, too, so terrific for parties, Cinco de Mayo, game day, and more!

White plate filled with oven-baked chicken and black bean taquitos, dressed with extra cheese, diced avocado, and fresh cilantro leaves.

Homemade taquitos crisp from the oven!

Homemade taquitos have been a favorite for years, since I first made Our Best Bites‘ popular version for some NFL playoff watching. As I recall, my Steelers lost that game pretty miserably, but I consider the overall evening a win since it brought the concept of baked taquitos into my life.

Since then, I’ve made these dozens of times and adapted the filling over the years to include even more protein and at least a trace amount of vegetable matter. This is the version that even my choosy son can get behind and the one I’m pleased to share with the world. With a richly-flavored base of salsa, cream cheese, and spices wrapped like velvet around a satisfying mixture of shredded chicken and black beans, these deliver in the flavor department, and when stuffed into flour tortillas, crisped in the oven, and finished off with the lightest sprinkle of kosher salt, you get the textural contrast of a truly great taquito.

Why We Love Them

  • Endlessly adaptable. Don’t have or don’t like black beans, or another ingredient? Just leave them out. The guts of the filling are the chicken and the cheeses, and the spices for flavor. Everything else is flexible depending on your pantry situation and personal taste.
  • Make-ahead and freezer-friendly. Super easy to make ahead and either store in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer for a few months, then bake as needed. These were the first things I made in bulk to stock the freezer before my son was born.
  • Delicious and suited for any occasion. These are a hit with any crowd, usually even picky eaters, and work for parties, an appetizer, or a great dinner. Add a topping bar to make it fun: guacamole, blender salsa, pico de gallo, mango avocado salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro, etc.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Labeled overhead photo of shredded chicken, black beans, sour cream, tortillas, avocado, spices, canned green chiles, salsa, cream cheese, fresh cilantro, bell pepper, and shredded Mexican cheese, all on the counter and ready to make into taquitos.

Here’s a quick overview of your key ingredients. Find the full printable recipe with measurements below.

  • Shredded chicken. You can purchase this plain in most stores, pull it off of a rotisserie chicken or whole roasted chicken, or use some extra shredded Mexican chicken out of the slow cooker.
  • Black beans. I use a full can, drained and rinsed, for the extra texture and protein, but you can use less or substitute pinto beans or kidney beans.
  • Cream cheese, salsa, canned green chiles, and shredded Mexican cheese. These make up the creamy base of the filling. Use any salsa you love, mild or hot green chiles to taste, and full-fat or low-fat cream cheese to your liking.
  • Bell pepper and fresh cilantro. A little freshness goes a long way!
  • Spices: chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
  • Tortillas. For true taquitos, use small tortillas and roll them up very tightly, so the resulting bites are truly snack-sized. Corn tortillas are most traditional but I also use flour depending on what’s available. You can follow the same technique with larger tortillas pressed flat, which is technically a flauta.

If you have chopped cilantro, thinly-sliced green onions, shredded carrots, other diced veggies, a squeeze of lime juice, diced jalapeno or other peppers hanging out in the fridge, go ahead and toss them into the filling mixture. They are tasty additions, but I don’t go out of my way to buy them for this recipe.

Topping Ideas for Taquitos

Much of the fun of eating taquitos lies in the accessorizing! A few ideas:

We also love to enjoy taquitos with a big Mexican bean salad or everyday Mexican salad on the side.

A large Mexican three bean salad with homemade cilantro vinaigrette, in a white bowl ready to serve.
Large white ceramic bowl full of an easy Mexican salad with avocado, cabbage, peppers, tortilla strips, and a red wine vinaigrette.

How to Make Chicken Black Bean Taquitos

The final reason to love this recipe is how simple it is to make! Start with shredded chicken.

This is an overview with select step-by-step photos. Find explicit directions with baking temperature and time in the print-friendly recipe card below.

Pro Tip

If you have whole cooked chicken breasts or thighs, toss them into your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and turn it onto low speed. The paddle will shred them perfectly for you in no time at all.

Clear glass prep bowl filled with shredded chicken, cheese, veggies, black beans, and spices.

Mix the Filling. Literally just combine the shredded chicken with all of the other filling ingredients and give it a good stir to combine.

Filling for chicken black bean taquitos mixed together in a prep bowl.

Assemble Taquitos. Spoon a bit of the mixture down the middle of each small tortilla. Be careful not to overstuff them, or they will be difficult to roll and to seal. Place rolled taquitos seam-side down on a lined baking tray. If they are coming undone, you can secure with toothpicks.

Rolled taquitos arranged on a baking tray.

Bake and Serve. Lightly coat taquitos with cooking spray and a light dusting of kosher salt. This will help them crisp up in the oven. Bake and enjoy!

Hand holding up a chicken black bean taquito straight out of the oven and placed on a serving plate.

Storage & Make Ahead Tips

Storage: Taquitos will keep for 3-4 days tightly-wrapped in the fridge. For best reheating results, warm in the oven and place taquitos directly on the oven rack, rather than on a baking sheet.

Make Ahead: These are easy to freeze before baking. Make the filling, assemble the taquitos, coat with cooking spray and kosher salt, then transfer to the freezer for 30-60 minutes, being sure the taquitos are not touching each other. After this “first freeze,” transfer the taquitos to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. At this point it’s OK for them to touch. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and place directly onto a baking sheet. Bake as directing, adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time (so 20-30 minutes total), until the shells are golden and the filling is completely warmed through. 

This makes a big batch, so if you’re really on your A-game, bake what you need now but assemble and freeze the rest. A gift to your future self for a rainy day.

Countertop set with a large plate of chicken black bean taquitos surrounded by fresh cilantro, sour cream, and extra garnishes.

Related Recipes

Your Super Bowl parties and Cinco de Mayo celebration just got a whole lot tastier AND easier, but honestly, we love this just as much for a random Tuesday night dinner! However you serve these, I hope you enjoy! ♥

If you try these Oven Baked Chicken Taquitos, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.

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White plate filled with oven-baked chicken and black bean taquitos, dressed with extra cheese, diced avocado, and fresh cilantro leaves.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.75 from 8 votes

Oven-Baked Chicken Black Bean Taquitos

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 20 taquitos
An all-time family favorite, these oven-baked Chicken and Black Bean Taquitos are bursting with a creamy, flavorful filling wrapped up in a crisp, lightly salted shell. They're easy to make ahead and freezer-friendly, too, so terrific for parties, Cinco de Mayo, game day, and more!

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles can use mild or hot
  • 1-2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1/2 bell pepper any color, chopped
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
  • 20 small tortillas
  • cooking spray and kosher salt for sprinkling
  • salsa, guacamole, avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream, etc. for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, green chiles, shredded chicken, bell pepper, black beans, and cheese. Mix thoroughly to combine.
  • To assemble, briefly warm the tortillas in the microwave, making them soft enough to roll easily. Working with one tortilla at a time, place each on a work surface, spread about 2 Tablespoons of filling down the middle, and roll up tightly. (Be careful not to overstuff the tortillas, or they will be hard to roll.)
  • Place each rolled tortilla seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Use toothpicks, if desired, to ensure they stay tightly closed.
  • Lightly coat the tops of the taquitos with cooking spray, then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are crisp and golden brown.
  • Serve right away, with extra cheese, salsa, guacamole, diced avocado, sour cream, etc. for toppings.

Notes

  1. Optional Additions: chopped cilantro, thinly-sliced green onions, shredded carrots, a squeeze of lime juice, diced jalapeno or other peppers. I will usually toss these things into the filling if they are lingering in the fridge, but I don’t go out of my way to buy them for this recipe.
  2. Storage: Taquitos will keep for 3-4 days tightly-wrapped in the fridge. For best reheating results, warm in the oven and place taquitos directly on the oven rack – do not use a baking sheet. The shells will be soft from the fridge, but this crisps them right back up.
  3. Make Ahead: These are easy to freeze before baking. Make the filling, assemble the taquitos, coat with cooking spray and kosher salt, then transfer to the freezer for 30-60 minutes, being sure the taquitos are not touching each other. After this “first freeze,” transfer the taquitos to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag. At this point it’s OK for them to touch. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and place directly onto a baking sheet. Bake as directing, adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time (so 20-30 minutes total), until the shells are golden and the filling is completely warmed through. 
  4. Bigger Tortillas? These are also very easy to make enchilada size, which I believe would technically be a flauta, rather than a taquito. Just use larger shells, enchilada or burrito-sized, prepare as directed, but add more filling to each and and allow for 3-4 extra minutes of baking time.
  5. Recipe: Adapted from Our Best Bites.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 145 kcal, Carbohydrates: 20 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 7 mg, Sodium: 415 mg, Potassium: 132 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 232 IU, Vitamin C: 6 mg, Calcium: 91 mg, Iron: 2 mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a review below, then snap a quick picture and tag @nourishandfete on Instagram so I can see it!
Author: Monica Lensink
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Keyword: chicken black bean taquitos, oven-baked taquitos

This post was originally published on January 20, 2018, and has been updated with new photos and more helpful details on storage, making ahead, freezing, reheating, and ingredient substitutions.