An all-time family favorite – oven-baked chicken black bean taquitos, bursting with a creamy, flavorful filling and lightly crisped with a sprinkling of kosher salt. Easy to make ahead and freezer-friendly – perfect for parties, Cinco de Mayo, game day, and more!

A white tray filled with oven-baked chicken black bean taquitos.

I fear I’ll veer pretty quickly into hyperbole if I spend too much time describing these taquitos, so let’s keep it focused on the facts. Creamy cheese wrapped like velvet around a mixture of shredded chicken, black beans, salsa, green chiles, peppers, and the most fantastic blend of spices. All of that stuffed into flour tortillas, crisped in the oven and finished off with the lightest sprinkle of kosher salt.

Are you with me?

These guys have been a family favorite for at least five years, ever since I first made Our Best Bites’ original 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 these oven-baked taquitos into my life.

Since then, I’ve made these more times than I could count, and adapted the filling to have even more flavor and a trace amount of veg. 😉 There so many reasons to love these:

  • Endlessly adaptable. Don’t have (or don’t like) black beans? Red pepper? Green chiles? 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 straight-away. 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 very picky eaters, and work for parties, an appetizer, or a great dinner. We especially love them with guacamole, but go crazy – pico de gallo, sour cream, salsa verde, you name it!A white tray filled with oven-baked chicken black bean taquitos.

How to Make Oven-Baked Taquitos

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

Side note for my fellow KitchenAid devotees – did you know that you can throw whole cooked chicken breasts in your stand mixer, and the paddle attachment will shred them perfectly for you in no time at all? This revelation has literally changed my life. So much faster and easier than shredding meat by hand!

Then you will literally just mix the shredded chicken with all of the other filling ingredients, give it a good stir to combine, and spoon a bit of the mixture down the middle of each small tortilla.

Roll up – tightly! – place on a baking sheet, and you’re good to go. Either bake straight way, or pop in the freezer for a rainy day. (You can find detailed instructions for this in the printable recipe card below.)

Or, if you’re really on your A-game, make a big batch, bake what you need now, and freeze the rest. A gift to your future self.

Correction: the BEST gift to your future self.

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 make these, I hope you enjoy! ♥

4.67 from 6 votes

Oven-Baked Chicken Black Bean Taquitos

An all-time family favorite, oven-baked chicken black bean taquitos, bursting with a creamy, flavorful filling, lightly crisped with a sprinkling of kosher salt. Perfect for parties, Cinco de Mayo, game day, and more!

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken about 2 medium chicken breasts
  • 1/2 bell pepper any color, chopped
  • 1 can (15 ounce) black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup grated Mexican cheese
  • 16 small flour tortillas
  • cooking spray
  • kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 C), and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, garlic, cilantro, green onions, chiles, chicken, black beans, bell pepper, and cheese. Mix thoroughly to combine.
  • To assemble, briefly warm the tortillas in the microwave, making them soft enough to roll easily, about 20 seconds. Working with one tortilla at a time, place each on a work surface, spread about 3 tablespoons of filling down the middle, and roll up tightly. Place each rolled tortilla seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1-2 inches apart.
  • Coat tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Any leftovers 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!
  2. These are very easy to prepare and freeze before baking, making them a terrific make-ahead party food. Simply prepare through the cooking spray and sprinkle of kosher salt, then transfer the baking sheet to the freezer for 30-60 minutes, being sure the taquitos are not touching each other. After 30-60 minutes, 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, bake straight from the freezer, and add 7-10 minutes to the baking time, until the filling is completely warmed through. 
  3. 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, and add 3-4 extra minutes to the baking time.
  4. Adapted from Our Best Bites, mainly to add black beans, peppers, and a few other components of the filling.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 366 kcal, Carbohydrates: 31 g, Protein: 21 g, Fat: 17 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 59 mg, Sodium: 548 mg, Potassium: 334 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 3 g, Vitamin A: 545 IU, Vitamin C: 8.3 mg, Calcium: 200 mg, Iron: 2.9 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!

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