My sister Elissa of Rosemary & Olive Oil sent me this recipe earlier this year — we have a habit of sending each other recipes that we’ve made or just want to share. I’m not sure where she found this one, but I’ve made these taquitos three times so far, including today.

I was in a rush this afternoon when I was making these so I didn’t add the garlic — although I didn’t notice a difference in the taste, I usually do make sure to add it in. I also never seem to have scallions in my kitchen when I make this, but if I did have them available, I’d certainly add them to the mix.

I already had some cooked and shredded chicken in my freezer from the last time I made an Herb-Roasted Whole Chicken, so all I had to do was thaw that and throw it in. As an alternative, you can use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

As you can see in the photo, my taquitos are bulging a bit in the center, but that doesn’t affect the taste. These are always a hit. I serve mine with Greek yogurt, regular red salsa, and salsa verde.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup salsa verde
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped scallions (optional)
Kosher salt
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1/4-1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
8-12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
For serving: Greek yogurt or sour cream, red salsa, and/or salsa verde

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, chile powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic, parsley, scallions, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the chicken and cheeses and stir until evenly distributed. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Place 2 tortillas at a time on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 25 seconds, or until the tortillas are soft and pliable. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling onto the lower third of each tortilla and roll tightly. Place seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Spray the taquitos with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt (the cooking spray helps the salt stick). Bake for 15-20 minutes (mine only needed 15), or until the tortillas are crisp and golden.

Serve with Greek yogurt or sour cream, red salsa, and/or salsa verde.