Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Chicken Taquitos
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Cream cheese, jalapeños, and chicken all come together in these irresistible crispy taquitos! This is an amazing go-to crockpot recipe you’ll make again and again! Serve these up as a main dish or they’re perfect for game day appetizers – either way you can’t go wrong!
Still hungry? Look no further than my Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos, Instant Pot Chicken Taquitos, and Slow Cooker Creamy Chipotle Chicken Taquitos.
I know I’ve told you about my affinity for spicy foods. I probably even told you about the origin of that spicy food love with really goes back to my childhood days when I’d do anything and everything my big brothers told me to. That includes going down a laundry chute head first, and eating a fresh, raw jalapeño – straight up.
Oh yes, 9-year old me was as fearless as little 9-year old tomboys come. My brothers told me to eat it, so I did. And It was crazy-hot, the kind of heat that just cannot be quenched, not with milk (even though everybody swears by it), and not by baking soda (oh my gosh that was a taste I’ll never forget – in a bad way!). It was just one of those things you have to wait out and hope for the best. In the end, my tastebuds were still intact (much to my astonishment) and a bewildering new flavor craving had begun.
A craving for the heat that only comes from seed-bearing peppers.
Yep, that’s how it all started, my love affair with all things spi-say. You wouldn’t believe the flavor combinations I’ve tried (and loved) over the years. To this day I adore jalapeños on my cream cheese bagels and every now that then you’ll find me dipping Lays potato chips in Taco Bell hot sauce. I know, strange things. But after that kind of history, it shouldn’t be hard to imagine why I keep a GIANT jar of jalapeños in my fridge and create things like jalapeño popper taquitos.
Hold your horse though, you heat-fearing people, because I have good news for you. These are completely customizable to meet your own personal heat standards. If you’re like me and can’t get enough of that spicy goodness, you can load these babies up with as many jalapeños as your little heart desires. For the rest of you who love a good jalapeño popper but don’t want to burn your mouth to high heaven, just put a few less in there. I promise you that the cream cheesiness cuts through a lot of that heat so you just get the best of all those nummy flavors without injuring your tastebuds. And if you really wanna cool em down, dip them in ranch or green goddess dressing! If you’re looking for a little more kick – go for the salsa or Tomatillo Ranch Dressing!
Sing it with me – Let’s get it started hot, let’s get it started in here…
I don’t remember the rest of the lyrics. So we’ll just leave it at that.
More Recipes to Try
- Cheddar Jalapeno Pretzel Bites – the snack you didn’t know you needed.
- Jalapeño Poppers with Bacon – a little heat, a lot of flavor, and totally addictive.
- Skinny Jalapeño Popper Dip {6 ingredients} – six ingredients. Endless snacking happiness.
When you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag me on social – I love connecting with you and seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Slow Cooker Jalapeño Popper Chicken Taquitos
Ingredients
- 3-4 chicken breasts, frozen or thawed
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ⅓ cup jarred whole or sliced jalapeños, roughly chopped (or more, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 16 taco-sized tortillas , (I prefer flour but corn tortillas also work well)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese , (colby jack, monterey jack, Mexican blend, mozzarella – use your favorite!)
Instructions
- Add chicken, 1/2 cup water, cream cheese, jalapeños, garlic powder, salt, and cumin to crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. (lesser times are for thawed chicken, greater times for frozen chicken)
- Minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 425 and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Use two forks to shred chicken and stir it in with the other contents of the crockpot.
- Heat tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them up, this will make them easier to work with. Sprinkle cheese in the middle of each tortilla (just divide the cheese evenly between all of the tortillas).
- Top cheese with 2-3 tablespoons of shredded chicken mixture. Roll tortillas tightly into a log-shape taquito.
- Place taquitos on baking sheet and spray heavily with cooking spray. Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melty and tortillas begin to brown. (For crispier taquitos, switch the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes – watch carefully so they don’t burn!)
- Serve warm with dipping sauces and toppings if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolu the best. Ive made these half a dozen times already
So thrilled to hear that!
I added jerk seasoning and taco seaso. UNFORTUNATELY the Soft taco shells i bought broke wh I rolled them. Chicken was DELICIOUS and cooked perfectly in the crock pot. I would Recommend soUr cream for dipping.
Definitely delicious dipping in sour cream!
How could you alter this recepie for in the oven? Sometimes I forget to start it in time for the slow cooker.
You’ll just need to prepare your chicken using whichever method you can, then continue on with using the oven to cook the filled and rolled taquitos.
Can you make the chicken and cream cheese in an instant pot?
Hi Nancy- I am yet to try that on this recipe! I can’t say for sure. I’d love to hear your experience if you give it a try tho!
oh my gosh, these were fantastic and so easy to make. I like recipes where I can just dump the ingredients in and forget about it. The chicken literally fell apart when I was getting it out of the crockpot to shred. We dipped them in guacamole. Yum! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Thanks, Cindy!
I have been making these for a couple years now and just had to tell you that this is one of my favorite recipes ever!! making them to take to a party tonight. 🙂
I’m so excited to hear that you enjoy this recipe so much!! Thanks, Ashleigh!
Have u ever tried to reheat these after putting in the fridge?
Hey Jolyn- To reheat, put the taquitos on a baking sheet, spray them with a little more cooking spray and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until they’re warmed through and nice and crispy again!
Not able to click on the link for the rio tomatillo ranch dressing. is there another way to get that recipe or maybe add a button at the top of your page for sauces. Along with the main dishes, 30 minute meals, side dishes, etc.
https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/creamy-tomatillo-ranch-cafe-rio-copycat/
I’m with you on loving spicy food and i have eaten a raw habanero to prove it!
These are a favorite in our householD 😊 Thank you for sharing.
Love hearing when a recipe becomes a family favorite! Thanks for sharing, Kim!
Can you sub fresh jalapenos? How many should you use? I have a ton to use up from my garden.
You totally could! Sometimes fresh jalapeños are more fragrant.. so just be careful with that! But fresh is ALWAYS better, if you ask me! 😉