Chipotle Cream Cheese Taquitos

Method8 steps · about 50 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Put the 2 chicken breasts in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Optionally season the poaching water with a little salt, pepper, onion and cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20–25 minutes, continuing as needed until the thickest part of each breast reaches 74°C/165°F. Remove the fully cooked chicken, cool only enough to handle, then shred with two forks; the source expects about 3 cups shredded chicken.

   Simmer Chicken · 25 minUses 2 chicken breasts (about 3 cups once cooked and shredded) · Cold water, enough to cover chicken breasts · Salt for poaching water, optional · Black pepper for poaching water, optional · Onion for poaching water, optional · Cilantro for poaching water, optional

2. 2

   Step 2: While the chicken poaches, heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Remove the tomatillo (3-4) husks and stems, rinse the fruit and roast for about 10–15 minutes until army green and softened.

   Roast Tomatillos · 15 minUses 3-4 tomatillos · Water for rinsing tomatillos and dampening tortilla paper towels, as needed

3. 3

   Step 3: Blend the roasted tomatillos from step 2 with the 3–4 chipotles in adobo and 2 garlic cloves; optionally remove the chipotle seeds first. Taste for heat, then add the 4 oz cream cheese and blend until combined.

   Uses Roasted tomatillos · 3–4 chipotle peppers in adobo · 2 garlic cloves · 4 oz. cream cheese

4. 4

   Step 4: Combine the fully cooked shredded chicken from step 1 with the cream-cheese salsa from step 3, the finely chopped 1/2 filling onion, 1 tsp filling salt and cracked pepper. Mix and taste. Add optional adobo sauce gradually from its 1–2 tbsp supply and extra filling salt only as needed; reserve any unused adobo sauce.

   Uses Fully cooked shredded chicken · Tomatillo-chipotle cream-cheese salsa · 1/2 onion · 1 tsp salt for taquito filling · Freshly cracked black pepper for taquito filling · Adobo sauce from the optional 1–2 tbsp supply, to taste; reserve unused · Extra salt for taquito filling, to taste

5. 5

   Step 5: Put the 12–16 corn tortillas on a plate and cover with damp paper towels. Microwave for about 60 seconds until soft and pliable; warm a little longer if they crack when rolled.

   Uses 12-16 corn tortillas · Water for rinsing tomatillos and dampening tortilla paper towels, as needed

6. 6

   Step 6: Put 2–3 tbsp prepared chicken filling from step 4 on each warmed tortilla from step 5. Roll tightly and place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Spray or brush a thin layer of olive oil onto each taquito. Make as many as the supplied tortillas and filling allow, and promptly refrigerate any unused filling or tortillas.

   Uses Warmed pliable corn tortillas · Chicken filling: 2–3 tbsp per tortilla; refrigerate unused · Olive oil, a thin sprayed or brushed layer on taquitos

7. 7

   Step 7: Bake the oiled rolled taquitos from step 6 in the 400°F/200°C oven for about 20 minutes, until the edges darken and the filling is hot throughout. The centres can remain slightly chewy; avoid baking the edges brittle. If the cooked chicken filling was chilled, reheat its centre to 74°C/165°F.

   Bake taquitos about 20 minutes, then check edges and hot filling · 20 minUses Oiled rolled chicken taquitos

8. 8

   Step 8: While the taquitos bake, optionally make guacamole: finely chop the separate 2–3 tbsp onion, then mash it with the back of a fork until translucent. Mash with the flesh of 1 avocado, the separate 1/4 tsp guacamole salt and juice of 1/2 lime. Taste, then add tiny amounts of extra guacamole salt and juice from the remaining half lime as needed; reserve any unused lime. Serve the finished hot taquitos from step 7 immediately with this optional guacamole.

   Uses Baked hot chicken taquitos · 1 avocado for optional guacamole · Juice of 1/2 lime initially, then more from the remaining half to taste · 2–3 tbsp finely chopped onion for optional guacamole · 1/4 tsp salt for optional guacamole · Extra salt for optional guacamole, to taste