Ingredients :

• Cooked shredded chicken — A breast poached in salted water, leftovers from a Sunday roast chicken, or well-drained canned chicken. The most important thing: it must be dry. Wet chicken releases water into the filling, the filling makes the tortillas soggy, and your taquitos come out soft. Pat it dry with paper towels if you have any doubt.
• Cream cheese — Go for full-fat, not light — it’s what provides the creamy, dense texture that holds the filling together. It must absolutely be at room temperature before working with it, otherwise it remains in stubborn blocks that won’t blend.
• Corn tortillas — Not wheat. Corn tortillas are thinner, they crisp up better in the oven, and they bring that slightly toasted masa flavor that makes all the difference. Essential: heat them before rolling. If cold, they’ll snap right at the fold.
• Ground cumin — The spice that makes it smell like Tex-Mex and not just ‘something warm in the oven’. A level teaspoon in the filling is the minimum. Don’t skimp.