Chicken taquitos with tomato salsa recipe

Method

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Stir through the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then add the cumin and paprika and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add the chicken to the pan along with a couple of tablespoons of water and cook until well coated with the spicy onion mixture and any liquid has been absorbed. Set aside to cool a little then stir through the cheese.
3. Divide the chicken mixture between the tortillas, placing in a strip along the middle of each. Then roll into a cylinder and secure the seam with 2 cocktail sticks. Pour some vegetable oil into a large deep frying pan or saucepan until it comes 1 cm (1/2in) up the side of the pan.
4. Set over a medium heat and heat until a piece of bread sizzles and turns golden when added to the pan. Cook the taquitos in batches for 7 – 10 minutes, carefully turning over with tongs until lightly golden and crisp. Leave to drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you cook the rest.
5. To make the salsa, simply whiz the ingredients together in a small blender or chop together until a paste forms, then season to taste. Arrange the taquitos on serving plates, removing the cocktails stick and drizzle over the salsa to serve.

• Tip: If you are having difficulty rolling the tortillas, warm them in a microwave for 10 seconds to make a little more pliable.

• See more Mexican recipes