Averie Cooks

0 To a large bowl, add the cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, and stir to combine. Tip - Make sure the cream cheese is very well softened to room temp or this is unnecessarily difficult. 
1 Add the cooked chicken, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.
2 Add about 2 tablespoons filling in a vertical strip at the edge of each tortilla and roll up tightly. Tips - Don't overfill. Flour tortillas are easier to work with, more pliable, and don't rip as easily. If you're using corn tortillas, add a stack to the microwave, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat for about 15 seconds to 'steam' the corn tortillas just a bit which will make them easier to work with and roll without ripping.
3 To a heavy-bottomed skillet with a bit of depth (cast iron is preferred; don't use a nonstick skillet that's intended to make scrambled eggs!) add enough oil so that it comes up to about 1 to 2-inches high.
4 Heat the oil until it's 350F as measured with a thermometer. Tips - I strongly recommend not guessing and using a thermometer. However, if you don't have one and you are going to guess, likely the oil is hot enough when it's bubbling and you can add a small piece of tortilla to the oil and it cooks instantly, but that it's not so hot that the tortilla just burns.
5 Add about 2 or 3 rolled taquitos to the oil, and fry for about 2 minutes total, flipping and once midway through. The exterior should be golden browned but not burnt when done. Tips - Don't crowd the pan because the taquitos will not cook properly because the overall temp of the oil will drop too low and/or there isn't enough oil freely flowing and circulating around the taquitos to cook them. 
6 Place cooked taquitos on a plate lined with paper towels to cool briefly while you repeat the frying process with all remaining taquitos. Discard fry oil safely after you're done.
7 Serve immediately. Taquitos are best served hot and fresh. Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days however there is no way to replicate the crispiness of freshly cooked taquitos after they've been refrigerated. I warm my leftovers if I have any in the microwave for about 30 seconds. I don't recommend freezing taquitos because the texture after thawing won't be very good.