Happy Cinco de Mayo! Celebrate with Crispy Chicken Tortilla Rollups & Spicy Avocado Crema + a Chobani Yogurt Giveaway!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Are you planning a celebration fiesta today? If so, I have a really fun appetizer or quick dinner recipe to share with you thanks to my friends at Chobani. They recently sent me several containers of their yummy Greek yogurt to try out, then create a couple of fun recipes for you. I’ve already shared my No-Stress Lemon Panna Cotta with Honey-Balsamic Berries using their lemon non-fat yogurt. Today, it’s time for something savory...I’m going to show you a Tex-Mex finger food that features a double shot of Chobani 0% plain yogurt: my Crispy Chicken Tortilla Rollups & Spicy Avocado Crema.

I started using fat-free Greek yogurt in place of sour cream in some dips and other recipes in the past year or so. The flavor and texture of the two are similar, but I’ve been really happy the end results when cooking with Greek yogurt. Today’s recipe is no exception! I LOVE big-flavor foods...especially Mexican food. It’s funny...today’s dish posed a bit of a quandary for me. My creation isn’t exactly a flauta OR a chimichanga...it’s sort a hybrid of the two. Flautas are usually made by wrapping corn tortillas around a filling and frying, but I used flour tortillas...and I baked these rollups in the oven. Using flour tortillas technically makes them NOT a taquito...but rolling them up technically makes them NOT a chimichanga? So...I decided to call them tortilla roll-ups and be done with it!

I came up with a delicious chicken filling that incorporates two kinds of cheese, corn, green onion and garlic, lime juice, spices, a bit of salsa...and creamy Greek yogurt to hold it all together. I brushed them with flavorful garlic-infused oil, sprinkled them with salt and spices, and baked them until they were golden-brown and crispy. The awesome avocado dipping sauce served on the side is also made with Chobani 0% plain yogurt. Put them both together, and you’ve got a fabulous one-two punch of flavor!

Crispy Chicken Tortilla Rollups & Spicy Avocado Crema

a Weekend Gourmet Original

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400. Make the chicken filling by combining the following ingredients in a bowl: 12 ounces shredded cooked chicken, 1/2 cup jack cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup corn kernels, 1-2 sliced green onions, 2 grated or minced garlic cloves, 1/3 cup salsa, 1 tsp. cumin, the juice of  half a lime, 1 tsp. salt, a finely diced seeded serrano pepper, and 1 container Chobani 0% Greek yogurt.

Step 2:  Heat 1/3 cup canola oil and two grated garlic cloves in a small saucepan over med heat. When the oil is hot, turn off the heat and let the garlic infuse into the oil for 5-10 minutes. Assemble the tortillas by adding about 2 tbs. of the filling along the lower third of 8-10 flour tortillas -- feel free to sprinkle with a bit more cheese on top if you like it extra cheesy! Roll up and place seam-side-down on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.

Step 3:  Brush the tortilla rollups with the garlic oil and sprinkle with salt, dried cilantro, and chipotle chile powder. Bake for 8-10 minutes, flipping over halfway through cooking so both sides are able to brown and crisp. I sprinkled the tops with green cilantro and red chili powder since that's the colors of Mexico's flag.

Step 4:  While the rollups bake, make the avocado crema. Add one large ripe avocado to a bowl and mash until creamy. Add one container of Chobani 0% plain yogurt, the juice of half a lime, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder. Stir well to thoroughly combine and scoop into a pretty serving bowl.

These babies baked up golden crisp in the oven, with a nice flavor boost from the garlic-infused oil, salt, and spices sprinkled on top. The filling is slightly creamy from the yogurt and cheese...with a bit of heat from the salsa and serrano pepper. I really enjoyed the added texture from the corn and green onion too. 

The avocado dipping sauce is cooling and creamy...and velvety smooth. The chili powder and lime juice give it just enough tang and heat to keep things interesting. Let’s put it this way: Michael isn’t a huge avocado lover...and he specifically commented on how good the dipping sauce tasted! I also served these with salsa on the side for dipping.

This is a slightly-less-guilty finger food...suitable for a party, or even a simple dinner. By shredding the meat from a roasted deli chicken, these rollups can be assembled and into the oven in about 20 minutes. In the spirit of full disclosure, I initially made a few actual taquitos using corn tortillas. They were tasty enough, but I wasn’t as happy with their texture after baking. If you decide to go the traditional route and use corn tortillas, I suggest frying them in oil rather than baking.

So...who wants to win a 12-pack of Chobani yogurt? To enter this giveaway, visit Chobani’s website to check out their wide variety of flavors. Then, go to The Weekend Gourmet’s Facebook fan page. Like The Weekend Gourmet to follow the goings-on for this blog. If you already Like The Weekend Gourmet on Facebook (aww...thanks!), you’re good to go. Leave a comment on the giveaway post on Facebook. Tell me which flavors you’d pick if you're the winner. I’ll accept entries until Monday, May 7th at 1159 p.m. The winner will be announced on my Facebook page next Tuesday. Good luck...


Disclosure: Chobani sent me a 12-pack of their yogurts to cook with in order to facilitate this post. The recipe and opinions expressed are all my own.