Beef Taquitos Recipe

5 from 1 review

These delicious beef taquitos are filled with Mexican taco-style seasoned ground beef, a combination of cheeses, rolled up and cooked to crispy perfection. Cook them in the oven, in the air fryer or the stove top (pan fry or deep fry)

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Mexican, Tex Mex

Keyword air fryer taquitos, baked taquitos, beef taquitos, beef taquitos recipe, ground beef taquitos

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings taquitos

Calories 284kcal

Author Chef Kathy McDaniel

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 packet/1 ounce
1 chipotle in adobo sauce finely chopped, plus 1-2 teaspoons adobo sauce (optional)
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup mild or medium salsa such as Pace
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese, Monterrey Jack, cheddar or a combination
8 corn tortillas
Cooking oil about 2 tablespoons or oil spray

Optional Toppings

Guacamole, chopped tomatoes, salsa, pico de Gallo, sour cream, shredded lettuce, crumbled Cotija cheese,chopped cilantro.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375º F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. You can also use a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper (for easy clean up) greased with cooking spray. If using the air fryer, preheat to 400ºF.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink. If you have any excess fat, drain it if preferred. Stir in the taco seasoning and the chipotle in adobo sauce plus the adobo sauce and mix to combine.
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the cream cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. Stir in the salsa and sour cream and mix well. Stir in the shredded cheese and remove from the heat.
To soften the tortillas and make them pliable, wrap them in a damp paper towel and warm them up in the microwave for 30 seconds.
To assemble the taquitos, place a tortilla on a clean work surface.
Add a scoop of the cheesy beef filling on one side of the tortilla all the way to the edges. Roll up the tortilla tightly and place seam-side down on the baking pan. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled and assembled.

Cooking in the Oven

Lightly brush the tortillas with cooking oil (or mist with oil spray) and bake for about 15 minutes or until crispy.

Cooking in the Air Fryer

For the air fryer, place the taquitos in the air fryer basket, seam side down ina single layer, making sure they are not touching, and mist with oil. Cook until goldenbrown, about 4-5 minutes. Turn taquitos over, mist with avocado oil, and air fry untilcrispy, 2-4 minutes.

Pan Fried or Deep Fried

IMPORTANT: When deep frying or pan searing, roll the taquitos and secure them with a toothpick so they don't open up when frying.
For pan searing, fill a skillet with about 1/2 inch of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Cooking in batches, add 3-4 taquitos into the skillet and fry until crispy and golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. After a few minutes remove the toothpicks.
For deep frying, fill a deep pot or skillet with any mild oil such as vegetable oil or grape seed oil. Heat the oil over medium-high until it reaches 350ºF. Cooking in batches, cook 3 to 4 taquitos per

Notes

If your taco seasoning doesn’t contain any salt, you may want to add 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt.
Make your tortillas easier to work with by covering them with damp paper towels and microwaving for 30 seconds just before filling them.
If you are having trouble keeping the taquitos rolled up, secure them closed by threading a toothpick along the seam.
When pan frying or deep frying, test the oil temperature by dropping a small piece of tortilla in the oil. If it sizzles, the oil is ready.
Storing: Store leftover taquitos in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: Wrap cooled taquitos individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place them in a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Nutrition