Homemade Taquitos
These. Times a million.
NOTE: This is an updated post that was originally published on Macheesmo in 2009 with new photos and a few recipe tweaks.
Superbowl. Sunday. It’s not a holiday exactly, but it kind of is. It ranks up there with Thanksgiving and Christmas as times when it is perfectly acceptable to gorge yourself. In fact, it is expected.
What makes the perfect Superbowl snack? It has to be filling. It has to complement beer. It helps to be able to hold it in your hand (Unless it’s chili. Exceptions are made for chili.)
I’ve made a few things on Macheesmo that I think would qualify as excellent Superbowl snacks. You could try chips, dips, or cream cheese treats or yesterday’s healthy creation.
Oh what’s that? You want wings which apparently there is a shortage of in the US this year? Well, there are a few of those also.
If you want something a bit different though, might I suggest these guys?
Homemade Taquitos
Yield: 25 taquitos (per filling recipe)
Prep Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
30 6 inch corn tortillas (in case you mess a few up)
1 cup neutral oil (I used sunflower oil)
Tomatillo sauce
Sour cream
Beef Filling:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)
1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese (6-8 ounces)
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Veggie Filling:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 green pepper, chopped
1 pound button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
1 jalepeno
- Same assortment of seasonings as above.
Cheater's Guacamole:
2 avocados
1/2 cup salsa
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) For beef filling add oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook for a few minutes until veggies soften. Then add beef and seasonings and continue to cook until beef is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
3) Stir in cilantro and Cotija cheese and remove from heat.
4) For veg filling, add oil to a skillet over medium heat and add mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook until mushrooms loose their moisture and soften. Then add other veggies and cook until soft. Stir in cilantro, cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
5) To make the taquitos add 1/4 cup of neutral oil to a small skillet over medium heat. Add one corn tortilla to the pan and cook for 10 seconds per side. Remove from pan and lay on a clean surface.
6) Spoon two tablespoons of filling into the center of the tortilla and roll it into a tight cylinder. Place rolled taquito on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until all taquitos are made.
7) Bake taquitos for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they are crispy on the outside.
Serve taquitos immediately with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. Leftover taquitos can be reheated in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
The Fillings
I don’t think that these guys are any more work than enchiladas, but they are perfect for something like the Superbowl. You can walk around with them, cheer with them, or hurl them. Plus, each of the filling recipes above will make like 25 taquitos.
There is a beef and vegetarian version in the recipe because vegetarians like football too.
I also used extra salsa and sour cream as dips. Feel free to substitute Greek yogurt for a slightly healthier version.
The fillings are not hard to make. For both, you basically just need to add some oil to a large skillet and then add the onions, garlic, and peppers for the beef version (or the mushrooms for the veggie version).
Cooking the veg.
Make sure you cook down the veggies until they are nice and soft, about 4-5 minutes. For the mushrooms, you’ll need more oil for the pan and cook them until they release their liquid and soften.
For the beef version, once the veggies are soft, add the meat and spices.
Go big on the spices.
Cook this all down until the meat is nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes. Then remove either filling from the heat and stir in cilantro and Cotija cheese. This is my favorite Mexican cheese for recipes like this.
The cheese
You could use other cheeses, but this is honestly the best because it won’t melt all over the place when you bake the taquitos later.
Done deal.
Rolling the Taquitos
Once your fillings are done, you have to roll all of these guys. This is really the only mildly hard part of the recipe. My advice: Give yourself some extra time and extra tortillas, don’t do this in your church clothes, have a beer and relax.
This is the process I used:
Pour 1/4 cup oil into a small skillet and get it warm over medium-low heat. Throw in one tortilla at a time. Cook them literally for about 10 seconds per side. You just want to get them warm, flexible, and coated in oil.
Then, using tongs or maybe a spatula, transfer them to a clean surface, put two tablespoons of your preferred filling directly in the middle, and roll it up.
Here’s my little set up:
Get it?
Don’t worry if some of the filling falls out the ends. That’s to be expected. Assuming your tortilla is nice and flexible, they should roll up nicely.
Rolled
It might look like there’s a lot of oil on that tortilla, and that’s because there is. Get over it. If you skimp on the oil, don’t blame me when your taquitos crack open because the tortillas are too dry.
Put the rolled taquito seam-side down on a baking sheet. Continue until you have them all done!
Done deal.
You want to bake these guys for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The longer you cook them the more crispier they will get. Hint: Crispy is awesome. You could go even longer if you want, but 20 minutes worked for me.
Golden brown and crispy!
While you are waiting you can prepare your dips and clean up a bit so you will be all set when the party arrives.
Ready for kick off.
Who am I rooting for on Sunday?
Tough call. I like both teams equally, but I think I’m gonna be on Team JIM and not Team JOHN. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, it means I want the 49ers to win.
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Baked Tacos, Great Idea!
Can wait to try the recipe next saturday for a brunch.
Thanks.
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I’ve made taquitos plenty of times, but never baked them. Frying’s a bit of a pain, and these days I try and stay away from fried foods. This is a great idea! I’ll give ‘em a try. Thanks!
P.S. Leftover pot roast or other shredded beef makes a great filling, too.
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I have not had taquitos but the look and sound really good!
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My boyfriend loves taquitos, but I die a little on the inside whenever he eats frozen food. I'm totally stoked about trying your recipe out.
Thank you for providing a vegetarian version as well.
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I was domestic for once in my life and made the beef ones for a Superbowl potluck. They were a success!
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Oh, this is so cool: baked taquitos. I’ve been wanting to try making these for some time but have been deterred by the frying. Bookmarked: thanks!
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wow these look fantastico!
damn it, i’ve done it again -
looked at delicious food blogs whilst hungry.
it’s a killer!
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I thought we were the only ones to use Fage 0% instead of sour cream. These taquitos look like a must try..wonder what they would be like with halibut???
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YEAH! I've been searching for a Baked Taquito recipe for quite a while and I finally found you ! (found you through OnceAMonthMom)
Thank you so much for posting these. I can't wait to try them. I'll be they'd be good with guacamole too!
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These are amazing! I added black bean to my meat version which resulted in a huge hit in my house. Thanks for this recipe!
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I made your original recipe a few weeks ago. They were a hit and I love how much easier they were, since I didn’t have to sit frying a bunch.
My husband was suspicious about them being baked, but exclaimed they were my best taquitos ever. I typically use carnitas or pastore meat. I will be trying the meatless version next.
Thank you….
My one complaint was trying to roll up the very hot tortilla… my fingertips hurt for the rest of the night. Do you have a trick?
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Nick replied: — January 31st, 2013 @ 12:51 pm
No pain no gain!!
Haha… You can let them cool slightly before rolling them. After even 15-20 seconds, they will be much cooler and still flexible.
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TaosRob replied: — May 11th, 2013 @ 10:37 am
Do the initial frying to all the tortillas. Just stack them on a plate as each is done. Let the whole stack cool before filling and rolling—they’ll still be flexible. A toothpick helps to hold them in place. Remove oicks after baking.
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Do you think this would work with flour tortillas? My kids don’t like the corn ones.
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Nick replied: — January 31st, 2013 @ 9:07 pm
Heya, I think you could, but I might actually try them skipping the oil step. I think you could just warm up the flour tortillas (use the small ones) and then roll and bake them and I THINK they would hold their shape okay.
Let me know if you try it out. :)
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Jess replied: — May 10th, 2013 @ 5:36 pm
I actually did try it with home-made gluten-free “flour” tortillas (have a wheat allergy in the house). Rolled out the dough, threw them in the oil for about 10 sec. on each side just like in the recipe, and followed the rest of the directions. They turned out AWESOME!!!! My 5-yr.-old (wheat allergy sufferer) gobbled them up! I made 1/2 of them with corn tortillas and 1/2 with the “flour” tortillas, and the flour ones actually disappeared quicker! I also made a few just full of a Mexican cheese blend, and those disappeared just as quick!
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Oh, and do you think you could make these ahead? We’re having a party and being able to do some assembly in advance would make my life easier.
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Nick replied: — January 31st, 2013 @ 9:08 pm
Yes. You can definitely make them ahead. Bake them as in the recipe and then store them in the fridge.
The reheat great in the oven. Just bake them for about 15 minutes to heat them through. I ate mine over many days actually and they were great. Good luck!
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