Homemade Taquitos

These Homemade Taquitos are crispy, delicious, and flavorful. Tender corn tortillas are filled with savory, well-seasoned ground beef and cheese and cooked until crisp on the outside, and gooey on the inside. These rolled tacos are easy to make at home right in your own kitchen — and can be fried or baked!

Serve these beef taquitos warm as an appetizer or as a main dish alongside some fresh guacamole or salsa for lunch or dinner. Your whole family will love them and you'll love how simple they are to prepare. With a recipe like this, you'll never want to order takeout taquitos again!

Why You'll Love these Homemade Taquitos

• Real ingredients. No artificial ingredients or preservatives in these cheesy taquitos. Just beef, hearty spices, real corn tortillas, cheese, and a handful of other wholesome ingredients are all you need to make these delicious beef taquitos.
• Quick and easy to make. This rolled taco recipe is easy to make with just a few simple steps. Cook the beef, season, fill the tortillas, and fry (or bake!). It takes about 10-15 minutes of prep time before they are ready to fry for about 10 minutes total (1-2 minutes per batch).
• The best texture and flavor. These homemade taquitos have the perfect balance of crispy and chewy texture with a tasty beef filling. Plus, they are seasoned with a variety of spices which gives them the best flavor. But you can totally customize the flavor by switching up the ingredients. See all our recipe variations below.
• Freezer-friendly. These homemade beef taquitos are perfect for making ahead for meal prep! They freeze and reheat well and they’re healthier than store-bought freezer taquitos, so you can save time and effort on dinner on a later day by reheating a batch of these from your freezer stash.
• Restaurant quality. These beef taquitos are a perfect dupe for takeout! You’ll never want to buy them from the freezer aisle or order out again once you try this foolproof recipe for restaurant-quality taquitos at home.

Ingredient Notes

To make these delicious Homemade Taquitos, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

Tortillas

• corn tortillas - corn tortillas are the traditional option for taquitos as they hold their shape well and become crispy when fried. If you don’t have small ones available, you can cut large ones in half or just make larger taquitos.

Filling

• vegetable oil - you will need vegetable oil for cooking the beef and for deep frying the taquitos. We used avocado oil but any vegetable oil will work.
• ground beef - if you don’t like red meat, you can also use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of beef.
• onion - white or yellow onion will work best for this recipe, but you can use whatever kind of onion you have on hand.
• garlic - fresh garlic is always the best choice for flavor, but you can also use pre-minced garlic, garlic paste, or garlic granules at a ratio of 1 teaspoon per clove called for in the recipe.
• cheddar cheese - you can also use Monterey jack cheese or a Tex Mex cheese blend that is pre-shredded or freshly grated at home — whatever is more convenient.

Seasoning

• tomato paste - tomato sauce or tomato puree can be used instead at a 1:1 ratio.
• ground cumin - if you don’t have cumin on hand, use a taco seasoning mix.
• chili powder - chili powder can be substituted for a pinch of cayenne.
• paprika - if you need a swap for paprika, increase the amount of chili powder in the recipe.
• oregano - you can use fresh oregano for a stronger flavor or swap it with dried basil or parsley.
• salt and pepper

Toppings

• optional toppings - serve with your favorite toppings and sides such as sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole, and cilantro.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a skillet, toothpicks, and a cooking pot (if frying) or sheet pan (if baking).

How to Make the Best Homemade Taquitos

First, make the cheesy beef filling.

1. Cook beef. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and stir well to cook until browned evenly, about 6-8 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the beef into small pieces to help even browning.
2. Add aromatics. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes.

3. Add seasoning. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well until evenly distributed and combined.

4. Add cheese. Turn off the heat and stir in cheese. Mix well until the cheese has melted.

Next, assemble the taquitos.

1. Warm the tortillas. Microwave the corn tortillas for 30 seconds until softened (this will make them pliable and more easy to work with). You can also warm the tortillas on a large skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds on each side.
2. Assemble. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the beef mixture down the centre of each tortilla and tightly roll it up. 
3. Secure. Secure it tightly by threading a toothpick lengthwise along the seam in the middle of the rolled taquitos.

Finally, cook the taquitos.

You can cook the taquitos by frying them or baking in the oven.

How to Fry Taquitos

1. Heat the oil. In a medium cooking pot, add enough oil to cover it at least 2-inches deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the oil is shimmering hot. You can test if the oil is hot enough by placing a small piece of tortilla in the hot oil. If it sizzles, it is ready.
2. Fry. Deep fry the sealed taquitos in batches (about 2-3 pieces each time) until golden brown on all sides, about 1-2 minutes. Rotate the taquitos during cooking to get an even golden crust on all sides.

3. Cool. Transfer the taquitos onto a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil. Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve the taquitos with your favorite toppings such as a drizzle of sour cream, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and cotija cheese. It also pairs well with pico de gallo and guacamole on the side.

How to Serve

Beef Taquitos are delicious served on their own as an appetizer with a dipping sauce like guacamole, queso, or mango salsa, or pair them with some delicious Mexican side dishes including:

• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Refried Beans
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Sheet Pan Nachos
• Grilled Corn on the Cob

For more, see our collection of 25 Mexican Side Dishes.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Store leftover taquitos in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

How to Reheat

Reheat taquitos in a 350F preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or in the air fryer at 350F for 3-5 minutes until warm and crispy. Make sure to check the taquitos while reheating to avoid burning or overcooking them.

How to Freeze

Arrange the taquitos on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 1-2 hours or until frozen solid. Transfer the frozen taquitos to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen in the oven at 400℉ for 12-15 minutes, or in the air fryer at 400F for 8-10 minutes.

More Mexican Recipes with Tortillas

• 30 Mexican Recipes
• Baked Chicken Quesadillas
• Ground Beef Tacos
• Shrimp Fajitas
• Cheese Quesadilla
• Tortilla Strips

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