Description
Crispy Cheesy Beef Taquitos are golden, crunchy bites with seasoned ground beef and melty cheese rolled in corn tortillas, then baked or fried to a perfect crisp.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- 20 small corn tortillas
- Cooking spray or oil, for baking or frying
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or heat oil in a skillet if frying.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Warm tortillas briefly so they’re pliable.
- Spoon beef mixture onto each tortilla, top with cheese, and roll tightly.
- Place taquitos seam-side down on the baking sheet and lightly spray with oil.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, turning once, until golden and crispy.
- Serve warm with sour cream or salsa for dipping.
Notes
- For extra crisp, bake on a rack or use a convection setting if available.
- To make ahead, freeze assembled taquitos before baking and bake from frozen, adding 5–7 extra minutes.
- Warm tortillas briefly to prevent cracking and tearing.
- Use low-fat cheese if desired for a lighter version.
- If frying, maintain oil temperature at 325–350°F (165–175°C).
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking and Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taquito
- Calories: ~160
- Sugar: 0-1 g
- Sodium: ~150 mg
- Fat: ~9 g
- Saturated Fat: ~4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ~5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: ~12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: ~6 g
- Cholesterol: ~20 mg
Keywords: Crispy Cheesy Beef Taquitos, taquitos, beef taquitos, crispy taquitos, cheesy taquitos, Mexican taquitos, appetizer, game day snack