Description
Delicious and healthier shredded beef taquitos baked to crispy perfection. This recipe features tender, seasoned Mexican shredded beef mixed with green chiles and melted cheese, wrapped in corn tortillas and baked until golden and crunchy. Perfect for a tasty snack or party appetizer, served with guacamole, hot sauce, or your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Beef Filling
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 2 cups Mexican shredded beef, drained
- 4 ounces canned green chiles, un-drained (fire roasted recommended)
- 2 cups finely shredded cheese (about 4 ounces, Monterey cheese used)
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Taquitos
- 20 corn tortillas
- Oil cooking spray (or oil for brushing on)
Instructions
- Prepare the Shredded Beef Filling: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add minced onions and cook for about 2 minutes until softened. Add the shredded beef, canned green chiles (with liquid), and salt. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture reduces slightly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Once cooled, stir in the shredded cheese until evenly combined.
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and prepare an extra-large baking sheet by lining it with foil. Generously spray the foil with cooking spray or brush with oil to prevent sticking.
- Soften the Tortillas: Arrange 12 tortillas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the tops of the tortillas liberally with cooking spray or brush with oil evenly. Bake them for 4 minutes to soften and make them pliable for rolling.
- Stack and Flip Tortillas: Remove the softened tortillas from the oven and stack them on top of each other. Flip the stack so the sprayed sides face down. This stacking method keeps tortillas soft and prevents drying while you fill them.
- Fill and Roll the Taquitos: Place about 2 heaping tablespoons of the shredded beef mixture near the bottom third of each tortilla. Using a tight rolling motion, roll the tortilla over the filling to form a taquito. Place each rolled taquito seam side down on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between each.
- Bake the Taquitos – First Side: If desired, lightly spritz the unbaked sides of the taquitos with cooking spray for extra crispiness. Bake the taquitos for 15 minutes until they begin to brown and crisp on the bottom.
- Flip and Bake – Second Side: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully flip all taquitos over. Return them to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the taquitos are lightly browned all over and crispy.
- Repeat with Remaining Tortillas: Repeat the softening, filling, rolling, and baking process with the remaining tortillas and filling. Alternatively, you can soften all tortillas at once and bake all taquitos together, baking in batches if your baking sheet isn’t large enough.
- Serve: Serve your baked shredded beef taquitos warm with homemade guacamole, hot sauce, or your favorite toppings such as shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, extra cheese, and healthy Mexican crema. Enjoy these crispy, satisfying taquitos as a perfect snack or party appetizer!
Notes
- To save time, you can skip the step of cooking down the shredded beef mixture and use it as is. However, cooking helps evaporate excess liquid and concentrates flavors.
- Using fire roasted green chiles adds a smoky depth to the filling.
- Spraying tortillas with oil before baking ensures they crisp up nicely without frying.
- Store leftover taquitos in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven to maintain crispiness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
