These easy Beef Taquitos are stuffed with beef and cheese and air fried or baked until incredibly crispy. Serve these taquitos for appetizers or a fun dinner!
Homemade taquitos filled with ground beef, cheese and refried beans then air fried or oven baked until super crispy. I mean, what could be better? We love serving these taquitos with our Homemade Guacamole and this fresh, Homemade Pico de Gallo!
The Best Beef Taquitos
Ok, we know that’s a pretty big claim but we really do think that these are the BEST Beef Taquitos! First of all, the flavor is literally to die for. You could eat the beef and bean filling with some tortilla chips and call it a day. Or just with a spoon. It’s that good.
Second of all, we’re using our air fryer (or the oven) to make these taquitos and I’m telling you, there’s really no need to ever fry them. The air fryer makes these taquitos SO incredibly crispy you won’t believe it.
Because I was skeptical…and now I’m a believer. Using the oven will also make a crispy taquito, cooking at a high temperature and using an olive oil spray on top. Grab your toppings and let’s get the fiesta started!
How To Make Taquitos
Start by making the beef, cheese and refried bean filling. Once the filling is done, let it cool slightly and then start rolling the taquitos. We’re using whole wheat tortillas because we love the nutty flavor that they add to these beef taquitos, but you can use flour tortillas also.
Place a tortilla on a board and add the filling (about 3 heaping tablespoons) in a line going across the tortilla.
Fold the bottom of the tortilla up and over the filling, tucking in the filling as you roll to make a tight roll around the filling. Place the taquito on the board, seam side down and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Some recipes call for using a toothpick to keep the taquito together, which would be necessary if you were frying but because we’re using an air fryer or oven, placing them seam side down will keep them together.
Instructions For Using An Air Fryer To Make These Taquitos:
- Preheat your air fryer (if needed) to 400 degrees. Spray the racks or bin of the air fryer with cooking spray. Add the taquitos in a single layer and then spray the tops with an olive oil or canola oil cooking spray.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy. Repeat with the remaining taquitos if needed.
Instructions For Using The Oven To Make These Taquitos:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place the taquitos in a single layer on the baking sheet and then spray the tops with an olive oil or canola oil spray.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
Both cooking methods will result in super crispy taquitos and let’s face it, it’s a lot better for you than deep frying! Using whole wheat tortillas and not frying these homemade taquitos means that we can enjoy them much more often!
What Substitutions Can I Make For These Homemade Taquitos?
- Use ground turkey instead of ground beef, or leave out the meat and add more beans and vegetables to the filling for a vegetarian option
- Swap out flour tortillas instead of whole wheat. Corn tortillas will work too but they are more difficult to roll without breaking so you need to warm them first
- Add different cheeses like Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack in the filling
- Add pickled jalapeños, sriracha or hot sauce to make these taquitos spicy!
Definitely play around with the filling to make these homemade taquitos the way you like them! This recipe is our favorite flavor combination, and our boys literally will eat them until they are gone!
How Do You Reheat Baked Taquitos?
Using the microwave will get the job done, but the tortilla won’t be crispy. Reheating these taquitos in the oven is the best bet for getting the tortilla crispy again. Of course, the air fryer is going to work well, too, either method will yield a crispy shell.
Place the taquitos on a baking sheet and reheat at 400 for about 5 minutes. Turn the taquitos over and cook another 2-3 minutes until the filling is warmed through. If the tortillas start to get too browned, you can cover them with foil.
Looking For More Tex-Mex Recipes?
- Honey Mustard Pulled Pork Taquitos
- Homemade Ground Beef Tacos
- Pan Fried Beef Tacos
- Chicken Enchilada Quesadillas
- Taco Egg Rolls
- Loaded Taco Pie
Beef Taquitos
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeThese easy Beef Taquitos are stuffed with beef and cheese and air fried or baked until incredibly crispy. Serve these taquitos for appetizers or a fun dinner!
Ingredients
- 12 small whole wheat or flour tortillas
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or canola oil
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup refried beans
- 4.5 ounce can chopped green chiles
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Guacamole, sour cream and fresh salsa or pico de gallo for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If using an air fryer, the cooking temperature will also be 400 degrees.
- Make the beef filling by adding the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the beef and then drain off any drippings from the pan. Add the onion, garlic and salt and cook for 5 minutes until the onion has softened.
- Stir the refried beans, chiles and cheese into the beef, turn off the heat and let the filling cool slightly.
- Place a tortilla on a cutting board and add about 3 heaping tablespoons of the beef filling in a line across the tortilla. The filling should sit slightly on the bottom half of the tortilla.
- Roll the tortilla over the filling, tucking as you go to make a tight roll. Place on the board seam side down and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer (if needed) to 400 degrees. Spray the racks or bin of the air fryer with cooking spray. Add the taquitos in a single layer, seam side down, and then spray the tops with an olive oil or canola oil cooking spray.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy. Repeat with the remaining taquitos if needed.
Oven Instructions:
- Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place the taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet and then spray the tops with an olive oil or canola oil spray.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
Recipe Notes
To reheat leftover taquitos, bake in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, then turn the taquitos over and cook another 2-3 minutes until the filling is warmed through.
This recipe makes 12 taquitos, 2 taquitos per person for appetizers.
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Oven / Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American / Tex-Mex
Keywords: taquitos, baked taquitos, beef taquitos, air fryer recipes, game day food, ground beef recipes
