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Beef Taquitos

Beef taquitos with golden-brown crispy shells and a melted shredded-cheese filling. Pan-browned, stuffed corn tortillas are fried hot (350°F) until they’re crisp, then served upright with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef filling
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 0.5 white onion
  • 3 garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp chili powder
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
Taquito assembly and frying
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 0.5 cup oil for frying
  • 1 toothpicks optional, to secure rolls
Serving
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.5 cup salsa
  • 0.5 cup guacamole

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the beef filling
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Visual cue: the meat should look crumbly and lightly browned.
  2. Add the minced onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened. Time: 3-5 minutes, visual cue: onion turns translucent and garlic smells fragrant.
  3. Add the cumin and chili powder, then season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, visual cue: spices darken slightly and become aromatic.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted. Visual cue: the filling turns glossy and holds together.
Warm tortillas and roll
  1. Warm the corn tortillas on a griddle to make them pliable. Time: about 20-30 seconds per side, visual cue: tortillas soften and flex without cracking.
  2. Spoon a small amount of beef filling onto each tortilla and roll tightly. Visual cue: each roll should be snug; use a toothpick only if needed to secure it.
Fry until crispy
  1. Heat oil to 350°F in a deep pot or skillet. Visual cue: oil actively shimmers at a steady temperature.
  2. Fry taquitos in batches until golden and crispy, about 1-2 minutes per side. Visual cue: they turn crisp-golden and bubble lightly around the edges.
  3. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Visual cue: you’ll see steam rising from the filling as they’re served upright.
Serve with dips
  1. Serve taquitos with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole for dipping. Visual cue: arrange cups of dips alongside the crispy taquitos.

Notes

Pro tip: keep tortillas warm as you work so they don’t crack when rolling—stack them in a towel as they’re prepared. Refrigerate leftover taquitos in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in an oven or air fryer for best crispness (microwave will soften). Freezing: yes—freeze assembled, uncooked taquitos up to 2 months, then fry from frozen; cooked leftovers freeze up to 1 month. For a lighter option, use low-fat cheese and drain fried taquitos briefly before serving.