These Chipotle Ground Beef Taquitos are an affordable and fun dinner that tastes so much better than store-bought!
There are only a handful of dishes that are super nostalgic for me and taquitos are one of them. These Chipotle Ground Beef Taquitos are basically the grown-up version of the frozen convenience food we all grew up on in the ’90s.
For those with a Mexican heritage, these babies are probably even more nostalgic for you. There’s some debate between what’s considered a taquito and what’s a flauta, but essentially they’re interchangeable with one another, to my understanding.
According to The Kitchn, flautas are rolled tacos that are fried until golden and crispy. Their name is said to hail from the Spanish word for flute, and they can be found in most restaurants throughout Mexico. Some people also call taquitos, tacos dorados.
While these weren’t common fare in our house growing up, they were at my grandparent’s house. To this day, when I taste the crispy end of a corn tortilla, I think of spending the weekend at their house or camping in their RV, where frozen taquitos were a staple. For this reason, I prefer to use corn tortillas when I make them at home, but you can use whatever you like!
I love these Chipotle Ground Beef Taquitos because they’re crispy, flavorful, and absurdly easy to make. They’re great to use leftover meat in and these little roll-ups only require 5 ingredients! Whether you gobble them up as a simple appetizer or fun interactive weeknight dinner, these are going to be a new staple in your house.
Ingredients & Subs
- Ground Beef — Ground chicken or turkey would work but I recommend using a mix of light and dark meat as ground breasts can be a bit dry. Shredded chicken is also amazing! Shred up a rotisserie chicken and follow all the same directions. You’ll just need about 3 cups of meat.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce — You can find these at any grocery store in the Latin section. I always have them in a container in the freezer so I can use a couple as I need them. 2 makes a pretty decent heat level but you can use more or some of the adobo sauce that they’re packed in if you want more heat!
- Shredded cheddar cheese — I like to shred my own for optimal meltiness, but bagged is fine as well. You can use any cheese you like, a Mexican blend, Monterey jack, or pepper jack would also be great!
- Corn tortillas — You’re welcome to use any kind of tortilla you want. A lot of people prefer flour because of that buttery fluffy texture and they’re easier to work with, but I just love the corn flavor for these. You could also use a low carb tortilla but I would keep a closer eye on them in the oven.
- Canola oil — Avocado oil would work well or any oil spray as well!
Toppings
Pico de Gallo, Shredded lettuce, Lime, Cilantro, Avocado Crema, Guac or Sour Cream, Queso, Cotija cheese. Basically, anything you’d like on your nachos!
How to store
Leftover taquitos can be refrigerated up to 4 days; reheat in a 300ºF oven until warm and crispy. Before freezing, allow the taquitos to cool to room temperature after baking. Then place them in a single layer in a freezer bag and lay flat in your freezer until completely frozen.
To microwave the frozen taquitos, place up to 6 on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 2-4 minutes. Check them after two minutes and if they’re not done in the middle just add another minute until fully heated.
I’d highly recommend reheating them in the oven if you have time. Place frozen taquitos on a baking sheet and bake at 450ºF for 10 minutes or so, checking every few minutes until they’re warmed through.
🔥Hot Tip🔥
Warm the tortillas to keep them from cracking. Especially if you’re using corn tortillas, this is almost necessary to keep them from cracking as you roll. I didn’t heed my own advice the first couple attempts at rolling and I ended up very frustrated. I like to heat a few at a time in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for like 10-15 seconds. The silver lining is that I ended up frying my broken tortillas to make some epic chips.
Be sure not to overstuff the tortillas. Start out with a little less filling than you think and adjust if necessary. You don’t want the filling spilling out of the sides and too much will encourage cracking. Secure your flautas using toothpicks and you’re good to go!
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love!
Creamy Black Bean Green Chile Dip
Tex-Mex Freezer Breakfast Burritos
Crispy Beer Battered Fish Tacos
I hope you enjoy this recipe! Take a browse around the site and please let me know if you make anything by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or requests!
Chipotle Ground Beef Taquitos
These Chipotle Ground Beef Taquitos are an affordable and fun dinner that tastes so much better than store-bought!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, browned, c
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced fine
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 7- inch corn tortilla
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- Creamy Avocado Salsa Verde (recipe here)
- Pico de Gallo, Shredded lettuce, Lime, Cilantro, Avocado Crema, Guac or Sour Cream, to serve, if desired
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ground beef with the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce until well combined. If you like it spicier, add a bit of the adobo sauce that the peppers come packed in.
- To assemble, lay your tortilla on a work surface and fill the bottom third of each tortilla with 1/3 cup of the beef mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese. It helps if your tortillas are a bit warm so you may want to microwave them for about 10 seconds. Roll the tortillas up tightly and secure the end with a toothpick inserted into the seam.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the taquitos on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil, and brush or spray with canola oil.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp then transfer to a plate.
- To serve, remove the toothpicks from the taquitos and serve with Pico de Gallo, Shredded lettuce, Lime, Cilantro, Avocado Crema, Guac, or Sour Cream.
Notes
To Fry:
Pour enough canola oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to cover 1/2 inch, or so enough oil reaches halfway up the sides of the tortillas when frying, about 2-3 cups. Heat the oil to 350°F.
Add the filled tortillas to the hot oil and cook in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Fry each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer to a plate or lined with paper towels to drain.
