Shredded Beef Taquitos are simple to make and such a crowd-pleaser. With a tender shredded beef and crunchy corn tortilla shell, these baked taquitos are perfect for dipping into salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.
Serve these easy rolled tacos alongside Homemade Refried Beans and Mexican Rice for the ultimate homemade meal that’s sure to please everyone at the table. They are a great kid friendly meal.
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Growing up in Southern California, I had fairly easy access to great Mexican food. When I was little, before widespread drive-thru restaurants, there was a little taco stand in our town called Hi-Chic that served taquitos. I loved ordering two taquitos and a side of their very cold, probably had been frozen, guacamole. So good!
Hi-Chic is no longer in business, but that’s okay. Especially when I can make my own Beef Taquitos at home.
Why Make This
They’re so good! Seriously, it will be hard to eat just one of these tasty Beef Taquitos, so be sure to make an extra batch of this beef taquitos recipe or to freeze some for later.
They’re better than most you can buy. It’s rare to get freshly made taquitos, even at a taco stand, because they’re easy to freeze. These are so good and so fresh. You’ll be dining in from now on!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make homemade Beef Taquitos:
corn tortillas – To make your taquitos gluten free, be sure to use corn tortillas. These some in a few different sizes, so keep in mind that the recipe yield may vary depending on what size tortillas you use.
oil – You’ll need to soften the tortillas in hot vegetable oil. I like to use avocado oil, but you can use whatever oil you normally use.
shredded beef filling – This beef filling is easily cooked in the slow cooker or instant pot, made with chuck roast, onion, chili powder, and chopped green chiles.
Variations
These are pretty simple and straight forward beef taquitos, but if you like, you can change things up in a number of ways:
- Use flour tortillas instead of corn.
- Substitute browned lean ground beef for the shredded in the filling for ground beef taquitos.
- For cheesy beef taquitos, add shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese to the filling or even some Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip.
- If you’d like to make meatless taquitos, you can substitute refried beans and shredded cheese for the Mexican shredded beef filling.
- Be sure to try our Chicken Flautas for a fun option, too.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Using tongs, fry tortillas in hot oil until softened. Drain on paper toweling.
- Assemble the taquitos by rolling about 1-2 Tablespoons of filling tightly into each tortilla. Secure with a toothpick and set on a baking sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 475°. Bake for about 10-20 minutes, turning at least once, until golden brown.
- Remove toothpicks. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. reheat them in the oven or air fryer.
To freeze: Once the taquitos are rolled, place the tray in the freezer and flash freeze until firm, but not so firm that you can’t remove the toothpick. If the toothpick gets stuck, that’s fine, but you won’t be able to store them as compactly in your freezer container. Once frozen, remove the toothpicks and pack into freezer containers and store in the freezer.
To bake from frozen: place taquitos seam side down on tray and bake at 475° for up to 25 minutes. Check for crispness.
FAQs
A taquito is a rolled taco, also called flauta that is a rolled tortilla filled with meat, cheese, or beans and then fried crisp.
Beef taquitos are naturally gluten free if you use corn tortillas.
You can dip them in sour cream, guacamole, or salsa.
More Great Mexican Recipes to Make
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Beef Taquitos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 dozen corn tortillas
- oil for frying the tortillas
- 2 cup shredded beef filling
Instructions
- In medium skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Using tongs, fry tortillas in hot oil until softened. Drain on paper toweling.
- Assemble taquitos by rolling about 1-2 Tablespoons of filling tightly into each tortilla. Secure with a toothpick and set on a tray.
- If freezing, flash freeze until firm, but not so firm that you can’t remove the toothpick. If the toothpick gets stuck, that’s fine, but you won’t be able to store them as compactly in your freezer container. Once frozen, pack into freezer containers and store in the freezer.
- If baking right away, leave the toothpicks in, and pop into a preheated 475° oven. Bake for about 10-20 minutes, turning at least once.
- If baking from frozen, place taquitos seam side down on tray and bake at 475° for up to 25 minutes. Check for crispness.
- Remove toothpicks. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on August 20, 2010. It has been updated for content and clarity.
KathyJ
My Mexican neighbor makes these all the time with chicken, but calls them flautas.
Instead of toothpicks she makes a paste of flour and water to seal the roll ups.
Jessica Fisher
Thanks for the tip!
Dennise
Has anyone microwaved these from frozen? Should I bake them first then freeze?
I’ve been buying frozen ones for my son to heat and eat for snacks. I doubt he will want to wait the 25+min needed to heat oven and bake ?
Lisa Jennings
So much for the perfect “in memory” meal for our daughter who passed away unexpectedly 6 years ago 3 weeks before her due date. After how the rest of today has gone with one disaster after another I should have known dinner would turn out the same. Baking these from frozen was a complete fail. We have an oven thermometer so I know it was not the oven getting too hot.I checked at the 10 minute mark and several had unrolled. All of them were quite dark and the meat was not fully heated through in some. Going to salvage what we can and hubby is heating more at a lower temp. They too are coming unrolled even though they are seam side down.
Jessica Fisher
Lisa, I’m so sorry they didn’t work out for you. Usually, I can’t get the toothpick out once frozen, so I often bake with the toothpicks in.
More importantly, I’m sorry for your loss. I lost three babies. It’s very hard. I hope that the evening ends better after what sounds like a very hard day.
Holly
Have you ever made these with chicken and flour tortillas? That’s our preference, and I’d love to make them homemade!
Jessica
@Holly, yes, you can do that. Just watch the baking time in case they brown more quickly than corn.
Kelly
Well, I didn’t follow your recipe, but I did follow the method! I used ground turkey seasoned with my taco seasoning inside. They turned out just crispy enough! They taste so much like the taquitos we got out of the freezer case as a kid, but I actually know what’s in them and can make them as healthy as I want! I’m going to try freezing them next time I make a batch!
Jessica
@Kelly, so glad you enjoyed them, even if your filling was different.
Nicole
I made these for dinner last night & froze some too. They were a hit w/ all but a certain 7 yr old. Yummy!
Kristen
ok, thanks! always like to use olive oil for health benefits, but haven’t ever fried in it.
Kristen
hi there…love this recipe! just wondering what kind of oil you used to fry the corn torillas? thanks!
Jessica
I use whatever I have: peanut, olive, or canola.
Malisa
Hi Jessica,
I was wondering how to prevent the corn tortillas from breaking apart? I followed your recipe for the crockpot shredded beef and then this recipe for the inside of the taquitos, when I started rolling the tortillas, they crumbled. I didn’t think I had to fry them…was this the problem? Thank you in advance for your help! I love both of your sites.
Jessica
Yes, you have to soften them in hot oil. Corn tortillas are very unforgiving.
Brad
You microwave them just like flour tortillas. Try a minute for a dozen.
Sharon @ UnfinishedMom
Finally! Yeah. I’ve been waiting for your taquito recipe for a long time. I’m so glad you’ve finally perfected it. Thank you. I can’t wait till chuck roast goes on sale again and I can make some.
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Oh, these are so cute! They are SO fattening in restaurants or in the frozen food aisle but these look SO much better! Thanks!
AllieZirkle
Yay! The taquito post I’ve been waiting for!!! We regularly have corn tortillas on hand that go to waste. I’m looking forward to trying this out. I always warmed the tortillas on the grill, but I never thought to fry them. Perfect!
Emily
I was just looking on your site for a taquito recipe the other day and was disappointed not to find one, so thanks for posting! can’t wait to try them! 🙂
Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect
I don’t have a special taquito memory. Actually, they usually seem too bland to me. That’s why I love that you added green chilies to yours! I may have to try this out! Thank you for sharing!!
Tracy Martin
Ever since you posted about your geezers cooking I’ve been dreaming of taquitos! Thanks for the recipe!
Tracy Martin
Haha, “geezers cooking” funny typo!!! Freezer cooking!!!
Jessica
well, I didn’t catch that one! That’s what you get for typing with a toddler on your lap.
Nancy
My youngest daughter loves taquitos. She would always request them while we were shopping the frozen aisle. Very, very rarely did I buy them but she had a friend whose mother always had them in the freezer. Can you guess what the meal of choice was when she was at their house? Anyway, I eventually found a recipe I liked for homemade taquitos. Now that is the variety she prefers! Like you, I make a big batch and freeze them. They’re great for an easy lunch or a quick dinner when she’s on her own.
Jessica
I would love to see your recipe!
Nancy
i’ll email it to you later this week.
Cindy
@Jessica,
I’d like to see your recipe too! I love taquitos!
Susan
This is going on next week’s meal plan – thanks!