These beef taquitos are super easy to make, and perfect as an appetizer or dinner. Lean ground beef is seasoned with a southwestern inspired spice blend and cooked with tomato sauce to make a flavorful and delicious taco filling.
We add shredded cheddar jack cheese and use flour tortillas to roll the taquitos. Then we bake them until they’re hot and crispy. Serve these taquitos with a spicy crema and fresh salsa and watch them disappear.
These beef taquitos get their flavor from a homemade taco seasoning mix. We use just a few simple ingredients that are available in the spice aisle of any supermarket.
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Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon Canola Oil
- 1 pound Ground Sirloin (use the leanest ground beef you can find)
- 1 (8 ounce) Can Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Water
- 20 Small Flour Tortillas
- 1½ cups Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
Make the filling
- Add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and black pepper to a small bowl, stir to combine.
- Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the ground beef. Sprinkle the top with the prepared seasoning mix.
- Start to stir and fold the ground beef to incorporate the seasoning mix. Cook the ground beef until browned. This will take approximately 4-5 minutes. Stir and break up any large pieces of meat with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Now that you’ve browned the ground beef, add the tomato sauce and water to the skillet. I like to add the tomato sauce first, then add the water to the empty can and give it a swirl. That way I get every last drop out.
- Stir the beef and sauce well. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Cook the ground beef for 20 minutes until cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- We also want most of the liquid to cook out. The meat cannot be too wet to make the taquitos. If you have too much liquid, uncover the skillet. It will dry out quickly.
- Take the skillet off the heat and let it cool. Give the ground beef a stir every once in a while to let the steam escape. It will cool quicker.
Before you start building the taquitos preheat the oven to 350°F
Instructions
Place a tortilla wrap on a flat surface. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the ground beef a little off center towards the side closest to you.
Arrange the beef filling in a line so that it’s not mounded. Add a generous pinch of the cheddar jack cheese over the ground beef.
Roll the tortilla tightly, away from you.
Place it seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Some liquid may come out of the taquito during the rolling process, keep a paper towel handy. Repeat until all of the ground beef filling is used up.
Bake the taquitos for about 20-25 minutes until the tortillas are crispy on the outside. Keep an eye on them, check after 15 minutes or so, to gauge the remaining cooking time.
You should get 18-20 delicious beef taquitos. If you like this recipe, try these chicken taquitos that are just as delicious, these shredded chicken tacos, or these beef and bean burritos for easy weeknight dinners.
Serving suggestions
- Make a quick dipping sauce by combining sour cream with your favorite hot sauce.
- Try the taquitos with fresh salsa (our version pico de gallo) or with this tasty restaurant style salsa.
- Serve an assortment of hot sauces so your guests can choose mild, hot, or very hot!
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📖 Recipe
Beef Taquitos
Ingredients
Seasoning Mix
- ½ tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper or to taste
Beef Filling and Taquitos
- 1 tablespoon Canola Oil
- 1 pound Ground Sirloin use the leanest ground beef you can find
- 1 8 ounce Can Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Water
- 20 Small Flour Tortillas
- 1½ cups Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
Instructions
Make the seasoning mix
- Add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and black pepper to a small bowl, stir to combine.
Cook the beef filling
- Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the ground beef and sprinkle the top with the prepared seasoning mix.
- Start to stir and fold the ground beef to incorporate the seasoning mix.
- Cook the beef until browned. This will take approximately 4-5 minutes. Stir and break up any large pieces of meat with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add the tomato sauce and water to the skillet.
- Stir the beef and sauce well. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Cook the ground beef for 20 minutes until cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Let most of the liquid to cook out. The meat cannot be too wet to make the taquitos. If you have too much liquid, uncover the skillet. It will dry out quickly.
- Take the skillet off the heat and let it cool. Give the ground beef a stir every once in a while to let the steam escape. It will cool quicker.
Build the taquitos
- Place a tortilla wrap on a flat surface. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the ground beef a little off center towards the side closest to you. Arrange the beef filling in a line so that it’s not mounded.
- Add a generous pinch of the cheddar jack cheese over the ground beef.
- Roll the tortilla tightly, away from you and place it seam side down on a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper.
- Some liquid may come out of the taquito during the rolling process, keep a paper towel handy. Repeat until all of the ground beef filling is used up.
- Bake the taquitos for about 20-25 minutes until the tortillas are toasty on the outside. Check them after 15 minutes and gauge from there.
Connie
Maybe this last night, turned out good, had leftovers for dinner tonight