Classic Ground Beef Taquitos

When I want to indulge at a Mexican fast food restaurant, I get an order of your Classic Ground Beef Taquitos.

I only make these at home every once in a while because they would be gone in two seconds FLAT. Not only that, but I don’t like the smell of fried food in my home. It seems to linger for days…

Then football season comes around, I take out my fat girl pants, and I get my grub on!

How To Make Beef Taquitos

Making this dish should NOT be a chore. Chores are for 9-year-olds, not busy people like you and me.
I’m going to give you some shortcuts on how to prepare the meat for your Classic Ground Beef Taquitos.

• Tip 1: Got leftover ground beef? Add it to a pan with tomato molcajete salsa (or your favorite red salsa). Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Tip 2: Got uncooked ground beef? Cook it. Drain it. Add your favorite salsa. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Tip 3: Got no ground beef, but you’re looking for mouthwatering food pictures? Keep scrolling! 😀

Now you are halfway to eating some taquitos without visiting your amigos at the Mexican restaurant down the street.

• These are beef and cheese taquitos. You can make these only beef and omit the cheese.

You want to use corn tortillas for your homemade Beef Taquitos.

Unfortunately, they don’t fold very easily. I think it’s something in the way they are processed.

• To make the tortilla pliable, you have to nuke them for 30 seconds in the microwave.
• Or if you don’t believe in microwaves, stick them in a warm oven for a few minutes.

If you don’t warm them up, the tortilla will break on you. This will making rolling the taquitos very difficult. No bueno!

How to Roll Taquitos

You need toothpicks. Remember when you were a kid, and they would hand them out at restaurants? Nowadays, I hardly ever see them.

I only use them when I am rolling up Ground Beef Taquitos. Once they are cooked, don’t forget to take them out, or someone could get hurt.

All that is left now is to fry them for a few minutes on each side, and hit the gym … TOMORROW. 😉

For Oven Taquitos:
If you are not interested in frying the taquitos, you can put them in the oven. 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

For Chicken Taquitos or Turkey Taquitos:
I know there are some of you who do not eat red meat.

Instead, you can use ground chicken or leftover Thanksgiving turkey and follow the same procedure.

What kinds of oils are good for frying?

• Peanut oil
• Soybean oil
• Canola oil
• Vegetable oil

I used canola oil to fry the Classic Ground Beef Taquitos.

What kinds of healthy oils can you use for frying?

Extra light olive oil and sunflower oil are excellent oils. They have unsaturated fats for a heart healthy diet and a high smoke point perfect for frying.

How to Freeze Beef Taquitos

• Bake or fry the taquitos as normal. Let them cool.
• Place them in a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and freeze.
• To reheat, wrap the taquitos in a paper towel. Microwave for 1 minute. They will not be very crunchy.
• The best way to reheat taquitos is by placing them in an oven at 375 F for 15 minutes.

Fully cooked, taquitos last 3-4 days in the fridge.
Fully cooked, taquitos last up to 3 months in the freezer.

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Taquitos Vs. Flautas
Basically, they are the same thing.

My family is from Durango, Mexico. It’s a northern state. I grew up thinking:

Then, I started traveling around Mexico and learned that some people called taquitos “flautas.” Trust me, I was very confused.

What I do nowadays is if I see the word “taquitos” or “flautas” on a menu, I ask what type of tortilla they are using: corn or flour?

I also ask what part of Mexico they are from. I’m always curious to see what people call their foods in different regions.

What are rolled tacos?
This is another name for taquitos or flautas. Rolled tacos, taquitos, flautas, they are all the same thing.

Simply put, Ground Beef Taquitos are delicious. Serve with guacamole or more Mexican red salsa. Hope you enjoy.

Classic Ground Beef Taquitos

Classic Ground Beef Taquitos. Dip this crunchy and delicious Mexican appetizer into salsa or guacamole, and it’s like a piñata breaking in your mouth. 

4.94 from 31 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes

Total Time: 38 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 94kcal

Author: Maggie Unzueta

Equipment

• ▢
  toothpicks

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ lb ground beef
• ▢ ½ cup salsa (of your choice)
• ▢ 1 dozen corn tortillas
• ▢ ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢ 2 cups oil
• ▢ More salsa optional
• ▢ Guacamole optional

Instructions

• Cook ground beef, drain, and return to pan with your favorite salsa.
• Let simmer for 5 minutes. Then remove from heat.
• Warm tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds.
• Add a spoonful of ground beef to the tortilla.
• Add shredded cheese.
• Roll up and tie with a toothpick, as shown in picture above.
• Set aside. Repeat.
• Heat oil in a pan.
• Fry taquitos 3-minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
• Drain on a paper towel.
• Serve with salsa and/ or guacamole.
• NOTE: Do not overcrowd the pan, or they will not cook properly.

Video

Notes

To heat tortillas:

• To make the tortilla pliable, you have to nuke them for 30 seconds in the microwave.
• Or if you don’t believe in microwaves, stick them in a warm oven for a few minutes.

For Oven Taquitos:
If you are not interested in frying the taquitos, you can put them in the oven. 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!

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