This may be blasphemous to say, but I’m not a big fan of Mexican food. I love Chipotle burritos, which I realize are very Americanized and are not really Mexican burritos at all. Other than that, if it’s Mexican but it’s not fried, I probably won’t like it. I used to love tamales and enchiladas, but something in my taste buds changed a while ago, so now I really only like taquitos, flautas, tacos, and nachos.
These taquitos are baked, so they’re healthier than their fried counterparts but still have the tasty crunch necessary for taquitos. I’ve made these multiple times over the last couple of months, and doubled it last time so I could save them in the freezer. They’re a perfect quick lunch or dinner, or even a snack! And if you love taquitos, make sure to try these baked creamy chicken taquitos. It never hurts to have variety in your freezer!
Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos
Note: Leftover beef can be used from pot roast or other slow cooked beef, as long as the seasoning isn’t overly strong. Also, chipotle chili powder can be used in place of the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, just add a little to start and increase to taste.
1½ to 2 pounds beef chuck pot roast
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
½ teaspoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
3 teaspoons adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
zest from one lime
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
12 ounces cheese (Queso Fresco or sharp cheddar cheese), crumbled
20 to 25 6-inch white corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Kosher salt
Place beef roast and 1 cup water in a 5-quart slow cooker, fat side down. Sprinkle the packet of taco seasoning on top of the roast. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. When meat is cooked and tender, remove the roast and use 2 forks to shred the meat; shredded beef should total about 3 cups. Slice any larger pieces of roast across the grain so the beef is shredded into ½ to 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
To prepare chipotle peppers, slit the pepper open. Remove the seeds either by scraping carefully with a knife or running the open pepper under a slow stream of water until the seeds have been rinsed away.
In a small bowl, combine chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, chili powder, lime zest, and lime juice; whisk well. Pour over the beef and gently toss to coat.
Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. Working with one tortilla at a time, crumble about 1 tablespoon cheese in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top with 1 to 2 tablespoons shredded beef mixture. Tightly roll and place seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Continue to roll until all of the tortillas are filled, reheating more tortillas as needed.
Lightly spray the top of each taquito with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Serve warm with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
To freeze: Prepare taquitos through spraying with cooking spray and sprinkling with salt. Lay taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet, lightly spaced out and place in freezer. Once frozen, store in freezer bags. Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
Source: Adapted from Our Best Bites
A Dash of Sugar and Spice 
Delicious – little crispy, cheesy wraps of awesomeness. I love Mexican food so much, this looks like a wonderful twist on a classic! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Agreed. 🙂
Stefanie- thanks for sharing the idea of baking the taquitos. It looks just as good as the typical frying method. I’d probably double the recipe too (like you mentioned) to store extra in the freezer. Thanks for sharing!
Allison
The taquitos look fantastic! I have never seen anything like this. Baking instead of frying makes the whole recipe suddenly even more appealing 🙂
I must admit that I don’t know much about the Mexican cuisine… I only remember once talking to a Mexican woman, who told me most of what I see in Mexican restaurants is not real Mexican cuisine, but rather “Tex-Mex”.
This is a great idea to send in my little guy’s lunch! They look so delicious. While I do love my Mexican food…I have an even greater love for Chipotle burritos as well too. 😉
Hi Stefanie, what a nice recipe. I do like mexican food, so I will try these good looking fellas. Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE mexican food and all the different chillies they have.. Chiplote is such a great ingredient…Delicious recipe!