Crispy Beef Taquitos
Rolled tight, sprayed with oil, and shatteringly crisp in 10 minutes.
Kit that makes this foolproof
A few inexpensive bits that get you crispier results with less mess.
A roomy air fryer
A larger basket means fewer batches and crispier results.
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Perforated liners
Less sticking and mess, without blocking the airflow.
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Silicone tongs
Turn and lift without scratching the non-stick basket.
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Before You Start
Taquitos are usually deep fried, which is a lot of oil for something you eat three of. The air fryer gets the same blistered, crackly tortilla with a spray. The trick nobody mentions is warming the tortillas first: cold corn tortillas split down the middle the second you roll them.
Instructions
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1
Fry the onion in a little oil until soft, add the beef and break it up. Cook until no pink remains and the water has boiled off, about 8 minutes.
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2
Stir in the garlic powder, cumin, paprika, tomato paste and salt. Cook 2 minutes more, then take it off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Stir the cheese through.
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3
Warm the tortillas: 30 seconds in the microwave under a damp towel, or 10 seconds each in a dry pan. Pliable tortillas roll, cold ones crack.
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4
Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling in a line down each tortilla, roll it up tight, and set it seam side down so it holds.
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5
Spray the taquitos all over with oil and lay them in the basket seam down, in a single layer with a little space between. Two batches is normal.
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6
Air fry at 200°C / 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes until deep golden and blistered. They crisp further as they cool for a minute.
♨️ Air fryer notes
- Cook at 200°C / 400°F and preheat for 2 to 3 minutes for the crispiest result.
- Keep everything in a single layer with space around each piece. Overcrowding steams food instead of crisping it, so cook in batches if your basket is small.
- Shake or turn halfway, and check a few minutes early, since air fryers cook faster than ovens and every model runs slightly differently.
💡 Cook's tips
- Seam side down, always. It is the only thing stopping them unrolling in the basket, and it welds shut in the first minute.
- Let the filling cool before rolling. Steaming hot filling softens the tortilla from the inside and you lose the crunch.
🔀 Make it your own
- Swap the beef for shredded chicken or black beans and sweetcorn for a vegetarian version.
- Flour tortillas work and do not need warming, but they bubble rather than shatter. Corn gives the better crunch.
📦 Storing & reheating
Fridge for 3 days. Re-crisp at 190°C for 4 minutes, never the microwave, which turns them leathery. Freeze rolled and uncooked for 2 months, then cook from frozen for 13 minutes.
❓ Frequently asked
Why do my taquitos unroll in the air fryer?
They were placed seam side up, or overfilled. Roll tight with 2 tablespoons of filling, place seam down, and the first minute of heat seals them shut.
Do I need to soften corn tortillas before rolling?
Yes. Cold corn tortillas crack along the fold. Thirty seconds in the microwave under a damp towel makes them flexible enough to roll without splitting.
Adapting your own recipe? Use the oven to air fryer converter for temp and time, or the recipe scaler to halve or double this.
