Homemade Taquitos

Meet my new favorite appetizer: Baked Green Chile Taquitos! They're crispy on the outside, gooey in the middle, tangy, lightly spicy, and so. much. fun!

Who would have guessed that moving to Chicago would have made me a taquitos fan? Just after Jack and I moved here, a new bar opened up down the block from our house. At first, we went there for drinks, but we’ve kept going back for taquitos! As it turns out, this bar has an inventive chef who comes up with a rotating menu of homemade taquitos. They make their tortillas from scratch and stuff them with seasonal, local ingredients. After just a few visits, Jack and I were total taquitos converts, and I knew I had to try making my own!

The results: Baked Green Chile Taquitos! Unlike the taquitos from down the street, these little guys are baked, not fried, and I use store bought tortillas, so making them is quick and easy. Still, they’re totally delicious.

Baking the taquitos makes them lighter than fried ones, and they come out of the oven perfectly crispy and golden brown. Their crunchy shell gives way to a creamy, bold filling made of refried beans, melty cheese, and spiced green chile jackfruit. This is a great recipe to serve as a party appetizer (hint, hint Super Bowl/Oscars fans!), but we’ve also been known to eat them for dinner with a side of cilantro lime rice.

Homemade Taquitos Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these DELICIOUS homemade taquitos:

• Tortillas – I tested making these taquitos with every type and size of tortilla I could find. These small, pliable tortillas made from a mix of flour and corn yielded the best results. They rolled up nicely, they got deliciously brown and crisp, and they didn’t crack or unroll in the oven. If you need to use gluten-free corn tortillas, choose the most flexible kind you can find, and make sure to warm them in the oven or microwave before you roll them up.
• Jackfruit – Who needs rotisserie chicken when you can have bold, spicy jackfruit instead? I punch it up with cumin, coriander, and cayenne to give these taquitos extra kick. If you’ve never worked with jackfruit before, look for it in the canned section of your grocery store. I find mine at Trader Joe’s.
• Refried beans – A big slather of refried beans adds the perfect soft contrast to the crunchy taquito shell, and it helps seal the taquitos shut.
• Green chiles and scallions – The green chiles supply tangy, spicy flavor, while the scallions add a nice fresh finish.
• Jack cheese – It acts as a binder and adds that crave-worthy gooey cheesy texture. Yum!

And of course, you can’t go wrong by serving them with cilantro, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream or this “cheese “sauce. I wouldn’t say no to tomatillo salsa for dipping either!

How to Make Taquitos

This taquitos recipe is SUPER fun and easy to make! Here’s how I do it:

First, shred the jackfruit. Open your can of jackfruit, drain it, and break apart the fruit, discarding any tough core pieces. Pull apart the tender, flaky jackfruit until it has the texture of shredded chicken.

Then, bake it! I roast the jackfruit in the oven to infuse it with flavor before I roll it up inside the taquitos. Spread it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss it with the drained green chiles and spices. Bake at 400 until the jackfruit is lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.

 

Next, stuff and roll the taquitos. Spread a thin line of refried beans all the way down a tortilla, close to the left edge. Top it with a bit of the jackfruit, scallions, and cheese, and tightly roll the tortilla over the fillings. When you finish rolling each tortilla, place it seamed side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Finally, bake! Spray the taquitos generously with cooking spray, and transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake until the taquitos become golden brown and nice and crispy around the edges.

Last but not least, top them with your desired fixings, and dig in!

Best Taquitos Recipe Tips

• Warm the tortillas before you roll them up. To make your tortillas extra-pliable, warm them in the oven for 3-5 minutes or in the microwave, wrapped in a damp paper towel, for 30 seconds before you stuff and roll the taquitos. This extra step is so easy, and it makes the tortillas less likely to crack or unroll in the oven.
• Spread the filling towards one side of the tortillas, not in the center! This way, you’ll be able to wrap and roll the tortilla edge tightly over the filling. The tighter you roll the taquitos, the more likely they are to hold their shape, and the crunchier they will be!
• Save some for later. Eat your taquitos right away, or freeze them for up to a month! To thaw frozen taquitos, bake them in a 400 degree oven until they are crisp and warmed through, about 25 minutes.