Air Fryer Taquitos
The next time a craving for those dippable mini Mexi-rolls hits, skip the freezer section and reach for this Air Fryer Taquitos recipe!
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Servings: 24 taquitos
Ingredients
For The Taquito Filling:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil for sautéing
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 1 green pepper (diced)
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- salt & pepper to taste
For Assembling The Taquitos:
- 2 eggs
- 24 soft corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded marble or Mexican blend cheese
- corn husk strips or kitchen string (cut into ~ 7” long sections)
- natural cooking spray
Instructions
For The Taquito Filling
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, and sauté the onions and peppers, stirring until the onions sweat and turn slightly brown and the green peppers are softened.
- Add ground beef, stirring and breaking down any large pieces with a wooden sauce spoon. Cook until the beef is browned with no pink remaining.
- Add garlic powder and paprika and stir to thoroughly coat. Take the pan off the heat, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assembling The Taquitos
- Transfer the ground beef mixture into a bowl, stirring continuously for a minute to help the mixture cool down.
- Whisk 2 eggs in a small bowl. Once the ground beef mixture is cool (about 5-10 minutes), add eggs and mix well.
- On a clean work surface or a plate, lay down one corn husk strip (or kitchen string) sideways (in horizontal position). Place a soft corn tortilla on top of the strip. (See notes below for corn husk prep.)
- Put 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese on the tortilla, forming a line from top to bottom (vertically). Add 1-½ tablespoons of ground beef mixture on top of the cheese.
- Roll the tortilla. Start by taking the right side and bring it over to the left, covering the cheese and meat mixture. Tuck the edge under the filling mixture, then slowly and as tight as possible, roll the tortilla. Tie the corn husk strip/kitchen string securely around the middle of the roll. Push any filling that might have come out of the ends back into roll and cut off excess length of the strip/string.
- Repeat the process for the remainder of the tortillas. (*see note for time saving)
Air Frying The Taquitos
- Spray the base and sides of your air-fryer basket with propellant-free oil cooking spray. Place as many taquitos in the basket and rack as you can without crowding them and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Set the heat to 375°F and timer to 6 minutes. Check the taquitos and once the top surface is brown and crispy, flip them over. Fry for another 3-5 minutes, or until the taquitos are browned and crisp on both sides.
- Repeat the process for the remainder of the taquitos.
- Serve taquitos with sour cream, guacamole, hot sauce, shredded iceberg lettuce, cilantro, crumbled cotija or feta cheese, or any combination of the above.
Notes
- Total Time is based on making 3 batches of taquitos @ 10 min cook time each. To save time, assemble in batches of 4-6 and then cook. While cooking, assemble the next batch.
- Corn husks can be purchased on Amazon or Latin food stores. Alternatively, you can use kitchen string (cut into 7” length for each taquito), or toothpicks to close each end of the taquito.
- If using corn husks, soak them in water for 5 minutes and dry well prior to using. This will make them easier to work with. Tear the corn husk into strips (by hand or with scissors), about ¼” wide per strip
- Do not crowd the taquitos in the basket. Make sure there is plenty of space for hot air to circulate.
- Cooking time depends on your air fryer. If in doubt, use less cooking time and keep checking the taquitos and adding more cooking time until they are crispy.