These beef taquitos are full of everything you love about this classic Mexican meal or appetizer, with tender, zesty, seasoned shredded beef wrapped up in a corn tortilla and deep-fried to perfection.
When you grow up in California and then move to Texas, you tend to develop a deep love of Mexican food. It’s everywhere, and when it’s authentic, it’s so, so good. We were exposed to all things Mexican food at an early age. We loved it then, and we love it now. These days, we love making both traditional dishes and tasty variations using other ingredients to get that Mexican flavor and feel for all kinds of meals or parties.
We routinely make dishes like crockpot shredded chicken tacos for lunch or dinner, steak and egg burritos for breakfast, and even a jalapeno popper pastry braid for a party snack. Now, we’ve added another tasty snack or meal to our growing list of delicious Mexican dishes – these beef taquitos. They’re easy to make and full of classic flavor.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe only uses a few simple ingredients found in any grocery store.
- Easy: Just slow-cook the beef, shred it, fill the tortillas, and fry them. That’s it!
- Classic Flavor: These are classic taquitos full of classic flavor and texture.
- Versatile: These can be served as a meal or an appetizer at parties.
- Meal Prep-Friendly: These taquitos are freezer-friendly, so they’re great for meal prep.
Ingredients
- Beef Roast: Rump roast chunks have plenty of marbling, so they get super tender as they slow-cook.
- Onion: Onion adds aromatic flavor with a combination of sweetness and a little bite.
- Rotel with Tomatoes and Beef Broth: A mix of Rotel with tomatoes and beef broth gives the roast the liquid it needs to get tender and stay moist and infuses it with flavor.
- Seasoning: Cajun seasoning, granulated garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes add more depth of flavor and a little heat to the shredded beef.
- Corn Tortillas: The classic choice for taquitos.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.
Flavor Variations
- Beef Roast: Rump roast, chuck roast, beef stew meat, or pork butt all work well for beef taquitos. Shredded chicken can also be used for the taquitos.
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes for a mild version of this recipe.
- Extra Spicy: Add finely diced jalapenos to the beef mixture for more heat.
- Cheesy: Add bold cheese like cheddar, Colby Jack, cheddar Jack, Mexican blend, or taco blend for more flavor. You can also top them with cheese rather than adding it to the taquito filling.
Instructions
- Add the onions to the bottom of a 6 to 8-quart slow cooker sprayed with nonstick spray. Then, add the meat chunks and all the seasonings.
- Add the beef broth and Rotel, then cook until the meat is fork tender. Remove it and shred it.
- Heat a tortilla in a shallow pan over medium heat. Then, add as much meat as you like and roll it up tightly.
- Repeat until all the tortillas are rolled up, placing them on a plate as you go.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a deep frying pan.
- Fry the taquitos in batches until they’re golden on all sides, transferring them to a plate lined with paper towels until all the taquitos are fried.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Tips
- Don’t rush the oil while preheating it. It should be nice and hot for frying.
- Work in batches, so the oil stays hot and the taquitos get crispy.
- Hold each tortilla with tongs as you place it in the oil to help it hold together as it fries.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve your taquitos with salsa, guacamole, jalapeno salsa, or sour cream for dipping. They’re also excellent appetizers at parties alongside other Mexican favorites like mini fried beef tacos, deep fried burritos, or steak nachos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taquitos are great with salsa, pico de gallo, taco sauce, or sour cream.
You can make a slurry of equal parts all-purpose flour and water and brush it along the edge of the tortilla before pressing it closed. The slurry acts as a glue for the tortillas.
Taquitos are done when the tortillas are golden brown and crispy, and the filling is heated through.
Try These Beef Taquitos
These beef taquitos are the perfect lunch, dinner, or party snack. They’re packed with flavor, use simple ingredients, and are easy to make. When you combine all that, there’s really no reason not to make them! Everyone we know loves our homemade taquitos, and we know you will, too. Give them a try!
More Delicious Mexican Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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Beef Taquitos
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds beef rump roast or chuck roast, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 14 ounce beef broth
- 10 ounce Rotel tomatoes and peppers
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 50 corn tortillas, might need more depending on the size of the roast
- Optional: Shredded cheese
- 2 cups vegetable oil
Instructions
- Spray a 6-8 quart crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add onions to the bottom of the crock pot followed by the chunks of meat.
- Add all of the seasonings.
- Next, add beef broth and Rotel.
- Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or low 8-10 hours.
- Once meat is fork tender, remove the meat and shred
- Heat each tortilla on the stove in a shallow pan over medium heat.
- Add the desired amount of meat to each tortilla and roll up tightly.
- Place rolled taquitos on a baking sheet, seam side down, until ready to fry.
- In a deep fry pan, heat oil over medium high heat.
- Place each tortilla into the hot oil, a few at a time, and deep fry until golden on all sides.
- *Hold each tortilla with tongs as they are placed in the hot oil to help them stay together. Once they are secure and holding together, remove the tongs and add the next taquito, and repeat until all taquitos are fried.
- Work in batches so the oil stays at the right temperature.
- Top with shredded cheese and dip into you favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- Don’t rush the oil while preheating it. It should be nice and hot for frying.
- Work in batches, so the oil stays hot and the taquitos get crispy.
- Hold each tortilla with tongs as you place it in the oil to help it hold together as it fries.
Storage
