This air fryer beef taquitos recipe is made with flavorful ground beef and melty cheese. They are crunchy, healthier than deep fried taquitos and are easy to make in the air fryer with no oil clean up at the end. These taquitos are a crowd pleaser, perfect for taco night, game night, and really any day of the week.
Why you'll love this recipe
- air fryer taquitos are easy and quick to make
- Healthier than deep fried taquitos
- Have the perfect crunch with every bite
- Make the perfect appetizer, lunch or dinner
How long to cook taquitos in air fryer
To get the perfect crispy corn tortilla taquitos I air-fry for 7-8 minutes at 400 degrees in my 5 quart Cosori air fryer When I add 2-3 taquitos to the air-fryer they cook in about 6 minutes. Keep in mind not all air fryers are the same. So double check your air fryer half way through the cooking process. Air fryer temperatures tend to vary by brand, so make sure you test your air fryer and double check the cooking settings that works best for your air fryer.
Ingredients needed
- Corn tortillas - yellow or white corn tortillas
- Ground beef - I use 80/20
- Seasoning: Paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, parsley flakes, and kosher salt
- Olive oil or avocado oil - For brushing the tacos or cooking spray works here too
- Shredded cheddar cheese - 1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese or any good melting cheese works here.
How to make make taquitos in an air fryer
Start by spraying a medium size skillet with cooking spray and cooking the ground beef over medium heat. Add all seasonings; paprika, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley flakes, and salt. Cook until meat is no longer pink about 10 minutes. Drain all the excess fat and set aside.
Heat the corn tortillas for 30-40 seconds in the microwave. I do this in batches. Once tortillas are warm and pliable start adding ground beef and sprinkling about 2 tablespoons of cheese and roll. Place a toothpick in the middle to hold the taquitos from unrolling. Set aside and keep rolling. 1 lb of ground beef normally make 16-18 corn tortilla taquitos.
In a single layer add the rolled ground beef taquitos to the air-fryer and spray with cooking spray or brush with olive or avocado oil on all sides. My 5 qt air fryer is able to air fry 8 taquitos at a time, so I air fry in 2 batches. Air fry for 7 minutes at 400 degrees checking the basket midway and spraying with more cooking oil if desire. Once the taquitos are done air frying place in a serving platter and make sure to remove all toothpicks before serving. Serve with crumble queso fresco, lettuce, guacamole and top with salsa.
What to serve with ground beef taquitos
You can serve with a side of this easy Mexican rice and beans or you can really just enjoy with no sides and just all the toppings.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
Air fryer taquitos are so versatile. Instead of doing ground beef air fryer taquitos you can do air fryer chicken tacos, steak taquitos, shredded beef, or pork tacos.
Not a fan of corn tortillas? you can use flour tortillas instead
Instead of shredded cheddar cheese you can use shredded mozzarella for the filling.
You can add more toppings, like pico de gallo, sour cream or Mexican crema, cilantro and onion.
Deep frying taquitos instead
In a large frying pan add 2 cups of oil (I use vegetable or canola oil) or more as needed and heat until it has reached about 350 degrees (I use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature) Once heated add taquitos using kitchen tongs making sure not to over crowd the pan - you will do this in batches. Cook taquitos for about 3- 5 minutes or until golden brown. Then place them over a large dish with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
How to store air fried taquitos
You can store taquitos in an air-tight container in the refrigerator up to five days and re-heat in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes at 350 degrees or in the toaster oven for 5 minutes. You can freeze up to 3 months in a freezer zip top back in a single layer. Once ready to eat, thaw out and reheat in air-fryer or toaster oven.
Air Fryer Beef Taquitos
Equipment
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 16-18 Corn tortillas
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ tablespoon Parsley flakes
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 Cup Shredded cheddar cheese (more cheese to your liking)
Toppings
- 1-2 cups Queso fresco (crumbled)
- Guacamole *see note 1
- Salsa *see note 2
- Shredded lettuce
Instructions
- Start by spraying a medium size skillet with cooking spray and cooking the ground beef over medium heat. Add all seasonings; paprika, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley flakes, salt and combine. Cook until meat is no longer pink about 10 minutes. Drain all the excess fat and set aside.
- Heat the corn tortillas for 30-40 seconds in the microwave. I do this in batches. Once tortillas are warm and pliable start adding ground beef in the middle of the tortilla and sprinkling about 2 tablespoons of cheese and roll. Place a toothpick in the middle to hold the taquitos from unrolling. Set aside and keep rolling the rest.
- Preheat air fryer for 4 minutes at 400 degrees. In a single layer add the rolled ground beef taquitos to the air-fryer and spray with cooking spray or brush with olive or avocado oil on all sides. Air fry for 7 minutes in batches at 400 degrees checking the basket midway and spraying with more cooking oil if desire. Once the taquitos are done air frying place in a serving platter.
Notes
Salsas that would make the perfect topping
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