Spicy Beef Taquitos -- Freezer Friendly!

I'm leaning on the freezer more than usual lately, and these Spicy Beef Taquitos are my latest addition.  

You'll get 24 scrumptious taquitos from this recipe -- which means you've got plenty of free meals coming your way over the next couple weeks!

Just plop 'em in the oven, set the timer, and chill until dinner is served.  Sound good?

How To Make Beef Taquitos

Two pounds of ground beef will make approximately 24 taquitos.   If that sounds crazy then feel free to cut the recipe in half.

We'll start by finely chopping an onion and cooking it in some oil over medium heat. 

When the onion has softened we'll add 2 lbs. of ground beef.  

Once the ground beef is browned you can drain off some fat if you want.  

Add 4 minced garlic cloves, cook briefly, and then add the remaining ingredients:

3-6 minced chipotles in adobo
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
2 teaspoons chile powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano  What is Mexican Oregano?
1.5 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)
freshly cracked black pepper
splash of water

You'll get plenty of flavor from the chipotles, but I usually add some chile powder when I have the good stuff on hand.

Here's a pic of the dry spices used for this batch.

That's crushed New Mexican chile powder for a bit of extra flavor, but it's definitely optional.

By the way, it's worth taking a look at the label on the chile powder in your pantry as most store-bought versions are loaded with lots of unnecessary ingredients.  More info on the chile powders I use. 

Combine well, bring it up to temp, and take a final taste for seasoning.  

It's already loaded with flavor but I always do some final tweaking.  For this batch I added another pinch of salt and a bit more Mexican oregano.

You may recognize this Beef from the recent Easy Taco Salad -- it's quite versatile and I crave it on a regular basis 🙂

For the taquitos, you'll want to warm up the corn tortillas first.  This makes them more pliable and less likely to crack. 

You've got plenty of options for warming up the tortillas:

• Put them in the oven for a few minutes
• Flash fry them individually in a thin layer of oil
• Cover with a damp paper towel and nuke them for 60 seconds or so

I microwaved these as it's the easiest when making big batches.  

Once the tortillas are warm we'll give them a layer of cheese and a couple tablespoons of the ground beef mixture. 

You're welcome to add any other fixings you want to the taquitos, but I usually keep it simple for freezer batches. 

Roll tight and place them seam side down on a baking sheet.

I baked six of these for dinner and continued rolling the rest as they cooked.

After spraying on a thin layer of oil they'll need somewhere between 15-20 minutes in a 400F oven  -- I usually start peeking after 15 minutes and pull them out when the edges start to turn darker brown. 

This batch was in for 18 minutes. 

Keep in mind that baked taquitos will never be as crispy as fried taquitos, and that's okay! 

You can get pretty darn close and it's a much more sustainable method for my kitchen.  

While this batch was cooking I whipped up a Salsa de Aguacate:

Salsa de Aguacate is a mild green sauce that comes alive when paired with spicy meats. 

It takes just a few minutes to make and you get something wonderful in return.  Here's a look at the ingredients:

1 avocado
1/4 cup water
juice of 1 lime
4-5 sprigs cilantro
1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine it all in a blender and it's ready to roll. 

Yum!

But keep in mind that taquitos aren't picky and they'll work well with just about any homemade Salsa, with a special nod to these favorites:

Roasted Tomato and Tomatillo Salsa

Salsa Verde

Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa

All of those Salsas require a similar amount of oven time as the taquitos, so you can always pull double duty and put the tomatoes/tomatillos in the oven at the same time as the taquitos.

In addition to the 6 taquitos I wolfed down, I got 18 additional freezer taquitos for a grand total of 24 from this 2 lb. batch of ground beef.   Perfect!

Put them in a freezer-safe bag and when they get the call, simply add a quick brushing of oil, plop them in the oven, and then go say hello to the couch. 

One last thing...

It used to bother me when ground beef would dribble out the sides when rolling up the taquitos.  You can always use a toothpick to secure them and flip them on their back to stuff additional beef into the sides. 

Then once they are partially frozen you can remove the toothpicks and they will hold their shape.

Yes, you'll get a bit more beef if you use this method, but lately I just pile more beef into the center knowing there will be some spillage along the way and they won't be perfect, but they're still going to taste great 🙂

Okay, let me know if you have any questions about these Spicy Beef Taquitos.  It's a real treat to remember you've got a few of these beauties in the freezer waiting for the call. 

Buen Provecho. 

To get up-to-date recipes follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.

 

Want to see the latest recipe?  It's these Pickled Jalapenos with Habaneros.