Description
These crispy air fryer beef taquitos are packed with bold flavor from spiced ground beef, sautéed onions and green peppers, and gooey marble cheese. Easy to assemble, they cook quickly in the air fryer to golden perfection. Serve with salsa, guacamole, or your favorite garnishes for a delicious and crave-worthy snack or appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Filling
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef, lean
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon ground paprika
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, for sautéing
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
To Assemble
- 2 eggs
- 24 soft corn tortillas
- 2 cups marble cheese, shredded
- Nonstick cooking spray
Optional Garnishes
- Salsa
- Guacamole or sliced avocado
- Cilantro
- Sour cream
- Hot sauce
- Iceberg lettuce
- Cotija cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Make the Beef Filling: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onions and green bell peppers until onions sweat and turn slightly brown and peppers soften, about 5-7 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking up large pieces, and cook until slightly browned. Stir in garlic powder and paprika, cooking until beef is fully cooked and a bit crispy. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Prepare the Filling Mixture: Transfer the cooked beef mixture to a bowl and stir continuously to help it cool down, approximately 10 minutes. Whisk eggs in a small bowl, then add to the cooled beef mixture and mix well to combine.
- Assemble the Taquitos: Lay a corn husk strip or kitchen string horizontally on a clean surface. Place one soft corn tortilla on top, then add 1 tablespoon shredded marble cheese in a vertical line, followed by 1 ½ tablespoons of the beef mixture on the cheese. Roll the tortilla tightly from right to left, tucking the edge under the filling as you roll. Secure the roll by tying the husk strip or string around the middle and trim any excess. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Preheat and Prepare Air Fryer: Spray the base and sides of the air fryer basket (and extra rack if using) with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange taquitos without overcrowding and spray the tops lightly with cooking spray.
- Air Fry the Taquitos: If using air fryer rack, set temperature to 375°F and cook for 8 minutes. Check the top rack taquitos for browning, leave bottom basket ones to continue cooking. Flip browned taquitos and cook for another 4 minutes, adding 2 more minutes if needed for crispiness. Then remove top rack and flip basket taquitos to crisp the bottoms for 4 more minutes. If cooking in basket only, set to 375°F and cook for 6 minutes. Flip taquitos, cook another 3 minutes, adding 2 minutes more if needed until golden and crispy on all sides.
- Serve: Remove taquitos from air fryer, remove strings or corn husks, and serve hot with desired garnishes such as salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, or cotija cheese.
Notes
- Soften tortillas before rolling by steaming if they are stale to prevent cracking.
- Cook taquitos in batches to avoid overcrowding and ensure they crisp evenly.
- Use a strong melting cheese like marble cheese for best flavor and texture.
- Allow the beef mixture to cool before mixing in eggs to prevent cooking the eggs prematurely.
- Use soaked corn husk strips or kitchen string to securely tie taquitos and keep their shape during cooking.
- If you don’t have corn husks, cut kitchen string into 7-inch lengths or use toothpicks to secure the ends.
- Adjust air fryer cooking time based on your model, checking frequently to avoid overcooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taquito
- Calories: 130 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
