Description
These Air Fryer Beef Taquitos feature seasoned lean ground beef mixed with diced onions, green chiles, and sharp cheddar cheese, all rolled into crispy tortillas and cooked to perfection using an air fryer. This recipe offers a flavorful, low fat, and low calorie Mexican-inspired dish that's easy to prepare and serves as a delicious appetizer or main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Mixture
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix (homemade or store bought, check for gluten-free)
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles, drained
- 1½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Assembly and Cooking
- 16 tortillas - fajita size flour, 6-inch corn, or 50/50 blend (use corn for gluten-free option)
- Avocado oil nonstick cooking spray (must be non-propellant)
Serving Suggestions
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Shredded lettuce
Instructions
- Prepare the Beef Filling: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef with diced yellow onion until beef is browned and onions are softened, about 7-10 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Add Seasoning and Chiles: Stir in the taco seasoning mix and diced green chiles. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, allowing flavors to combine. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Combine with Cheese: Transfer the beef mixture to a bowl and mix in the grated cheddar cheese evenly.
- Assemble the Taquitos: Warm the tortillas briefly to make them pliable. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the beef mixture onto each tortilla and tightly roll it up, folding in the edges to seal the filling inside.
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Prepare for Air Frying: Lightly spray the rolled taquitos with avocado oil nonstick cooking spray to ensure crispiness.
- Cook the Taquitos: Arrange the taquitos seam side down in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 18-20 minutes, turning halfway through, until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
- Serve: Remove the taquitos from the air fryer and let them cool for a couple of minutes before serving with sour cream, salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, and shredded lettuce as desired.
Notes
- Use corn tortillas for a gluten-free version.
- To keep tortillas pliable and prevent cracking, warm them briefly before rolling.
- Adjust the level of spice in taco seasoning to your preference.
- Non-propellant avocado oil spray works best to ensure crispy taquitos without off flavors.
- If you don't have an air fryer, these can be baked in an oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taquito
- Calories: 187 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 331 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
