Homemade taquitos in the air fryer are so delicious! This recipe includes instructions for making cheesy beef taquitos and cheesy chicken taquitos. Air fryer taquitos are a fun food for Mexican night, parties, and when watching the Super Bowl!
It's so easy to make homemade air fryer taquitos! I have 2 options for fillings, a cheesy chicken taquito filling and a cheesy beef taquito filling.
But there are even more variations than this! Follow the guidelines below for temperature and timing, but use a shredded buffalo chicken, pulled barbecue chicken, and even cheesy ranch chicken. These are a few unique ways to get creative with your taquito stuffings!
Don't want to make your taquitos completely from scratch? That's okay! I also give you easy instructions for cooking store bought frozen taquitos in your air fryer!
Taquitos were one of the first recipes I made in my air fryer. I used to pan fry my homemade chicken taquitos, but they came out so delicious that they were my motivation to try and cook everything I could in the air fryer. So far, it's been working out amazingly well. Just check out my other air fryer recipes to see what I've been up to!
*I have 3 air fryers- an Instant Pot Duo Crisp, Instant Omni Plus oven-style and an Ultenic basket-style. I've made this recipe in all of these and there are no significant differences in cook time or outcome.
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Ingredients
Chicken Taquitos
- Rotisserie chicken: you can substitute with shredded chicken you already have on hand, cooked in a slow cooker or in an Instant Pot.
- Taco seasoning: or other Mexican seasoning variety.
- Mexican cheese: cheddar cheese and monterey jack are great too!
Beef Taquitos
- Ground beef
- Taco seasoning
- Mexican cheese
You also need corn or flour tortillas and oil spray (I use olive oil spray). I prefer the taste and crispiness of corn tortillas, but you may prefer using flour tortillas because these are easier to roll and cook without cracking.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Make both the chicken taquitos and the beef taquitos or just one filling. This recipe yields 15 chicken and 15 beef taquitos as written.
STEP 1: Make the chicken filling, if using. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the rotisserie chicken, taco seasoning and Mexican cheese.
STEP 2: Make the beef taquito filling, if using. Brown the ground beef in a large pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour in ⅔ cup of water and the 3 tablespoon of taco seasoning. Stir and let simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Transfer beef mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the Mexican cheese.
STEP 3: Wrap 5 tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat for 30 seconds in the microwave. Lay a warm tortilla flat and fill with 2 tablespoon of either chicken filling or beef filling. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam-side down in an oiled air fryer basket. Repeat until you can no longer fit any taquitos in the air fryer. *For the crispiest taquitos, don't let them touch in the basket.
STEP 4: Spray the taquitos tightly with oil. Set the air fryer to 350°F for 14 minutes. Flip taquitos at the 7 minute mark and spray again with oil.
STEP 5: Use tongs to remove the taquitos from the air fryer one at a time. They will just start to turn golden brown when done. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as many times as needed to cook all taquitos. *You'll need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer and how many taquitos you are cooking.
STEP 6: Serve warm or at room temperature with toppings of your choice, such as salsa, sour cream, cilantro, pico de gallo, taco sauce, and Mexican crema.
How To Air Fry Frozen Taquitos
If you want to skip all of the above and simply heat a package of frozen, premade store bought taquitos, all you need to do is place them on an oiled air fryer basket and cook at 375°F for 5 minutes.
What To Serve With Taquitos
Serve with:
- Sour cream
- Salsa roja
- Salsa verde
- Mango pico de gallo
- Mexican crema
- Guacamole
- Instant Pot Mexican black beans
Helpful Recipe Tips and Facts
Of course they are! Air fried taquitos turn out crispy, golden brown and absolutely delicious.
At 350° F, taquitos take 10-14 minutes to air fry.
Yes, you can cook frozen taquitos in an air fryer! Frozen store bought taquitos will need approximately 5 minutes in the air fryer at 375°F. If reheating these homemade taquitos directly from frozen, they will need about 10 minutes. Simply place the taquitos on an oiled air fryer basket or tray and air fry for the recommended amount of time.
To keep corn tortillas from cracking, warm them in the microwave. Stack 5 tortillas and wrap in damp paper towels. Microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stuff the taquitos when the corn tortillas are still warm. If you are having difficulty with the corn tortillas, flour tortillas work great in this recipe too. They are easier to work with and less likely to crack.
Air fried taquitos last up to 3 months in the freezer for optimal quality. Allow them to cool completely, then wrap with plastic and seal in a freezer-safe bag.
They can be reheated in the air fryer from frozen at 350° Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. Defrosted taquitos can be reheated in the air fryer for 3-5 minutes.
Enjoy!
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Recipe
Air Fryer Taquitos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 30 corn tortillas small sized
- olive oil cooking spray
Chicken Taquitos
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken shredded
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup Mexican cheese
Beef Taquitos
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup Mexican cheese
Instructions
- Make the chicken filling. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the ingredients for the chicken taquitos.
- Make the beef taquitos. Brown the ground beef in a large pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour in ⅔ cup of water and the 3 tablespoon of taco seasoning. Stir and let simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Transfer beef mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the Mexican cheese.
- Wrap 5 tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat for 20 seconds in the microwave. Lay a warm tortilla flat and fill with 2 tablespoon of either chicken filling or beef filling. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam-side down in an oiled air fryer basket. Repeat until you can no longer fit any taquitos in the air fryer. *For the crispiest taquitos, don't let them touch in the basket.
- Spray the taquitos tightly with oil. Set the air fryer to 350°F for 14 minutes. Flip taquitos at the 7 minute mark and spray again with oil. At 10 minutes, check to ensure they are not burning. They will be golden brown when done.
- Use tongs to remove the taquitos from the air fryer one at a time. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as many times as needed to cook all taquitos. *You'll need to work in batches depending on the size of your air fryer and how many taquitos you are cooking.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with toppings of your choice, such as salsa, sour cream, cilantro, pico de gallo, taco sauce, and crema.
Jerika
This Homemade taquitos looks so delish!:) We will be having this over the weekend. Thanks!:)