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Golden brown crispy beef taquitos stacked on dark plate with white creamy dipping sauce in wooden bowl

Cheesy Beef Taquitos with Cilantro Jalapeño Crema

Cheesy beef taquitos with seasoned ground beef and Monterey Jack cheese rolled tight in flour tortillas, shallow-fried at 350°F until golden and crispy, served with a blended cilantro jalapeño crema.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 taquitos
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef Filling
  • 2 lbs 85/15 ground beef
  • 0.5 sweet onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Taquito Build
  • Medium flour tortillas
  • 1.5-2 cups Monterey Jack cheese freshly grated
  • Oil for frying about 1 inch in pan
Cilantro Jalapeño Crema
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.5 cup mayo
  • 0.5 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1-2 jalapeños
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt to taste

Equipment

  • Large Skillet
  • Shallow frying pan
  • Blender (for crema)

Method
 

  1. Blend sour cream, mayo, cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, lime juice, and salt until smooth. Chill in the fridge.
  2. Cook ground beef with diced onion and garlic over medium-high heat until browned. Season with chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook down until no liquid remains.
  3. Lay out flour tortillas. Add grated Monterey Jack cheese first, then beef filling. Roll very tight and place seam-side down.
  4. Heat 1 inch of oil to 350°F. Fry taquitos seam-side down first, turning until golden brown and crispy all around, about 3-5 minutes per batch.
  5. Drain on a wire rack. Serve with cold cilantro jalapeño crema. Optional: extra cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Notes

Roll very tight: Loose rolls let filling shift and the tortilla unravel in the oil.
Seam-side down first: Hot oil seals the seam shut so the taquito holds together.
Freshly grate the cheese: Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting.
Cook the filling dry: Wet filling makes the tortilla soggy and prevents crispy frying.

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